Social media basically refers to websites and applications that allow people to share information and even interact with others freely. However, social media has got various impacts which can be termed as both advantageous and disadvantageous to its users.
Some of the advantages are as listed below
Reducing communication barriers: Through various social media platforms such as Facebook, watsapp, instagram and twitter, various barriers that existed in the past have been eradicated hence making communication easier.
Promoting businesses: through various platforms, many SMES and other bigger enterprises get a platform which is cost free that enables them to promote their businesses through advertisements and other promotional programs.
Educative platform: Social media also contains any kind of any useful and educative information that can enable one to acquire and even develop their existing knowledge.
Presence of the likes of Facebook and watsapp has also enabled bloggers and other online users to have a variety of platforms to choose from as a media of communication.
Social media has made the world continents to appear as one since people can easily communicate with friends and their relatives who live abroad without any difficulties. This has been made possible by the presence of sites such as watsapp, Facebook and the likes.
Social media also enables people to develop and acquire new skills which make them to carry out various operations faster and easier. As a result they become more creative and innovative.
Social media also creates platform that enables the marginalized in the society to fight for their rights and also air their feelings towards some issues in the society that maybe affecting them.
On the other hand social media has got a number of negative effects on its users:
First, it is addictive in nature as one cannot stay for long once they get used to social media platforms since they get used to the platforms and its applications.
It also leads to unhealthy sleeping patterns since its users stay awake up to very late into the night just to keep up with their friends and also to keep up with the current issues.
Social media also causes depression and anxiety among its users hence leading to increased cases of suicide and stress. This as a result has a very diverse effect on the human population and the society as a whole.
Social media also makes many people to share lots of information which at the end may pose as a security threat to their personal privacy. Such information may also result into cases of hacking and other cyber related crimes.
Social media also leads to sharing of information which may not be useful to a certain age group such as children.Such content may promote violence and other immoral behaviors in the society.
Therefore from the above, it gives a real insight into the impact social media has to both its users and non users.
THE BRIDGE 