Personal Experiences and the Benefits and Drawbacks, Essay Example

Social media has unequivocally profoundly impacted American culture, business, and how people interact with one another in an increasingly digitized milieu. Social media websites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have indeed revolutionized the way people socialize through innovative interfaces and other modes of technologies. My experience with social media is quite extensive because I view networks such as Facebook and Twitter as media outlets on which I have access to news in real time. Moreover, it has enabled me to keep in contact with old friends, professors, former coaches, etc. As an extroverted individual who is quite social, I use Facebook and Instagram as means of reinforcing the friendships and relationships I have face-to-face. While there are a plethora of benefits of social media networks in an increasingly interconnected world, the adverse consequences must also be taken into consideration. Examining the impact of social media on business, politics, and socialization in comparison with the negative ramifications they can have on privacy breaches and bullying will provide a more nuanced understanding about how social media has changed the way people interact, socialize, and communicate.

Since 2012, politicians have used social media platforms such as Twitter in order to promote their political agenda and expound on their stances for controversial issues such as abortion and gay marriage. Social websites have facilitated the dissemination of important information to the electorate both on a national and an international level. In addition, social media has provided a means for inspiring mass movements, rallying people for a united cause, and fomenting political unrest in countries that have lagged beyond in terms of modernization and industrialization. One poignant example of this function is the Twitter campaign that Saudi Arabian women launched in order to protest a law that still prohibits them to operate a motor vehicle without the presence of a male patriarch. As such, their mobility is severely limited. The Twitter campaign ginned up a political dialogue at the international level that resulted in countries placing pressure on Saudi Arabia to eschew such backwards and patriarchal strictures towards women

Social media also retains an integral role in how business is run in the modern day. Companies that are internet-savvy utilize social networks to build a strong customer loyalty based and to advertise their products, among other functions. Using social media platforms enables certain companies pander to younger generations who are adept at navigating the various sites. Customers can easily provide feedback amount products and services, which enables marketers and business managers better understand the market and gage how consumer tastes have evolved. Social media marketing is cheap, unlike advertisements on billboards and on television, so it really boosts the popularity of goods and enhance brand image. Finally, professional use sites such as Linkd In in order to network and forge meaningful professional relationships that can boost career prospects. Proficiency, communication skills, and collaboration skills are all honed through the use of social networking for business and professional services.

While there are a handful of positive impacts of social networks, they do carry with them some threats and adverse ramifications. Rates of online harassment and cyber bullying has greatly increased because of the Digital Age and the ability to be anonymous behind a computer screen. The MTV show entitled “Cat FIsh” underscores the risks of using social networks like Facebook for romantic purposes. People are able to reinvent themselves through social media profiles for entertainment, self-esteem boost, and /or other nefarious purposes.  Another repercussion is that social networking usually results in a person’s decline in productivity, which is why many organizations block access to all social networks in the workplace. Indeed, companies in Britain have claimed that they lost billions of dollars because employees were addicted to social media networks. Finally, privacy is rendered obsolete because of the public nature of Facebook and other networks. Users often reveal overly personal information that can put them or others at risk for crimes including stalking, identity theft, among others.