Effects of Social Media - Essay Example

Effects of Social Media Introduction The social media is presenting many challenges to its users: there are effects associated with its use. Although it’s a relatively new field, its advantages and disadvantages can already be felt. The communication technology has advanced in a very short period, and social media has attracted many people from all corners of the world. The question of whether or not it adds value is largely being debated by scholars as well as researchers and experts in the field, from all over the world. The use of social media is not restricted to certain people; it has attracted scholars, business people, job seekers, pleasure seekers as well as the public at large. This work goes to point out the relevant effects that are associated with social media. Thesis Statement There are many effects associated with social media. Although there are positive outcomes, there are also some negative impacts that come with the use of social media. Problem Definition This research paper aims at evaluating the issues related to social media in general. Scholars have carried out research on the matter, and it is evident that there are advantages as well as disadvantages associated with social media. The issues affect a wide range of individuals. You can now connect to the whole world from the comfort of your home or office. This is one of the important attributes of social media. Not only are people able to make business connections, but they can find new jobs, find assistance and get advice. It has also enabled people to learn something new about a foreign country, and interact with people from diverse cultures. Social media has replaced pen pals mails that used to take a long time, now friends can communicate instantly using the many available social websites (Bryant and Zillmann 418). Social media offers the advantage of interacting with people who share the same interests. People can make wiser decisions on a subject, especially when they have managed to find solutions online. This is enhanced by the fact that communication via the Internet is real-time, as long as you have an Internet connection. Noor Al-Deen and Hendricks (182) conclude that many social sites have instant messaging that facilitates this. This has gone a long way to helping students, researchers, managers, business people, as well as teachers. One can source information online instantly. According to Noor Al-Deen and Hendricks (182), marketers have largely benefited from social media. It has become very cheap, fast and reliable to do marketing online. With a click of a button, a marketer can sell his or her idea, new products and services to millions of social network users worldwide. It is also handy for not for profit organizations to communicate with people, educate them on what their organization is all about and also find help in terms of raising funds and spreading awareness about their organization. It helps promote brand awareness and its visibility. The spread of news is now instant. Social media users can receive news from all over the world as soon as something takes place. For example, in case of difficulties and calamity, the world gets to know about it in an instant. The subject has played a big role in sharing the news. It has also helped journalists to gather information by knowing the trending issues and by being exposed to current events. Quite a number of us no longer have to wait till they get home in order to watch the news on the television. This has considerably boosted awareness (Silverman 120). Social media is important in improving the confidence of otherwise shy and introverted people. Such people are now able to voice their concerns and be heard. It also helps break barriers related to culture as well as physical barriers. Young people can learn more about their communities and also be aware of the issues taking place in their community and participate in them. Research also says that social media can be a tool for fighting depression. Social media has positively impacted on education. This is evident where students can access vital information online, where there is diverse information. This has helped them make informed discussions and also helped them be in touch with current issues affecting students. A student no longer needs to go to a library; this is because one can access books via the Internet. Bryant and Zillmann (422) suggest that they are also able to be in touch with a variety of points of views that may help them in the classroom. Because many lines of professions require Internet and social media knowledge, students have benefited from the ease of access. It even boosts their critical thinking. Although the advantages of social media are many, there are also disadvantages that come with it. For example, people no longer communicate physically, in a face to face manner. Silverman 120 states that social media has managed to offer people an opportunity to create false persona whereby people can create a false account and pretend to be someone else. A person can discontinue communication with someone by blocking them. This has created a major social problem because people are slowly losing sight of their social skills as well as problem-solving skills. Over-reliance on online communication has crippled the ways people solve issues, and this will, in the long run, affect the way they conduct themselves, especially in the business and professional world in future. According to Kirsh (186), children are at a risk of being exposed to inappropriate contents for example pornography and nudity from the Internet. Without the intervention or parental control, children may end up being affected greatly. Many people have also been exposed to cyber bullying as well as other forms of cyber-crimes. This is because of heavy social media usage. The ones most affected are the teenagers. Identity theft is now on the rise because personal information is accessible in the on the Internet, and a person with ill motives can take advantage of it and try to ruin someone’s life. There is also a risk of fraud. Kirsh (186) insists that technology has made it easy for the tech savvy people to be able to manipulate the social websites therefore stealing information. Such cases are on the rise, and if users are not careful, they will end up succumbing to fraud. Social media has been reported to be a huge time waster. People are deviating from their work and engaging in entertainment that the social sites offer. People are spending more time online therefore reducing their productivity. People are becoming lazy because they spend all their time online. So much time spent on the Internet can affect families because people no longer have time for each other (Kirsh 188). Recommendation As a recommendation, people should identify the problems associated with social media and should reduce dependence. A concerning issue is that social media is affecting students of all ages. With the availability of information online, students no longer want to do research. They entirely rely on the internet, which negatively impact on their research skills. The Internet language has also affected the grammar of students. The fact is that the language used on the Internet is not the official language needed in the classroom. Therefore, students are finding it hard to cope with the kind of writing required for them in the classroom. It the responsibility of every student to make sure that he or she does not get so absorbed into the use of social media. Conclusion In conclusion, it is clear that there are many effects associated with social media. Although there are positive outcomes, it is evident that there are also some negative impacts that come with the use of social media. For example, it is noted that many people are battling with social media addiction. Research suggests that over dependence and constant use of social media is very addictive. As such, it has affected the people’s way of life, for example, people have now neglected their health, as well as other responsibilities. And so it has led to the increase of lifestyle diseases like obesity and even heart failure. People no longer go outside to exercise; they are hooked to their gadgets accessing the social media. Therefore, a lot of measures need to be put in place regarding social media. Works Cited Noor Al-Deen, Hana S. Hendricks, John A. Social Media: Usage and Impact. Lexington Books, 2012. Print. Bryant, Jennings, Zillmann, Dolf. Media Effects: Advances in Theory and Research. Taylor & Francis, 2002. Print. Silverman, Scott C. Creating Community Online: The Effects of Online Social Networking Communities on College Students Experiences. How Can Student Affairs Professionals Best Respond to this Emergent Phenomenon. ProQuest, 2007 Kirsh, Steven, J. Media and Youth: A Developmental Perspective. John Wiley & Sons, 2010. Print. Read More