The Positive and Negative Impacts of Social Media on the UAE Society - Research Paper Example

The Positive and Negative Impacts of Social Media on the UAE Society Name Institution Course Tutor Date Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 1.0Introduction 2 1.1Background 2 1.2 Problem Statement 3 1.3 Purpose of the study 4 1.4Arrangement and Approach of study 4 2.0 Project proposal andplanning 5 2.1 Target Audience 5 2.2 Methodology of Research 5 2.3 Literature Review 5 2.4. Corporate Description 6 2.4. 1. Organizational activities 6 2.4.2. Strategic Management 7 2.4.3. Current projects undertaking 7 2.4.4. Industry Analysis 8 1.0Introduction 1.1Background Approximately 57% of citizens in United Arabs Emirates (UAE) support the idea of allowing the UAE government to use social media (Khaleej Times, 2014). The number of Facebook users in the UAE has increased by three-fold from between 2010 and 2014 to become five million (Khaleej Times, 2014). The adoption of Social Media has marked an important turning point in the 21st Century. Billions of people are interacting online thanks to the increased connection to the internet. By 2010, 76% of the UAE population was already connected to the internet (Al-Jenaibi, 2011, p.4). Therefore, social media has become an inevitable technological advancement that is now redefining the lifestyle of the youths and adults in the UAE. The aim of this study is to explore the positive and negative impacts of social media on the UAE society. 1.2 Problem Statement Some scholars are impressed with the usefulness of the social media in complimenting the traditional media in providing information and communication to the members of the society (Yusuf, Al-Banawi, and Al-Imam, 2014; Lyon and Montgomery, 2013). According to Stranska and Stritesky (2015, p.54), consumers have continued to use social media as a platform for complaining or presenting their queries. Another study by Rapp, Beitelspacher, Grewal, and Hughes (2013, p.548) also revealed that consumers spend most of their time on social media. For instance, the UAE enjoys the highest Twitter penetration in the Arab world (Khaleej Times, 2014). Twitter is a popular social media platform that connects professionals and companies around the world. However, critics, especially from the Arab nations have questioned the impact of social media on the socialand cultural aspects of their nations. The UAE is a predominantly Muslim country whose culture is deeply rooted in Islam (Al-Jenaibi, 2011, p.7). According to Al-Jenaibi (2011, p.7), conservatives from religious circles have blamed social media for eroding the rich culture and religion of the UAE. Most believe that social media is an extension of the western culture that has no regard for morals and cultural practices. Spierings and Jacobs (2014, p.218) argued that social media has become notorious for political movements in different parts of the world. Others believe that social media is a platform for spreading hate, terrorism radicalization, and other evil campaigns responsible for the sorry state of the Middle East and North Africa religion (Newsom and Lengel, 2012, p.22). For Example, HuqPramanik (2014, p.53) agreed with Newsom and Lengel (2012) that social media contributed significantly to the Arab Uprising that destabilized the Arab nations. Contrastingly, Hall (2012, p.83), Ehrenberg (2012, p.9), Newsom, and Lengel (2012, p.35) share a different opinion by praising social media as a platform that brings together oppressed citizens by promoting positive activism. Apparently, the benefits of social media identified by most western scholar are based on their viewpoint that does not necessarily reflect the cultural, political, and socioeconomic viewpoints of the UAE society. Therefore, there is a need to provide a country-specific analysis of the impact of social media in the UAE. 1.3 Purpose of the study The study investigates the impact of social media in the different groups of people in UAE. The paper also explores the impact of social media on the business and celebrities. Specific Objectives To explore the effects of social media on the behaviors and performance of the youth in the UAE. To investigate the effects of social media on the cultural practices in UAE. To determine the advantages and disadvantages of social media on the businesses and economy. To explore the role of social media in activism and the resulting effect on the national stability. 1.4Arrangement and Approach of study The study will focus on investigating the impact of social media from the perspective of the UAE citizens using a survey approach. The approach aims at collecting researched information on the perception of the different members of the UAE society. After conducting a literature review, the researchers will develop a theoretical framework followed by a conceptual framework. Conceptual framework will be used to develop a research design to facilitate the collection of data, analysis, and developing conclusive empirical findings. 2.0 Project proposal andplanning 2.1 Target Audience The target for this research is students and the public at large. 2.2 Methodology of Research 2.2.1. The main methodology of research will rely on survey approach 2.2.2. It will use the surveyed information to develop a theoretical framework concerning the positive and negative effects of Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter in the UAE. It will include a conceptual framework for analyzing and developing conclusive meta-analytic findings. 2.3 Literature Review Numerous studies exist that show the benefits and the negative impact of social media. According to Al-Badi (2012), one can define social network systems as services that use the internet as a way of allowing people to createa profile (public or private) within a borderedframework, coupled with exploration of connections among others within the same structure.Alternatively, Kaplan and Haenlein (2010) assert that‘social media’ characterizes a grouping of applicationsexchanged via the internet on the basis of ideological and technological aspects of Web 2.0. It enables the building and sharing of content that users generate. It is clear that digital technology is a revolutionary factor in the processes that typify people’s communication and sharing of information at all levels (local, national and international) (Al-Badi, 2012). Baruah (2012) reinstates that social media provides a variety of platforms where people can communicate with others. As such, it is necessary to research how the Arab societies accentuate to the influences of social media sites. It is because; they are spread widely, and have led to specific outcomes in regards to the stability of the Arabic families in the UAE.Borenstein (2008) comprehends that online privacy is an issue of high necessity in the Middle East. In some scenarios, there is the need to take protective action. 2.4. Corporate Description 2.4. 1. Organizational activities UAE’s social media is perceived to have numerous positive aspects for instance improving the quality of life, increasing business profitability and facilitation of easy interaction between the government and the public. According to Bvuma (2011), social media has deeply altered the information landscape in relation to communication. Social media has created a lot of sociocultural, political and economic transformation in the UAE and the greater Middle East region. What occurredin the midst of the “Arab Spring” is a clear portrayal of how youths can use social networks to channel a message to many people at once. A common word for such conveyance of information relates to ‘citizen journalism’(Al Badi,2012).These was promoted by what has come to be known as digital activism which simply refers to the use of digital medium to facilitate socio-political change.Nonetheless, the uprisings portrayed a wide range ofcausal changes that continued to propagate in the Middle East forseveralprecedingyears (Fawcett, 2009).Social mediais key in providing a platform for the general public to air out socio-political issues (for instance income inequalities and corruption), thereby becoming an important tool for the social transformation movement. 2.4.2. Strategic Management There has been an increasing notion of governments around the world to enhance communication and to improve their services via the use of social media. In 2012, the UAE’s government adopted and implemented guidelines that govern theusage of social media by entities of the government. The networks are significant to government entities because they predisposevarious innovative and interactive attributes thatpromote communication and relations between many people (Al Badi, 2012).Public figures can use social media to measure the public disposition and get feedback and on various policies put in place by governments. Social media also helps governments to understand its public better through increase of engagements with its citizens. “Social media is increasingly recognized as a key tool for outreach and information for a wide range of public and private organizations and institutions in the UAE” (U.S. Embassy Abu-Dhabi, 2011). 2.4.3. Current projects undertaking At a foundational level, social media performs as channel of communication that conveysconcepts (Luna, 2011).It is mainly enhanced by the fact that distance does not act as a limitation between people. People are now able to form virtual communities on social media that are very similar to conventional communities. These persons engage in a various distinct networks but the networks’ members may not have to know one another. That is the reason to the coining of the term ‘networking individualism’ (Wellman et al., 2003). Castells, Fernandez-Ardevol, Qiu, &Sey, (2006) explain that networked individualism needs a reframing and rebranding to create networked sociability. It is because; new technologies facilitate the formation of peer groups that enable community development. It is noteworthy that social media enhances and maintains personal relations and helps to strengthens weak ties. Network sociability has been enhanced by the emergence of social media applications such as WhatsApp, Snapchat and Facebook messenger. The social networking’s current sites on the internet have gained sophisticated capabilities technological that can prompt good services and chances for users, thereby enabling the achievement ofall communication forms (El Khouli, 2013). 2.4.4. Industry Analysis The use of social media tools in many situations as radicalization tools for the need to enforce political and social transformations is more common nowadays. It goes hand-in-hand with internet penetrations around the world, coupled with increasing use of computing and communications devices (Thompson, 2011).Groups such as ISIS, Al-Qaida and Taliban are progressively using social media as a strategy of recruiting and radicalising young men and women. These groups have effectively managed to use social media to spread their propaganda to target young individuals especially in Arab countries. The radicalised jihadist in both Iraq and Syria makes use of various file-sharing and social media apps such as Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat (Klausen,2015). Their aim is to lure these individuals to go to the war conflict zones of Iraq and Syria and fight along them. Their aim is also to radicalize these individuals into committing acts of terror in their localities. These groups are also able to organize online forums where they bring together like minded individuals within a geographical region and with the intention of committing acts of terror. 