Are Social Networks Beneficial or Harmful - Research Paper Example

Contents I. Introduction & literature review 2 II. Methodology to the social media 4 III. Research findings 5 IV. Conclusions 6 V. Bibliography 7 The social media Are social networks beneficial or harmful? Introduction The continued revolution in the use of technology impacts different changes to the societal and cultural practices. With the advent of positive development in communication, the British society upholds media importance to facilitate the desired dynamics, and eventually acquire the desired development in the specific areas relative to communication. The various provisions of social media have further deployed positive implications to human lives with a vast choice of media platforms to abide on, depending on the prevailing need of communication (Richardson, Gosnay, and Carroll, 2010:31). The following is a research study that focuses to establish of the various practices adopted by the English community in communicating amongst themselves and the extent upon which some of the media links are mostly favored against others. Further, the research study seeks to denote on the prevailing differences amongst the media links and the prevailing differences that favor or harbor involvement into communicating via a range of the available social platforms. The subject of social media importance in human lives is critical and the British population has consequently reflected positive involvement in the digital world of communication (White, King, and Tsang, 2011:56). Therefore, the following research study establishes on the implemented approaches to ascertain and resolve the controversies on whether the social media is beneficial or harmful to the human society, and precisely, the British society. Literature review The research study on social media shall maintain precise focus on the influence of social media. The researchers shall focus on implementing the various findings that different study samples of the research expedition denote as feedbacks to the various questions asked in the questionnaire. During the research expedition, the researchers shall focus on establishing the various social networks used, the number people using these networks and the networks that seem to be more significant to others (Richardson, Gosnay, and Carroll, 2010:34). The study shall focus on the frequency of access to the social networks, and probably the reasons for using certain media through questionnaire interviews. The figure below establishes of the prospective extend of involvement by online users upon various social sites. Fig.1 showing the marginal share difference on involvement Eventually, the study shall establish of the successes of the research expedition and depict the findings of the study process reflecting from an analysis to the questionnaire findings. Further, the study establish an analytical approach on the study findings, employ on the methodological and recommendation approaches of social practices and the extent at which the findings suit the desired findings of the study. Finally, the research shall evaluate on the entire process of establishing whether the social media is beneficial or harmful, and the corrective measures of whose use shall lead to the establishment of appropriate resolutions. Methodology to the social media research With the prevalence and availability of the social media communication devices, the research process seemed to be applicable as the population exercising the use of social media as a mode of communication was relatively high (Poore, 2012:53). The use of questionnaires to interview the prospective sample population of study remained the most accurate tool to conducting the research as the questions did not focus on personal issues, but rather focused on general issues as to whether the social media was beneficial or harmful to the society (Qualman, 2011:46). Therefore, the data collection method laws primarily the questionnaire as it established precise information instead of focusing on other researchers’ study findings. The sampling frame entailed 10 interviewees to answer the outlined questions. Mainly, the interviewees would be required to answer the questions in their own capacities without coercion to implementation of the desired responses. The questionnaire provides a range of interviewees across the ages; 18-21, 22-29, 30-39, and 42 years and above. The questionnaire employs different formats of questions; the first section comprises of closed format questions whereby the respondents are to select and rate answers and aspects as dictated by the questionnaire (Poore, 2012:56). The second part of the questionnaire comprises of open format questions upon which, the respondents are acquainted with chances to answer the questions in accordance to their own views and understanding of the prevailing situation borne from the use of social media. Findings from the study As the research objectives remained centered on establishing the beneficial and harmful factors accruable from the use of social media, the study analysis to the questionnaires and the data employed similarities and controversies in reflecting to the role of the social media. The ten interviewees expressed their frequency on the use of the social media links of communication thus; the implication was an enhancement of the probability that the British society had positively welcomed the social media mode of communication in effecting their interrelationships in a broad spectrum (Richardson, Gosnay, and Carroll, 2010:36). With the provision of a range of nine network links, the three divisions to the study attained contrasting responses as the Charlotte established that 8 of the total number of respondents favored Tencent and Weibo while the