Social Media
Social media itself is platforms (websites, applications, etc.), which help people to communicate and share different kinds of information (pictures, videos, etc.) with each other. Since social media is based on the Internet, communication is rather faster than communication in the real world. Nowadays, any user may access any social media through an endless list of devices. For instance, it can be a computer, smartphone, etc. People’s lives all over the world are engaged with social media. According to studies, the biggest part of people has social media.
Purposes of Social Media
Firstly, social media appeared as a convenient platform through which people could communicate with their family and friends, share thoughts, etc. Later, it turned out that social media is a convenient platform for businesses as well. It helped businesses to establish a new way of communication with their customers. Social media is an extremely attractive technology for everyone for the reason it provides an opportunity to reach people everywhere.
Currently, more than half of the Earth population uses social media. The number continues to grow, and social media itself keeps developing. The technology is easily adapted to different needs. For example, once the pandemic started, an application Clubhouse gained its popularity. It provided chat rooms, where people communicated through audio. Since there were numerous chat rooms, everyone could find something in accordance with their interests. It was exactly what most people long for.
In addition, according to studies, people who use social media are likely to be young people. Around ninety percent of people from eighteen to twenty-nine use at least one kind of social media. Moreover, they are likely to have a decent education and relatively high salary.
What types of Social Media exist
Today, social media may embrace numerous forms and a variety of activities. Among these are blogging, virtual worlds, social and business networks, etc. Even politicians and administration use social media in order to be closer to people, especially to voters.
In most cases, people use social media as a way of communication with relatives and friends who are in distant locations (other cities, countries, etc.). However, there are cases when people use social media as a tool to find work. It's especially common while hiring foreign specialists. Thus, it provides an opportunity for both employer and employee. Employers have a wider range of potential employees, and employees, in their turn, have a great variety of jobs all over the world. People who actively use social media are considered members of a virtual social network.
Businesses adapted social media for their needs as well, and it became an essential part of any business. It helps to build proper communication between a company and customers, provides an optimal platform for promotion and advertising, and monitors popular trends. Moreover, it becomes a place where clients may get instant support.
Advantages of Social Media
Social media is a technology with an endless list of benefits. Since every interaction has an online form, it’s possible to be aware of news all over the world in real-time and keep abreast of the world situation. Also, with social media, borders and distance no longer exist. People can speak and communicate via social media with their friends who are in other parts of the world. Moreover, people can not only interact with their friends, but it provides an opportunity to make new friends. The world seems rather approachable with social media.
Different studies say that using social media leads to having more friends and makes people’s social lives more diverse. It mostly applies to countries with emerging economies. Also, most teenagers find their friends via social media.
With the help of social media marketing, businesses have an opportunity to target their clients. It’s conducted in order to provide customers with the most suitable content or product. This is how a loyal and true fan base is established. Moreover, it builds a whole culture of a company, making it easier to become a fan.
Disadvantages of Social Media
Although social media may be of use for numerous people in various fields, it also has its negative impact. For example, overuse of it may lead to an addiction. A person wouldn’t even notice that small online chats with friends become the biggest part of his or her day. Furthermore, nowadays, social media has become more than a chatting medium, it’s a full-grown entertaining platform with a wide range of content, which may satisfy everyone. The negative side is that it draws a person into it with a small chance to escape as well as from the chats.
Apart from addiction, social media may cause other negative things. For instance, it leads to inattentiveness, it may bring more stress (from feeling jealousy, anger, etc.). It can even result in depression.
Moreover, lately, social media has become a source of news. However, since a user gets the information online, the user isn’t able to check what has happened in reality. Thus, this user has only two choices, to believe or not to believe, depending on the reliability of a source. Often, the information may be misleading or fake.
Popular Social Media
Social media develop every day. Among the most popular and oldest is Facebook. The number of users exceeds 2 billion. It means that every fourth person is a Facebook user. Other popular social media are YouTube and WhatsApp. These two also have more than 2 billions users, but they still aren’t as large as Facebook.