3.0 RESEARCH RESULTS AND DATA ANALYSIS 3.1 Organizational Analysis This chapter presents the method used to carry out primary as well as secondary research for this study. It presents a detailed description of the process the author undertook to obtain information and answers to the research questions. The research aimed at investigating the impact of social media in the different groups of people and business and celebrities in UAE. It described the research design, secondary data, specific operational analysis, data analysis, survey sampling, and qualitative and quantitative data to be collected. To do this, the study will employ deductive reasoning as suggested by Zaltzman and Leichliter (2013) because it attempts to derive conclusions from a phenomenon that is known to be true, and an explanatory approach where qualitative and quantitative research methods will be integrated. A descriptive design approach chosen to ensure the study variables, socio-cultural, economic/business and technological elements are explored. This research will rely on survey method as primary data collection technique. 3.1.1 Secondary Data The research utilized content analysis to search for secondary data regarding the use and impact of social media in UAE and other contexts. Content analysis is a secondary, qualitative method of data collection that entails studying or retrieving meaningful information from texts, artifacts and documents (Hsieh & Shannon, 2005). The researcher analyzed existing literature on social media impact on youths, businesses, and the public in UAE. Content analysis enabled the researcher to cumulatively analyze both secondary and primary data and major themes that can be coded from the texts and participants’ responses. 3.1.2 Specific Organizational Analysis The project studied three particular types of social media including: (i) Instagram (an internet based mobile photo- and video-sharing and online social networking platform that allow Internet users to capture pictures and record videos, and publicly or privately share them on this platform, as well as via other social media applications, including Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr),(ii) Snapchat (websites allowing Internet users to rapidly upload, view, and download of photo/image content) and (iii) Twitter (websites allowing Internet users to simultaneously post and debate views, opinions, and ideas on various trending topics). The research project used a multi-method approach to integrate qualitative and quantitative methods to solicit a complimentary set of information concerning practices, opinions, views, trends, and statistics involving several variables (Strier & Kurman, 2009). It used survey method in which a questionnaire was developed and personally administered by the researcher to the selected research participants. The formulas used to find frequency and answer measures were assigned depending on the options provided for the particular survey questions. Formula Option 1 2 3 4 5 Agreement/Disagreement Strongly agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly disagree 3.2 Data Analysis Before processing the responses, the completed questionnaires were edited for completeness and consistency. Thereafter, descriptive statistics such as percentage, frequency distribution among were used. 3.2.1 Survey Sampling The research incorporated a survey sample of 20 participants who were selected and none random sampling method was employed to select the sample of 20 participants from the United Arab Emirates of Abu Dhabi including youths and various professionals. The sample included youths, men and women. The researcher opted for purposive sampling because the units of this sampling were to be investigated based on the judgment of the researcher. This technique being a non-representative subset of some large population was constructed to serve a specific goal of the study. It targeted youths, business people and particular professionals who have 3.2.2 Qualitative and Quantitative Data Quantitative data was captured through closed-ended survey questions that necessitated respondents to answer the questions by selecting the various options provided. The whole survey consisted of 20 surveys. Originally, 30 surveys were distributed among a purposive sample of youths, students, teachers, managers, and other workers across the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The survey questionnaire (Appendix 1) was designed to solicit both descriptive and statistical data. Out of the 20 participants, 11 and 9 were male and female, respectively. In terms of age, the study participants were relatively young as their age ranged between 20 and 35. This age range was particularly preferred to reflect the most perceived dominant and heavy users of social media in the UAE (Huang, 2011; Ghannam, 2011). The sample incorporated both employed and unemployed individuals, as well as employees from both private and public industries to better capture a small cross section of the larger UAE society. Survey results are provided tabulation and graphic forms in the following section. The qualitative section consisted of open-ended questions where participants responded to the questions based on their understanding. The same participants were to respond to the questions in Section B, which consisted of the qualitative part (Appendix 1). This part involved questions that required detailed responses. Qualitative data is analyzed comparatively with quantitative data in the discussion section. 