Zoey group favored Facebook and twitter at 6:6 respectively, and the same case applied to the Meng Dai group. The question on the use and frequency of each mode of social links, and the purported value of each mode of social media link usage seems to vary accordingly (Joosten, 2012:45). Some of the respondents emphasized on their choices of links as central to the mode of communication and the benefits sort therein. For example, many respondents drew on the use of Facebook as the most appropriate to chat with various interest groups in the British society. Through the research survey, the respondents stated that they used the social media to communicate on a daily basis, but differed on the extent of time that they occupied in the social media. The findings further denoted that some of the respondents focused on enhancing potential business opportunities through online consultancies, while others resolved to use the media platform to communicate job related issues. The vast majority adapted to the social links to reach their friends and relatively, a factor that reflected on the effective nature of the links, as they remained cheaper and most appropriate for adequate feedback (Richardson, Gosnay, and Carroll, 2010:38). However, the social media perceptions on the various uses reflected to the age and gender differences with the young population of the sample establishing their favoritism for the use of social media for entertainment. Fig.2 a representation of social media involvement As the respondents continually reciprocated to the various questions executed in the research questionnaire, it was ascertained that most of the respondents perceived that social media was valuable in achieving a modernized society while the least population of the sample neither agreed nor disagreed. The respondents contrasted in implementation of the benefits accruable from the use of social media in identifying whether the media improved or diminished their social lives with the majority somewhat agreeing to the fact. The research findings upon evaluation of the benefits denoted that the social media remained the easiest and most accessible mode of communication in the English society since the majority of the respondents seemed to acknowledge its positivity in steering communication amongst the majority population (Safko, 2010:43). However, those respondents that contrasted in establishing the valuable benefits articulated to the social links, decried on the vast provision of the media of communication in most of the electronic gadgets citing that, the people involved seemed to value communication with their online peers rather than those in the immediate environment. Fig.3 the importance of social media Since technology is bound to cyber crimes, hacking prevails to depletion of the credibility held on social communication media. Most of the respondents agreed that communicating via the social media was bound to perforation of information resulting from malicious hackers seeking to intrigue into people’s privacies. Some of the respondents agreed to the fact the social media involvement as a mode of communication posed indirect psychological problems through addiction, as most of the people involved seemed to always be concentrating to the communication with less reflection of interest to understanding the immediate environment. The study further denotes findings that the social media may encounter drawbacks through stealing of private information, which may physically cost and affect the persons involved in communicating. Despite the differences in holding importance to the issue of social media, the rate of benefits and harms seem interdependent and that anyone accessing and using the communication mode holds onto the risk of deciphering private information to fraudsters, but still realizing of the inevitable nature to decline the use of media links in communication (Wankel, Marovich, and Stanaityte, 2010:46). Fig.4 a representation of twitter’s complex communication model which interprets to the risks borne to losing information to fraudsters Another finding sorted from the responses was the fact that some of the population defected from the use of social media in communication, citing that the dependence would be harmful on turning an addiction. Arguably, the element seemed reliable to avoid addiction, but the essence that defection from the use of the media implicated on the negative approaches to upholding the efficiency of technology in communication, and most probably, to the modernized human society. Further, the respondents decry on the prevalence of stalkers and bullies in the social media as they pose a distraction to the communication process. The findings consequently denote that the respondents feared that the strangers, hackers, and bullies could eventually be injurious to the private lives of individuals or steal and tamper with private information thus; they would eventually frustrate the social media users adversely. The monitoring process of the media proceedings remains inapplicable, according to the respondents, it is hardly certain that a person shall be communicating to the intended people via the social media. The study further established that respondents were unhappy of some of the information accrued via the social media citing that lies dominated a better potion of the conversation (Safko, 2010:45). Conclusions Social media, being an informative platform to efficiency and development of communication, has successfully affected the society across all dimensions and divisions. A simultaneous outlook on the positive and negative effects of social media communication links eventually leads to establishment of contrasting findings. A refrain to the research question establishes that study sort to identify the