This topic used to be more relevant than I feel it is today, but nonetheless social media is used every day. Across the globe, 1.96 billion people involve themselves in social media, and that number is expected to increase to 2.44 million by 2018. Also, currently 73% of Americans have social media accounts (from statista.com). These numbers are massive which shows social media is clearly involved in most peoples every day life. But how good is it?
Well there are certainly benefits to social media, which is why it is so prevalent in today’s society. Some of the benefits being are, “Keeping in touch with family, Professional Networking, and Staying informed about the world”, stated by G.S. Jackson. Some other beneficial uses include, “educational purposes, advertising, and keeping employees/firms and clients connected”, says Evelyn Golston in her article from socialnomics.net. Anyone would be correct when ensuring that social media can be beneficial this way. Personally, I find that social media is mostly used for friends to stay connected to each other as well as follow celebrities or popular issues in the news.
Almost all of my friends, as well as myself, use some form of social media every single day. Either to communicate with each other, share our feelings, or see what everyone else is up to. Usually a funny joke will arise from all of it and spark a conversation. However, this spark can sometimes start a “fire” between people. In this article from kmov.comkmov.com, “Police say the number of fights among teens is increasing and one of the main factors may be social media.” Also, in this article from theguardian.com, It states, “Complaints to police about alleged crimes linked to the use of Facebook and Twitter have increased by 780% in four years, figures show.” The number of reports increased from “556- 4,908”. First of all, that is an absurd increase. Secondly, all of this violence being associated with social media makes us question if it is better or worse for society. Many people can say anything while hiding a screen via social media, yet, when in person some will keep quite. This can be an issue that starts violence, and an issue that was not around 15 years ago.
All of these pros and cons make it difficult to come to a conclusion. In the end, it comes down to a person-by-person opinion. When each considers the factors that go into each person’s daily life, then an answer can be formulated. Some will agree, and others will disagree. There is no specific wright or wring answer to this controversy though. There are only statistics that show an immense number of people worldwide use social media, and that it is increasing violence. So, is social media positive or negative for society?
Sources:
http://www.statista.com/statistics/278414/number-of-worldwide-social-network-users/
http://www.statista.com/statistics/273476/percentage-of-us-population-with-a-social-network-profile/
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-social-network-sites-32069.html
http://www.socialnomics.net/2014/09/25/benefits-of-social-media/
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/dec/27/social-media-crime-facebook-twitter
Interesting post! Personally, I too see the benefits of social media, however I see more negative aspects than positives at times. I believe that constantly viewing the actions and locations of our peers is causing anxiety and the fear of missing out in many teens. Im curious about your opinion on this. Do you think that the pros out way the cons?
This post definitely caught my eye because I also did one on social media! I liked how instead of completely bashing the use of it, you showed it in a more positive light by mostly highlighting its’ benefits rather than its cons. While I too think social media is beneficial to stay connected and on top of things, the downside is that it is very addicting. This article emphasizes that statement, and even gives psychological reasons as to why humans are so naturally inclined to be addicted to social media.