3.2.3 Tables, Charts, Histogram and Pareto Analysis Figure 1: Respondents’ Gender Distribution The distribution of the respondents was fairly distributed as out of the 20 participants, 55% of study participants were male and 45% were female. Table 1: Respondents’ Age Distribution Age Distribution Frequency 20 – 25 4 26 – 30 7 31 – 35 4 36 – 40 3 41 and Above 2 The majority of the respondents lie between ages 20 to 35 which accounted for 75% of the entire sample population. This age distribution gave a better, general view of the use and impact of Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter among the youths, business and the public. Table 1: Respondents’ Education Level Education Level Certificate Diploma Degree Masters & Above Frequency 1 4 9 6 The participants’ level of education was considerably high as the majority (95%) had diploma, degree, and masters degree and above, respectively. in fact of 1 (5%) was a high school graduate SQ1: Do you visit and use the following social media sites frequently and regularly? The use of the three social media websites use varied significantly among the survey respondents. However, Twitter was the most (55%) site reported among the participants followed by Instagram and Snapshot, which stood at 30% and 15%, respectively. SQ2: Do you think that social media relays accurate and credible information as compared to traditional media? 55% of the respondents affirmed that social media sites provide accurate and credible information, largely because of their high response time as content is relayed instantaneously. However, the level of accuracy and credibility differed across the websites. SQ3: Do the following social media sites negatively impact the behaviors and performance of the youth in the UAE? There was almost consensus on whether social media bear negative impact on the performance and behavior of the youths. 75% held that the sites could adversely impact youths especially exposure to inappropriate content. SQ4: Does chatting, calling, sharing links, liking links via the following social media sites amount to wastage of time for youth and the public 15% Strongly Disagreed and 35 Disagreed that Does chatting, calling, sharing links, liking links via the following social media sites amount to wastage of time among youths, while 5%, 25% and 15% were Uncertain, Agreed, and Strongly Agreed. Some of the respondents argued that they engage in these sites for important business like searching for information, rather than entertainment or passing time. SQ5: Do you agree that social media has adversely impact cultural practices in UAE? The participants’ responses were as follows: 35% Strongly Agreed; 25% Agreed; 20% Uncertain; 105 Disagreed; and 5% Strongly Disagreed. 60% agreed meaning that the majority of the respondent viewed that social media bears a negative impact on cultural issues in UAE. SQ6: Irrelevant and anti-religious photos, post and links create hatred among peoples of different communities? Evaluation Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Frequency 1 2 3 10 4 Out of the 20 respondents, 4, 10, and 3 Strongly Agreed, Disagreed, and were Uncertain (20%, 50%, and 15%). Only 2 and 1 respondents Agreed and Strongly Agreed, respectively. SQ8: Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter promote unethical pictures, video clips and images among users SQ910: Do you think Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter play a significant role in activism and the resulting effect on the national stability? The majority of the respondents (80%) held that Instagram, Snapshot, and Twitter are extremely effective means of rallying masses, with their wide coverage and high responsiveness accounting to that observation. SQ10: Is social media necessary for businesses today? Similarly, most of the respondents (85%) agreed that Instagram, Snapshot, and Twitter were very necessary for doing business today as many buyers are turning to these sites for product reviews, and other important information. SQ11: Do you agree that Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter have changed business communication today? Also, 90% of the respondents affirmed that Instagram, Snapshot, and Twitter have significantly changed the way in which contemporary businesses communicate with clients. Respondents mentioned the shift from traditional communication means to digital communication as the primary reason for the change. SQ12: If you are working, do the following department (s) in your organization make (s) the most use of Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter? SQ13: Is Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter use significantly affected by the following factor? The respondent strongly agreed that Instagram, Snapshot and Twitter are increasingly being used in various department in today’s organizations, with PH (40%) leading and followed with HR (25%), Marketing (20) and other functions (15%). 4.0 DISCUSSION 4.1 Research Findings The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of social media on youths, businesses and the public in UAE. The frequency of respondents who used Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter varied significantly. Twitter was used by most of the participants, followed by Snapchat and Instagram. One of the major reasons why Twitter was popular and frequently used among people in the UAE is because it has myriad users around the globe. Nonetheless, all the three sites are common among youths and the public than in business because they allow users to create and post gossip and photo events. There are a number of possible explanations to why many youth, businesses, and the public in UAE use Twitter compared to other Snapchat and Instagram. First, Twitter has been embraced by multiple celebrities, political leaders and performing businesses. Second, it provides security advantages such as warnings regarding unauthorized access coupled with “shielding” to selectively allow certain users to post (WPRI, 2009). Weiner (2006) observed that people can develop a trust in a social media platform to