Social Media – A Blessing or a Curse?

In the past several years, social media has matured to its full potential. There are two sides to a coin. This technology, which has spread like wildfire, does as well. Life was extremely different before this breakthrough, and it has since brought about numerous unrecognisable changes.

As Erik Qualman said,

“We don’t have a choice on whether we do social media, the question is how well we do it.”

Here are some of the benefits and drawbacks of the changes:

ADVANTAGES

Here’s how technology may be beneficial to us:

The Ability to Connect

The major benefit of social media is its ability to connect people. People from all around the globe may simply communicate with one another. Given the numerous faiths and belief systems that divide us and establish limits in our society, networking sites are one benefit that has eliminated these barriers. This technology has encouraged peace in certain ways, regardless of one’s beliefs, religion, or culture. It has brought everyone together on one platform without allowing for any divisions. That is the true allure of social media. Without fear of being criticized for who you are, you may interact with anybody and share your views and beliefs with the world.

Education

Similarly, networking networks have aided the education industry throughout the globe tremendously. Every student may easily educate oneself thanks to the introduction of online courses and the availability of a wide range of learning tools. Regardless of your location or background, you can easily expand your knowledge from anywhere at any time by watching videos on websites such as YouTube for free and using economical services such as assignment writing service UK.

Aid and Assistance

Another major benefit of this invention is that there are sections and groups on Facebook and Twitter that have devoted their time and effort to assisting individuals who are having problems at work, at school, or in their personal lives, such as financial difficulties. People from all around the globe are willing to listen to you and help you comprehend your situation.

Regular Updates and Information

People had no notion what was going on in the globe before technology gave birth to this invention. They may now educate themselves and keep up to speed with current events. Television and print media have limits and do not always express the correct information, but this platform is assured to provide the correct information and facts, which will need some investigation.

Enhance the Company’s Image

It might damage a company’s reputation, but it can also help them enhance their reputation and raise their income. Positive feedback and reviews may make a significant impact in their sales and reputation. Everyone is aware of how social media allows individuals to freely share anything. As a result, posting positive reviews and remarks will reassure them that you are not lying and that the goods the company is offering is of high quality.

DISADVANTAGES

As it expands, more people will gain from it, as well as suffer from its drawbacks.

Bullying on The Internet

Everything was straightforward before social media, especially when it came to bullying. Cyberbullying is a new kind of bullying that has emerged as a result of the internet’s introduction. Cyberbullying is when someone is teased by establishing a phoney account on the internet. With a phoney account, you can do whatever you want without anybody knowing your true identity. Bullying has gotten more easier because to the internet. Bullying other people used to be easy to catch back when there was no such thing as cyberbullying. Cyberbullying includes sending threats, intimidating communications, and spreading rumours.

Computer Hacking

Hacking is another major downside, in addition to cyberbullying. Hacking is taking someone’s personal information and breaching their privacy in order to share it with others. Personal life may suffer significant losses as a result of this. Similarly, taking someone’s identity might lead to significant financial damages. Because of the hacking, everything is now enabled. In the past, Facebook and Twitter accounts have been hacked, and the hacker has posted improper things from these accounts that have had an impact on their personal life.

Reputation

As previously said, hacking has the potential to destroy someone’s life. This involves tarnishing their reputation as well. A person may simply fabricate fake articles via hacking, and these reports can quickly spread through the media like wildfire. Similarly, firms with a terrible image on social media platforms risk financial ruin and the inability to sell their goods.

Scams and Fraud

Many frauds and scams have been recorded on social media networks, where people have been misled into believing or purchasing something only to discover afterwards that it was untrue all along. On Instagram and Facebook, there are a lot of influencers and bloggers, and it’s difficult to tell who offers genuine involvement and who is simply a showy phoney.

Addiction:

Social media is incredibly addicting, and this aspect of technology is very harmful to people’s personal life. Teenagers have been the primary target of these sites, as they get engrossed in the content and ultimately isolate themselves from society. Their life relies on it, and instead of engaging in good duties and activities for themselves and society, they opt to squander time on social networking sites.

CONCLUSION:

To summarise, the things listed above are some of the benefits and drawbacks of this invention. These points show that, in addition to being a major benefit, it also has certain negative side effects that may wreck a person’s life.

References:

Anson, A. (2019). Social Media: A Blessing or a Curse? [online] YourStory.com.