The Advantage And Disadvantage Of Social Media Development

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media Development
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THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF SOCIAL MEDIA DEVELOPMENT
Social media is composed of technologies that are created through the use of a computer. These platforms ensure the provision of a medium for sharing information that is created. Such information might be in the form of career interests and ideas. Social media ensure that information is shared via virtual networks and communities. Some common features of social media include: (1) Users have the ability to create distinct profiles for the specific profiles in the service they are registered to. (2) Social networks are developed by ensuring an individual is connected to other individuals. This is possible because profile users can access other people’s profiles. (3) Social media depends on content generated by the users such as posts, videos, and photos for its livelihood ("Social Media for Development", 2017). Social media is accessed through technologies that are web based such as smartphones and computers. Such web-based technologies enable the creation of platforms that are highly interactive where different individuals can create, modify and share content generated by various users.
Over the years, social media development has presented itself as an essential tool in various aspects of life. The use of social media has been growing with the number of users each year being more than the previous year ("Social Media Development - Social Media Marketing - Brand Reputation Management", 2017). Social media development ensures the growth and evolution of different platforms used to share information to satisfy the ever-growing demand if it's used. Social media use comes with certain advantages and disadvantages. Some of these include:
1. Education
Students and teachers across learning institutions have benefitted from the use of social media. Professionals and experts can now educate others through the use of social media. Through the access to other peoples’ profiles, one can decide to follow a particular person who might be an expert on an area of interest. By following the expert, the individual can learn from the expert. It makes it easier for different people to get access education regardless of their location without giving any payment.
2. Information and update
The creation and sharing of information on social media make it a vast pool of information. Through this information such as news, individuals are updated on the happenings in their country or the whole world ("The Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media Marketing", 2017). Not only news but also people get updated in various areas that may interest such as the latest fashion trends, the latest car in the market or the upcoming flagship smartphone. Most investors and market traders depend on information and market updates to enable to make better decisions on investments and trade. Useful information may lead to profits on returns on investments.
3. Connectivity
This is the main advantage or importance of social media. Social media ensures connectivity between their users. Social media has enabled for people to connect with anyone regardless of their location, race, religion, and profession. This connection has allowed different people to share their thoughts and learn from others. When people are connected, generation of high qualities can lead to inventions and great business startups. Some of these startups grow up to the global scale.
4. Awareness
People’s lives are innovated through awareness created by social media. Awareness helps and acceleration of discovering new methods of handling things, new lifestyles that one can adopt. These new discoveries act as enhancements to personal lives. Apart from new lifestyles, people are made aware of social issues that are affecting the society. These problems may be human trafficking and drug abuse. Awareness of such matters might lead to campaigns for eradicating or fighting such issues. Human anti-trafficking campaigns have risen all over social media. These campaigns might be great avenues for the creation of projects that help the society and finding solutions to such issues.
5. Improving business reputations
Social media can be used to enhance and ruin a business reputation. Goodwill and sales of a business can be developed through sharing of positive comments. When people decide to share true and positive feedback about business, then the business grows regarding sales. Advertisements done through social media can help improve business reputations. Good ads lead to positive reviews. More positive reviews lead to more sales and with more sales and excellent customer service. This will make customers appreciate more hence the business reputation is improved.
6. Noble cause
Noble causes include activities such as donations, promotion of non-governmental organizations and events of social welfare. Through the abundance of social media users, coordination of activities such as donations can be quick and efficient. Hence disadvantaged groups such as the needy can get help faster and in plenty.
7. Fight against crime
Since social media enables the accessibility of users’ profiles, agencies such as government and security firms can use information to spy on their targets. Security companies can also decode secret messages being passed through social media to apprehend criminals and stop crimes. Law enforcement bodies use social media activity of different targeted criminals to arrest them and prevent the probability of a criminal incidence.
8. Markets
Both online and offline businesses can be promoted to larger audiences through the use of social media. The growth of technology has enabled for companies to sell their products online through websites ("The Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media Marketing", 2017). With social media, businesses have a platform that allows them to advertise their products. This advertisement creates awareness to both old and new customers. This leads to the expansion of current markets hence businesses benefit from an increased consumer base. Apart from expansion, customers can ask and have their questions answered in less time about an individual product enabling them to make informed decisions before buying different types of goods.
9. Community building
The world is filled with people who have different cultures, beliefs, practices, and religions. Participation in own beliefs and faith is enhanced in social media. Communities are created when people share and discuss beliefs and practices common to them. People of a common belief can be notified of a global event or certain rules and regulation which bring them closer.
10. Help
Social media serves as a source of aid. Different issues and problems can be solved. Due to a large number of social media users, solutions to various ideas can be brainstormed hence quick solutions can be made available to those undergoing the problem. People or groups needing financial assistance in the form of funding can get access to such funds by putting their requests on social media. Their ideas or pleas might get noticed, and they can get the help that they requi...