accurately transfer personal content. The majority of the survey participants confirmed that they had some level of trust in using Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat with their friends, families, colleagues, and businesses. However, the accuracy and level of credibility of the respondent significantly varied across the three social media platforms. Respondents provided varying answers regarding whether Instagram, Snapshot, and Twitter adversely impact cultural practices in UAE, promote unethical pictures, videos and images among users, and amount to time wastage, particularly among the youths. Social media websites, including Twitter, Instagram, and Snapshot play a significant function in promoting UAE as a region that is considerably connected to the world, a hub for rich and distinct cultures, as well as people and businesses (Menon, 2008). They viewed these sites as a great opportunity through which they can showcase their native culture through capturing and sharing photos, images, and experiences. Additionally, two participants reasoned that these social online platforms grant them the chance to learn about other cultures and create social relationships with friends, families, and other people in different places. Despite this social media support, some participants were concerned that the increased use of Twitter, Instagram, and Snapshot, as well as others social media platforms threaten the authenticity of the unique culture of the UAE, the majority held contrary opinions. The use of social media was reported a personal endeavor whereby every user can decide to do or share whatever one wishes on these platforms. The adverse impact of social media among youths in UAE came out in Section C which consisted open-ended questions. Respondents reported potential threat of age-inappropriate content such as explicit photos, images and clips, particularly those sharing content with older adults who might be total strangers. They reported their use of explicit content. Twitter, Instagram and Snapshot are characterized with an unprecedented capability to reach millions of users at any particular time (Menon, 2008). Equally, the respondents confirmed that these three social media websites, especially Twitter, are increasingly being embraced by many social activists as the most effective means of organizing and rallying people. Also, the participants brought forth the concern that this trend is rather being used for undesirable purposes such as radicalization, terrorism, and other criminal motives. As sources of information, the respondents reported Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat to provide links that they could not have access to. Huang (2011) opines that these platforms could offer a business an enlarged clientele and credible voice with regards to customer services. This can be attributed to their unprecedented ability to reach many users. Equally, respondents reported that many businesses today use social media, such as Twitter, Instagram, and Snapshot to attract more clients to their business ventures as they enable users to identify with their services and operations (Menon, 2008). Particularly among the young market segments dominated by heavy social media using youths, media researchers have realized that social networking can be more effective compared to their traditional communication counterparts on primarily on the bases of rapid response, large coverage, and high enhanced interaction, factors that firms can embrace to respond on queries, complaints and crises instantaneously (Al-Jenaibi, 2011). Respondents strongly affirmed that these websites have tremendously changed business communication. In fact, the majority (85%) viewed Instagram, Snapshot, and more important, Twitter as necessary in the contemporary corporate world. Besides that, respondents noted that these websites are used to facilitate communication in various departments, but with varying significance. They were mostly applied in the public relations departments. According to (), the use of social media in public relations units enable firms to present their genuine brand to the public. According to a 2010 survey undertaken by UAE based YouGovSiraj, close to 70 and 80 percent of the respondents claimed that they would search company websites for product review before deciding to make an actual purchase and search seller’s website (Al-Jenaibi, 2011). Online review and press releases shared through social media not only serves as effective means of public relations, but also facilitate marketing, human resource managements, among other critical organization functions. Furthermore, 55% of the respondents held that Twitter can help businesses overcome the prohibitive expenses of product promotion and marketing and respond to needs for rapid response to a plethora of issues that could confront a business. Respondents who affirmed that these websites relayed some considerable degree of credible and accurate data observed that they allow brands quickly adapt to consumer purchasing needs almost immediately. Respondents reported several factors affecting their use of the three social media websites, and with varying degrees. The most common challenges included limited control, government censorship, lack of digital skills, and cyber insecurity. Another barrier was language difference, which Losasso (2011) noted that language differences can not only delay access to websites, but also inhibit users from comprehending the website content. 30% of the respondents observed that language difficulties could possibly prevent the use of Twitter. 