Social Media: Help or Hurt

Destiny Fox

ENGL 1020

Mrs. Brown

July 22, 2016

Social Media: Help or Hurt?

Social Media ultimately helps with the interaction and communication among people in present-day society. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat have benefited society in its time in existence. These popular networks can help people branch out, network, and reconnect. Some may say it hinders people, especially teenagers, from seeing the world around them. This is not true. Yes, some may get infatuated with the vast possibilities the internet has to offer but that can help with anything. All and all, social media is a tool that can help and aid anyone as well as everyone.

To start off, social media helps one find their own voice. Social media can be used to hone debating and discussion skills. (ReachingOut.com) For example, Twitter lets their users write whatever they want, as long as it’s 140 characters or less. More or less, Twitter definitely exercises freedom of speech, therefore giving people a forum to discuss topics and issues. Social media can also force awareness, which encourages social participation and active citizenship. (ReachongOut.com) For instance, places like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook are good ways to stay informed. Big news and events are always posted as well as people’s views and opinions. All and all social media can be used as a great resource for current events.

In addition, not only can social media be used for networking and communication but, it also has a very effective business side. Modern day business nowadays often starts off online first. Established businesses even use social media for further exposure. One could even make a living merely off of their profile. For example, YouTube and Instagram, these two site are places where people get discovered all the time. On YouTube there are makeup artist, fitness gyros, and even hair enthusiast who get paid just because they have an abundant amount of subscribers and viewers. Exposure, exposure, exposure is a key element to the business side of social media. Your profile can even determine if someone gets a job or not. Studies show approximately “37% of employers use social networks to screen potential job candidates. That means about two in five companies browse social media profiles to evaluate character and personality–and some even base their hiring decision on what they find.” (Smith, Forbes) To further explain, employers use social media to get an idea of who a person is and rather or not if the person can represent their business in a positive way.

Not only can you use social media for self-expression and networking, but also for reconnecting with lost connections. For instance, some children who have been adapted want to find their biological parents. In order to do this, they usually look up a name, then go to Facebook to match name to a face. Facebook is a great way to look people up ranging from family, friends and even new people. Facebook is the most used network to date. (statista.com) People use it promote business, get their ideas out, meet new people, and catch up with old friends.

It is very easy to create a Facebook but, some people take advantage of this. An issue that has came to light are fake accounts, commonly known as catfish. Catfish are people who pretend to be people they are not by using other people’s pictures. Being scammed on the internet when it comes to dating and/or shopping is a big fear for everyone. No one wants to be deceived. In order to fix this issue one needs to learn internet safely and red flags. ABC News provided 9 tips to help identify fake accounts as listed: