BLOG PROJECT

​Social media is one of the most popular things to do when you’re on the internet. You have everything from Facebook, to Twitter, to YouTube, to so much more! So with all the new social media, should there be things that users of the websites should be aware of? Is social media a positive or a negative thing?

 

THE POSITIVES

1)

The spread of information is faster than any other form of media. Most people I know, including myself, use social media to find out about breaking news stories and to keep up on up to date news. I mainly find fascinating stories through links that people have posted on Facebook. According to one website, over 50% of people learn about breaking news stories through social media, which makes social networking sites one of the top news source for 27.8% of Americans.

2)

It allows people to stay connected. This is actually personal to me. I know this is the sole reason for me to be on all the social sites that I am a part of. Since we moved from Georgia, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram help me keep in touch with all the friends that I had to leave behind. It seems like I’m not the only one that feel that way either. Studies show that 70% of adults and 88% of teenagers said that social media helped them stay in touch with people that they couldn’t see on a daily basis. I feel like this is one of the most beneficial things about any social media site

3)

The older generation feels more connected.Studies show that from 2008 to 2010, the rate of older generations on social media jumped from 4% to 16%, which if you think about it, is a lot! Most older people I feel don’t get the hype of social media and think that it’s not for them, and that’s fine! The older generation that have signed up, though, have been said to be happier, and that it was an easier way to stay connected with their friends and family that might live far away in which they can’t easily visit.

4)

It helps people who are socially isolated or shy connect with people. I feel like this statement is actually very true. It’s easy to impress people through a screen, which is why the statistics show that 20% of teens feel less shy, 28% feel more outgoing, and 20% feel more confident.

5)

It offers teachers a platform for collaboration and communication with their students outside of class. This is true for mainly every school today. In some way or form, students have a way to connect with their teachers and professors outside of class. In the United States, over 80% of colleges and universities use social media, in which 50% use it for teaching and 30% use it to communicate with students outside of the classroom.

 

 

THE NEGATIVES

1)

Students pay less attention in school because if social media sites. This is true, especially for the modern day student. With all the new technology and smart phones, students can access social media sites quickly and easily. They can get it at the tip of their fingertips all throughout the day. Studies show that students who used forms of social media while studying scored 20% lower on tests, and had an average GPA of 3.06, compared to students who didn’t use it while studying and scored better on tests and had an average GPA of 3.82.

2)

People spend less time face to face. With everyone on social media sites and it being easilyaccessible through modern day technology, everyone’snoses are always buried in their phones. People aren’t paying attention to the world around them and the people who are around to share moments and experiences with, and it’s all because we don’t want to miss someone’s latest status update, or our favorite celebrities tweet. In January 2012, the students at the Center for Digital Future at the USC Annenburg School did a study. From 2000 to 2011, the amount of people using social media sites instead of being face to face with people skyrocketed from 8% to 34%. They also did a study that showed 32% of teens were on social media sites or were texting during meals, which absolutely wouldn’t fly in my house. That statistic shocked me.

3)

Cyberbullying. This is probably one of the most common downfall of all the social media sites. Sadly, it happens on every form of social media, and has grown as the years have gone by. The statistics show that 49.5% of teens were victims of cyberbullying and 33.7% of teens admitted to committing the bullying behaviors. As of June 2012, 800,000 minors were harassed and/or cyberbullied on Facebook. Sadly enough, that number has definitely risen over the past two years.

4)

Social networks can harm an employee’s productivity. I feel like it’s a 50/50 thing about how bosses feel about their employees using social networking sites, or just being on your phone in general, at work. In my case, my boss doesn’t mind us being on our phones throughout the day, which is definitely a downfall. When you’re at work, I feel like that should be the only thing you are worried about at that time. Studies show that 51% of adults use their social media at work.

5)

Social media is a waste of time. Which is very, very true. It’s also very distracting when you’re trying to do any kind of work and be productive. 4%, which I feel like is a very low percentage, of 8-18 years olds spend at least 54 minutes a day on social media. Also, studies show that if one sees that they have a Facebook message, or a mention in a tweet, it takes them 20-25 minutes to return to the original task. In some cases, 30% of people took 2 or more hours to return to the original task.

So, is social media a good thing or a bad thing? I feel like it’s neither a good nor a bad thing. It’s somewhere in-between.

WORKS CITED. 

"Are Social Networking Sites Good for our Society?". Social Networking. ProCon.org. December 2012. March 2014.