beneficial and harmful aspects that emanated from the use of social media as a source of communication. Through the use questionnaires to undertaking the research, different respondents from the British society were interviewed independently. The approach was beneficial as the research aimed at acquiring accurate and unbiased information from the respondents’ perspective. Throughout the research, the findings seem to pose controversies upon the balance of benefits and harms born to the use of social media (Ruiz, and Palmer, 2010:45). Reflecting on the closed format questions in the first section of the questionnaire, responses seemed to reflect the intended outcomes. The respondents were to chose and establish their answers depending on the set mechanisms that remained intrinsic in avoiding ambiguity of answers sort since openness of would imply a controversy in interpreting the data to establish whether or whether not, a specific benefit or harm emanated from the use of social media (Richardson, Gosnay, and Carroll, 2010:38). Mainly, statistics and inferences from the respondents reflect of the various benefits drawn on the use of social media with the common critics as well. Precisely, the findings establish that majority of the population sample communicated friends and families with a least number of them valuing the media for business and other related communication. Most of respondents agree with the notion that the social media poses positive effects to the ideology of propulsion in communication with an aim of turning the globe into a village (Safko, 2010:47). Many benefits sort the findings implement that social media is inescapable and that people cannot do without the social media in the modern world. Concurrently, harmful factors seem to emanate from the use of social media in reflection to the research findings. For instance, the respondents express on several fears that may rule them out from the use of social media, citing of the fraudsters that befriend and eventually intrigue into people’s privacy only to cause serious harm to ones reputation and information saved in the media. Conclusively, the research findings implement of more beneficial factors to communication than the expected harms since different measures are continually being set by social link authorities to restrain access of information without the required licenses (Ruiz, and Palmer, 2010:47). Bibliography HARGRAVE, Millwood., and LIVINGSTONE, Sonia. (2009). Harm And Offence In Media Content: A Review Of The Evidence. Bristol, Intellect. JOOSTEN, Tanya. (2012). Social Media For Educators: Strategies And Best Practices. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass. POORE, Meagan. (2012). Using Social Media In The Classroom: A Best Practice Guide. London, Sage. QUALMAN, Erik. (2011). Socialnomics How Social Media Transforms The Way We Live And Do Business. Hoboken, Wiley. RICHARDSON, Neil., and GOSNAY, Ruth. (2010). A Quick Start Guide To Social Media Marketing: High Impact, Low-Cost Marketing That Works. London, Kogan Page. RUIZ Garrido, F., and PALMER Silveira, C. (2010). English For Professional And Academic Purposes. Amsterdam, Rodopi. SAFKO, Lon. (2010). The Social Media Bible Tactics, Tools, And Strategies For Business Success. Hoboken, Wiley. WANKEL, Charles., and STANAITYTE, Jurate. (2010). Cutting-Edge Social Media Approaches To Business Education: Teaching With Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Second Life, And Blogs. Charlotte, Information Age Pub. WHITE, Bebo., KING, Irwin., and TSANG, Philip. (2011). Social Media Tools And Platforms In Learning Environments. Berlin, Springer Berlin. Appendices Questionnaire 1. Do you use social networks? Yes No 2. What networks do you use? Facebook Twitter Tencent Weibo Bebo Myspace Youtube Flickr Others 3. If you do, which is your favourite network? Facebook Twitter Tencent Weibo Bebo Myspace Youtube Flickr Others 4. How often do you use social networks? Never Occasionally: ___________________(please specify) Once a week Over 2 times a week Everyday 5. How much time do you spend on social networks per week? Under 2 hours per day 2-3 hours per day 4-5 hours per day Over 6 hours per day 6. What is your major reason for using social networks? To enhance a potential business opportunity To discuss work related issues To chat with friends, family or relatives To obtain other news Other _______________________ 7. If you had never used them, why not? __________________________________________________________ 8. Tick which apply. Strongly Agree Agree Somewhat Neither agree or disagree Disagree a little Strongly disagree Social networking is essential to the way we live today. It improves the quality of my life. It is not beneficial in my life. 9. Have you ever had any problems on a social network? Yes No 10. How do think it has benefited your daily life? (Please tick) To get information you need To communicate with other people It is cheaper than making phone calls To find people quickly and easily It is effective in business working To pass the time To follow fashions Recreational purposes Others 11. Are there any negative impact to using social networks? (Tick any that apply.) Draws attention away from your work. People get addicted to them. People spend too much time on them. Causes some health problems. The internet fee is expensive Other 12. Do you think there are any other risks to on a social networks? (Give an example.) ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 13. Do you think social networks have a positive or negative effect on people’s relationships? Any examples. ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ 14. Which is your age range? 18-21 22-29 30-39 > 40 15. What is your gender? 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