Effects of Social Networking Sites on Society - Essay Example

Do social networking sites have mostly positive or negative effects on society? Social networking sites are websites that allow people to interact and communicate with friends and family by creating public profiles and sharing connections. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ are examples of such sites. With the growth and spread of the internet, the use of social networking sites has grown rapidly over the recent past. This has led to the debate on whether these sites have a positive or negative influence on our society. Just like any other form of technology, the use of social networking sites has its own disadvantages owing to the fact that these sites are sometimes misused. However, social networking sites have a positive impact on our societies. Social networking sites enable for sharing of knowledge and information online, allow business communicate with their customers and act as powerful platforms for advertising and marketing. Social networks are an important tool of communication that allow for sharing of ideas and information. In a research conducted by Trisha Baruah (2012, p. 8 par. 2) on the effectiveness of social media, the author notes that social networking sites allow the users to share ideas, events, activities and interests with the networks they have created. In addition, these sites have helped to bridge the communication gaps that were characterized by other forms of communication. In particular, social media helps maintain long distance relationships since content creation and sharing is easy since it is done over the internet. As an example, the power of social media as a communication tool can be seen in the revolutions that took place in the Arab world. As a result of these revolutions, political change was brought to these nations. Opponents of social networks have argued that it creates a false sense of connection, thereby destroying meaningful relationships. In the end, these opponents argue that social networks weaken meaningful relationships and concentrate more on virtual relationships (Jung, 2015, par. 2). Contrary to this argument, social networks enhance these relationships by ensuring that friends and families remain in close contact. With tools such as Skype and Tango, it has become easy for people to connect online, and this strengthen relationships in the real world. Secondly, social media is a powerful tool for marketing and advertising. Through the use of these technologies, companies are able to maintain good relationships with their clients and at the same time introduce new products and services to the market (Baruah, 2012, p.8 par. 6). Most of the organizations today use this technology to bring new products to the market. Through these sites, companies can collect the views and opinions of the consumers regarding various products, and this helps in enhancing the quality of these products. Companies are able to get customer feedback and also provide customer support through these sites. Major companies and organizations have online support through social media. In a recent episode, I recall using social media to get assistance about a service offered by my mobile service provider. Not only was this service effective but also timely. Critics of social media argue that organizations are turning people into branded products by collecting their views online. They argue that businesses are simply taking advantage of users online by taking away their online personas. It has been further argued that the use of social media in advertising exposes an organization to numerous risks resulting from defamation and privacy. For example, some critics state that the use of these sites could lead to defamation risks where employees make defamatory statements about other competitors. In addition, it has been argued that companies may find it difficult t protect the privacy of the users who join their sites. Although these risks may be realistic, it is possible for companies to employ the right strategies to mitigate the risks. Specifically, companies can identify the key people who will be responsible for ensuring that the social media strategy is well monitored and executed. Such risks will thus be eliminated. Social media has made it possible for people to find products in an easy and effective way. Unlike before, people no longer have to visit physical stores to learn about the products and services offered. In addition, social media users are at liberty to choose the information they share online. Third, social media has been found to enhance self-image and confidence among the users. In an article by Kelly Wallace (2014, par. 9), the author reports that research has shown that social media makes teenagers feel confident. The author reports the findings of the research conducted by Common Sense Media, which is a child advocacy group, which show that social media helps teenagers feel less shy (Wallace, 2014, par. 9). This is because through social media, people are able to interact with many people from various backgrounds. Through this interaction, the user’s confidence is enhanced, and this is helps him/her interact with others more effectively in the real world. Social media is analogues to a mirror: when one looks at himself/herself through the mirror, they tend to appreciate their beauty and other attributes. In this case, the connections we make through social media are like the reflection through which we see ourselves. The views by others and comments help build our confidence. Opponents of social media argue that these sites have in fact enhanced cases of cyber bullying, which have in turn reduced people’s confidence and self-image online, especially among teenagers (Jung, 2015, par. 3). Whereas this may be true, it should be noted that cyber bullying only affects a small percentage of users. In addition, cyber bullying can be addressed by teaching younger users on how to use these sites and the people to interact with. Unlike what critics portray, the effects of cyber bullying are limited and cannot be used to erode the positives of social media and social networking. Fourth, social networking sites are good platforms for relieving stress, anxiety and boredom. In world where people are faced with challenges and stress arising from the workplace, families and friends, network sites such as Twitter and Facebook are important for reveling such stress. When people communicate and interact with many people, they tend to share ideas on how to deal with such problems. By chatting with a colleague or friend, a person can reduce anxiety or stress. Social media can be compared to a visit to the park where an individual gets the opportunity to get his/her mind off the stresses of life. Critics of social media suggest that social media are replacing real connections and rapport. For these critics, such connections are only effective if they are on person-person basis. However, this is not true because social media makes it easy to build a large connection of people within a short period of time. This is not a substitute for one-on-one interactions but rather helps to reinforce such interactions. Finally, social networking sites play a key role during disasters. Through social media, it is impossible to reach out “and communicate with massive numbers of people” (Anonymous, 2012, par. 36). This helps the rescue teams to coordinate the response efforts and ensure that a large group of people take part in the rescue efforts. For example, in the event of an earthquake or flooding, the Red Cross may opt to use social media to educate the affected people of the best evacuation routes and nearest medical facilities. This is contrary to what the opponents of social media believe. Critics of social networks argue that these sites make people lazy because they only remark or comment on events without participating in them. It is argued that most people are comfortable taking part in such events only through online platforms but not physically. In reality, this is not the case. Most of those who interact with events online are likely to be active participants in the real world. In the case of natural disasters, people are willing to help others or move to safety based on what they have read or seen on social media. In this case, social media helps to bring the information to the people who in turn act on that information. To conclude, this paper has demonstrated that social networking sites have helped enhance communication and interaction among users. Critics of social media argue that these sites have reduced the quality of interactions and have made people lazy. It has been also argued that social media poses major threats to organizations that use these platforms for advertising and marketing. Through this technology, the barriers of time and place that were once a characteristic of other traditional forms of communication are reduced. Throughout the essay, it has been argued that social networking sites provide a good platform for communication and interaction. Through social media, people are able to build relationships, share knowledge and boost their confidence. These benefits are not only limited to individuals but are also enjoyed by companies and organization. Companies use social media to enhance interaction with consumers. With the growth of the internet and mobile devices, the use of social media is likely to increase in the coming years. It cannot however be denied that there are no negative effects of these sites. However, with proper education and responsible use, these negative effects can be addressed. In the end, social media will continue to play an important role in our societies. Word count: 1533 References Anonymous (2012). Do social networking websites positively impact the world? Baruah, T (2012). Effectiveness of Social media as a tool of communication and its potential for technology enabled connections: A micro-level study. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 2(5), 1-10. Jung, B. (2015). The Negative Effect of Social Media on Society and Individuals. Chron.com. Retrieved 19 June 2015, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/negative-effect-social- media-society-individuals-27617.html Wallace, K. (2014). Social media positive for teens? Maybe! - CNN.com. CNN. Retrieved 19 June 2015, from http://edition.cnn.com/2013/11/21/living/social-media-positives-teens- parents/ Read More