Social Media Effects on Society

We are all familiar with the sites Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. They are social media sites that most of us can not even go 24 hours without visiting. Has social media overtaken society? Is social media a good or a bad contribution to society? Well, I looked at two articles and here's what they had to say.

"The Negative Effect of Social Media on Society and Individuals"
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/negative-effect-social-media-society-individuals-27617.html

In this article it discusses the way social media has put a negative role on society.

The first point they make is that our relationships are compromised by social media. We spend so much time involved in the casual relationships that we compromise our actual close relationships.

The second point they discuss is cyber bullying. Children are among the easiest to be subject to this. Cyber bullying can lead to mental scars, depression, and even suicide.

The third point they discuss is decreased productivity. People these days are spending time on social media websites instead of actually doing their work. Even the slightest amounts is costing businesses big bucks.

The fourth point they discuss is privacy. People are less likely to filter themselves on social media than they are in real life. People will put comments and pictures online that years down the road they will not want potential employers to see.

"Social Media’s Top 5 Contributions to Society"
http://socialmediatoday.com/slrupert/1393636/social-media-top-5-contributions-society

In this article it discusses the ways social media plays a positive roll in society.

The first positive contribution is communication in times of crisis. During the Boston marathon bombing police tweeted up to the munute details and encouraged patrons to use social media to free up phone lines. Social media was even a form of fundraising when Twitter donated an estimated $200,000 from the use of #OneBoston.

The second positive contribution is using social media for fighting crimes. Cops have tracked criminals tweeting or posting about gang related activity. Cops have even tracked down drunk drivers after they posted on Facebook boasting about it.

The third positive contribution is a larger political floor. Patrons now have access to more information on different political platforms.  Social Media is so influential it has the power to change the outcome in some situations.

The fourth positive contribution is bringing people together that are seperated by miles. People can now share pictures, video, and messages to friends and family miles away. Gone are the days of  long distance phone calls and snail mailing photographs.

The fifth positive contribution is through the marketing industry. Brands can now advertise through social media and can personally engage customers. It is estimated ad revenue from social media will reach 11 million by 2017.

I agree with both views. I think social media has definitely improved our society through communication and the marketing industry. Now I can share family photos and events with friends and loved ones far away and it is so simple. Seeing ads I am interested in is also nice and convenient.  However I do think social media has a negative side as well. In the workplace it is very disruptive when one is on their phone on some social media site instead of doing their work. I also agree that some relationships are compromised due to the other's time spent on social media sites. So even though social media is beneficial to society I also feel there are negative aspects as well.