4.2 Contribution of this Study This research project analyses and presents social media as an effective tool for business communication. As noted earlier, many businesses are increasingly turning to more interactive online platforms to meet the needs of the ‘digital’ consumers. Therefore, this project suggests a paradigm shift in this state of affairs for current businesses to abandon the traditional communication model and embrace a more effective discourse embodied in “responsiveness” and “outcomes” to win the trust and attention of more potential customers. Furthermore, the findings of this study challenges the common misconception that social media bears a negative impact on the native cultural practices and social norms. Although this notion may be still valid, it is also imperative to consider the positive value of social media on youths and culture. 4.3 Limitation The major limitation of this research project is it study relied on a relatively small sample. It is undoubted that a sample of 20 respondents is considerably small to enable the researcher make valid generalizations and logical inferences regarding the impact of Twitter, Instagram, and Snapshot on youths, businesses as well as the general public in the UAE. 4.4 Recommendations for Further Development A lot of research has been done on the impact of social media on various groups, such as youths, cultural practices, businesses and the whole public. This study has attempted to explore the positive impact of Twitter, Instagram, and Snapshot on various groups in UAE. However, there is need for more research particularly on the adverse effects of these social networking websites on businesses as more and more organizations are increasingly embracing them a primary means of communication. This will establish ways through which businesses can utilize these platforms without falling victims of these sites or compromising other users. Additionally, this study has established several factors that hinder users from optimizing these sites. Hence, there is need for more research to find out particularly how these factors affect social media use and postulate interventions to address them. 5.0 CONCLUSSION AND LESSONS LEARNED This research project aimed at studying the use and impact of social media, particularly Instagram, Snapshot, and Twitter on youths, businesses and the public. The rise of social networking sites, such as Twitter, Instagram, and Snapshot had bred significant changes and opportunities not only for online social communities, but also on business. These websites have altered the manner in which Internet users interact with each other and their business. The number of social media users is increasing significantly for greater social and corporate business interaction coupled with growing expectations for more services. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses show that social media has a very strong presence in the lives of these UAE participants. Instagram, Twitter, and Snapshot have various effects on the young peoples’ behaviors and performance, cultural practices and norms, and businesses in UAE in both ends as some time effects are in the favor of these groups and sometimes the consequences are adverse to the user. These websites impact upon youths’ behavior and performance and cultural practices and norms in an age where media is not about broadcast content from mainstream media, rather interactively, multimedia, and multitasking. Additionally, they impact upon businesses that constantly strive to remain relevant to a new, rapidly evolving and rational generation, and which find their own operations and strategies being adjusted by changing communication tool and emerging patterns of interaction. Social media constitute some of the marked influences affecting source across the entire globe and Emirati people do experience these forces of social media whose unprecedented response and connectivity has accelerated exposure of millions of people and businesses, as well as diverse cultures. From a business perspective, the use of Twitter, Instagram, and Snapshot create more opportunities for businesses to access an enlarged customer bases coupled with the ability to effective and instantaneously respond to different concerns, such as complaints, crises, brand launch, and such. These websites are highly used in various departments, including HR, PR, and marketing. From the youths and general public’s stance, Twitter, Instagram, Snapshot, and other social networking sites create more awareness and entertainment as many people are highly involved in these sites. However, it is imperative to observe that inappropriate use of social media, for example sharing age-inappropriate and explicit content, unauthorized access to other users’ account among other cyber-security issues are major concerns. Also, social media is exposing many people to other cultures, a trend that is compromising the authenticity of local cultures. Besides that, social media users are confronted with a number of issues encompassing limited control, government restrictions, and limited digital skills, among others. REFERENCES Al-Badi, A.H., 2014. The adoption of social media in government agencies: Gulf Cooperation Council case study. Journal of Technology Research, 5, p.1-10. Al-Jenaibi, B. (2011). The use of social media in the United Arab Emirates–an initial study. European Journal of Social Sciences, 23(1), 84-97. Baruah, T.D., 2012. 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APPENDIX Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter Use among Youths, Business and the Public Survey Questionnaire Section A: Personal Information 1. Gender of respondent Female ( ) Male ( ) 2. Age of respondent 20- 25 ( ) 26 - 30 ( ) 31 - 35 ( ) 36 – 40 ( ) 41 and above ( ) 3. Level of education High School ( ) College ( ) Degree ( ) Masters and Above ( ) Others (specify)………………………………………………………………………………… 4. Professional designation Student ( ) Asst. Director ( ) Others (specify)……………………………………………………………………………… Section B: Social Media Use among Youths, Business and the Public SQ1: How long have you been using the following social media sites? Instagram 0 -1 years ( ) 1 – 2 years ( ) more than 2 years ( ) Snapchat 0 -1 years ( ) 1 – 2 years ( ) more than 2 years ( ) Twitter 0 -1 years ( ) 1 – 2 years ( ) more than 2 years ( ) SQ2: Do you visit and use the following social media sites frequently and regularly? Site Level of Usage Instagram Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Snapchat Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Twitter Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Others Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree SQ3: Do you think that social media relays accurate and credible information as compared to traditional media? Site Level of Usage Instagram Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Snapchat Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Twitter Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Others Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree SQ4: Do the following social media sites negatively impact the behaviors and performance of the youth in the UAE? Site Level of Usage Instagram Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Snapchat Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Twitter Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Others Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree SQ5: Does chatting, calling, sharing links, liking links via the following social media sites amount to wastage of time for youth and the public Site Level of Usage Instagram Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Snapchat Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Twitter Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Others Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree SQ6: Do you agree that social media has adversely impact cultural practices in UAE? Site Level of Usage Instagram Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Snapchat Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Twitter Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Others Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree SQ7: Irrelevant and anti-religious photos, post and links create hatred among peoples of different communities? Site Level of Usage Instagram Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Snapchat Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Twitter Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Others Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree SQ8: Is the use of the following sites deteriorating our social norms? Site Level of Usage Instagram Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Snapchat Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Twitter Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Others Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree SQ9: Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter promote unethical pictures, video clips and images among users Site Level of Usage Instagram Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Snapchat Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Twitter Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Others Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree SQ10: Do you think Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter play a significant role in activism and the resulting effect on the national stability? Site Level of Usage Instagram Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Snapchat Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Twitter Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Others Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree SQ11: Are the following sites necessary for businesses today? Site Level of Usage Instagram Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Snapchat Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Twitter Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Others Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree SQ12: If you are working, do the following department (s) in your organization make (s) the most use of Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter? Site Level of Usage Public Relations Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Human Resources Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Marketing Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Others Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree SQ13: Do you agree that Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter have changed business communication today? Site Level of Usage Instagram Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Snapchat Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Twitter Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Others Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree SQ14: Is Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter use significantly affected by the following factor? Site Level of Usage Lack of control Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Government censorship Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Digital skills Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Others Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Section C: Open ended Questions How do Twitter, Instagram, Snapshot and Twitter affect the behaviors and performance of the youth in the UAE. Do Instagram, Snapshot and Twitter impact cultural practices and social norms in UAE? What are the major advantages and disadvantages of using social media on the businesses and economy? What is the role of Instagram, Snapshot and Twitter play in activism and the resulting effect on the national stability? What challenges face users on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapshot, among other social media websites? Read More