Grace Catalina

Recently, social media has been misinterpreted in a negative way. News reporters and the press have been saying that social media has been making citizens egotistical and superficial, but according to, 15 Amazing Ways Social Media is Changing The World, by Mark W. Shaefer, that is not the case. University College London did a research study, where they sent out nine anthropologists to study nine counties in the span of fifteen months and their finding were extraordinary. They found that social media has actually benefited those that live far away from their loved ones, are below the poverty level, need a communication confidence boost, have an international barrier and need help building business relations.

A lot of families, castes, groups, friends, and tribes are separated and suffer from mobility and migration. Before social media, it was hard to communicate with a loved one who had been living in a total different area and in some cases, members would lose all communication. Social media allows all of the above to repair ruptures in relationships caused by distance. Social media makes connecting with people all over the world, possible. It keeps loved ones updated on a members life and makes it easier to communicate.

Education can be tough for those below the poverty level to afford. Many young adults have been dropping out of high school or not attending college, but social media can help. Informal learning may be primary need for citizens in some circumstances. Poor families/ countries can learn through social media sites, such as YouTube. There have also been a lot of online college options popping up throughout the years, that will help citizens get the full education they want/ need.

Those who aren’t comfortable with their communication skills, or get anxiety when it comes to communicating with others, could benefit from social media. Social media has shifted human communication towards visuals, such as, videos, gifs, pictures, emojis, etc.  Apps like snapchat allow citizens to communicate by just sending a picture or video to their peers. Emojis allow one to express their emotions or what they are doing and where, without typing anything out. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter allow members to share photos with a mass audience with just a click of a button.

Social media is a great way to break international barriers and express cultural difference. Social media makes it possible to connect with many different people from many different countries. It spreads awareness about others cultures and makes some understand the meanings behind why some cultures do certain things. It makes the world a little less judgey and allows one to branch out of their comfort zone and connect with new people.

The last important factor this article had to offer was how social media helps business relations. Social media is a form of building trust which could lead to new business relationships. It allows peer-to-peer selling and expands aspects of commerce, such as, personal networks. Business’s who have a social media account have been proven to make more money and more personal connections. There are also social media sites that allow the average person to sell their own belongings, such as, eBay, WhatsAPP, Poshmark, etc.

Shaefer, Mark W. “15 Amazing Ways Social Media is Changing The World.” Business Grow. https://businessesgrow.com/2016/04/11/social-media-is-changing-the-world/  

Grace Catalina

Social media is a popular controversy in todays society. These websites and applications were created to connect, share and participate in social networking. The types of social media and the usage of them, are continuing to grow and are becoming more popular. Lately, social media has been seen as a negative attribute to society. Hackers are leaking and stealing users personal information and cyber bullying has become a huge problem. Along with negative contributions, there are also positive ones, such as; personal relationships, entertainment, work, and studies. The article 6 Ways Social Media is Changing The World, by Alejandra Guzman, discusses the positive and negative connotations of social media on six major aspects of society (only five will be discussed).

Social media plays a huge role when it comes to businesses. Having social media pages for a business advertises products and increases sales. Digital Marketing spreads awareness and makes customers more familiar with products being sold. Customer service through social media is a easier, faster and more effective way to get into contact with businesses. One could be waiting for an email or a call back for several days but through social media, one should expect a reply in just seconds. The down side of social media and businesses is sabotage. Digital stores, newspapers, etc. are wiping out the traditional news stand and shopping malls. It is easier and more convent to purchase items online or read the news through a website.

When it comes to banking, social media is a easier and faster way to make transactions and deposits. Most work places pay their employees through direct deposit, said employees can now download an app that controls their bank account. Apps such as venmo and Apple Pay make it easier to pay friends/ family back and help one manage their accounts. The risk of being hacked through these apps is high. If a hacker were to creep into someones account, then one could lose all of their money.

Another contribute social media makes to society is through health. Social media allows patients with similar conditions to communicate. If one were to be seriously ill, having someone with a similar condition, or someone who survived the condition, helps tremendously on the patients attitude. Social media could also spread awareness about a certain disease or a certain patient who needs help. Social media cold relate badly to health because non experts could get ahold of ones information just as easily as a health care professional could. From there, random agencies could use a health condition against someone or they could harass one into buying their products.

Social media makes the life of government officials easier as well. Instead of traveling state to state, town to town, a politician could send a message to all their followers ver social media. Social media also keeps everyone involved and allows particular parties to communicate with one another. Government issues are already a problem without social media so adding social media into the equation can further complicate matters, such as issues between democrats and republicans.

Social media can also help in nature issues, such as natural disasters and global warming. After a natural disaster, social media brings the community together. Victims can start a go fund me or a kick starter through social medias like Facebook in order to repair anything a natural disaster ruined. Social media can also tell one if the area in which they live, is in danger. Social media has also brought a lot of attention to big world issues, such as global warming. Having citizens aware of the work around them is a super important aspect of living.

Guzman, Alejandra. “6 Ways Social Media is Changing The World.” World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/04/6-ways-social-media-is-changing-the-world/ 

 

 

 

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