Social Medias Impact on Society 1

Social Medias Impact on Society

Kimberly Thomas
INF103
Instructor Stephanie Webb
March 17, 2013

Social Medias Impact on Society 2



While most are not enthusiastic about the use of social media, social media has had a
major impact on our society because it has changed and improved the way we connect with
others and has changed our ways of communication.
Most are not enthusiastic about the use of social media as there are many privacy
concerns. Social media has had a major impact on our society because social media has
changed and improved the way we connect with others professionally, academically, and
personally. It has allowed us to communicate freely from anywhere using many different
devices such as the computer, our cellular phones, and gaming systems. Social media has
changed our ways of communication. In earlier times, the telephone was the most efficient way
to communicate with someone. In later years, email became a popular form of communication
along with facsimile machines. In our current day, we are now using text messages as well as
social media sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and video sites such as YouTube to
communicate and share information.
Social media has become a common form of communication for many people and
todays technology enables us to access these social media sites and tools easily. Any Web site
that allows social interaction is considered a social media site, including social networking sites
such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, video sites such as YouTube, and blogs. Social media are
changing the way that information is passed across our society and around the world with the
rapid spread of blogs, social networking sites, and media-sharing technology.
First, social media has had a major impact on our society because social media has
changed and improved the way we connect with others in the workplace, our schools, and our
personal lives. In the workplace internal communication is crucial and the use of social media
Social Medias Impact on Society 3

can make a world of difference in our employees perform within their organizations. Effective
communication among employees has a critical impact on the organizations success and the
overall performance of the organization as well.
Social media is a part of everyones everyday life and is crucial in its use in the
classroom. Classrooms are using sites such as Skype to interact with other classrooms to engage
communication. Students who want to return to school but have hectic schedules have the ability
to enroll in online education that can suit their schedule needs. Students have the ability to
communicate effectively in a virtual space with their instructor and classmates. Assignments and
class work materials are available for download and the classroom can be accessed at any time
during the day.
In our personal lives, social media plays a major part as we can effectively communicate
with friends or family via sites such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. We currently spend
more time online than watching television. A large percent of individuals have at least one
social media profile or more than one. The telephone has somewhat become secondary to people
being able to communicate via Skype with loved ones. We no longer have to wait for letters
from loved ones as we can share photos via Instagram or Facebook.
Additionally, the social media has allowed us to communicate freely from anywhere
using many different devices. The computer in the past was the only way a person could surf
the internet, however, in our current day we are able to access the internet and use social media
sites in with different devices. The most popular use of social media is the cell phone as we can
quickly access sites such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Our cell phones will give us
immediate updates on status changes of our friends or if we have any personal messages. The
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cell phone also allows us to access our email easily. The ability to send and receive email at any
moment is a great benefit.
Most gaming devices such as Xbox or Playstation allow us to access social media as well.
Gamers are able to share with friends what games they are currently playing and how well they
are playing the game. Score updates can be posted to Facebook or Twitter automatically at the
users preference.
Another way we are able to access social media is through some cable providers. One
provider in particular, AT&T UVerse, gives its users the option to view Facebook and share
favorite shows with friends and family via their statuses.
While the use of social media offers us many benefits, there are also a range of safety and
security risks associated with its use. Some concerns are the threats to others stealing our
identity, privacy and the security of our financial transactions, as well as exposure to offensive
and illegal content. There are criminals who use the internet to run old and new scams. Many of
these are scams that most people would spot a mile away if they were attempted in real life.
We must be aware of suspicious emails from those we do not know asking for personal
information such as social security numbers, addresses, or our personal banking information.
The use of social media and the internet is a great tool however, it is important to remember that
while the technology may be new, the old wisdom still applies. If something you see online
seems suspicious or too good to be true, it probably is.
We have the ability to protect our privacy however, it is accessible to those who know
how to hack the system. Sites such as Facebook, MySpace, or Instagram have information on
how to protect privacy however it is not 100% protected. We are able to protect ourselves from
strangers to an extent however unfortunately there are instances when we share a photo with a
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friend and it is viewed by the friend of a friend who is not very honest. That friend of a
friend then becomes accessible to our photograph. Our personal information is in a database
that is accessible to creditors, the Social Security Administration, or other forms of government.
If placed in the wrong hands our private information can become destroyed. Measures of
security are supposedly taken when individuals are placed responsible for sensitive
information however, there are times when those individuals are not 100% honest. Another issue
is those individuals who are so technology savvy they are able to access personal information
that is stored on computer servers. As we continue to use social media, it is imperative that we
make sure that we are as careful as we can be in this current technology age.
Indeed, while most are not enthusiastic about the use of social media as there are many
privacy concerns, social media has had a major impact on our society. Since the social media has
appeared on the scene it has continued to evolve and offer individuals whether personal,
professional, or academically new and meaningful ways to communicate with others. Social
media is still growing rapidly and is currently a part of our daily lives.

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References

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