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Jessica Olsen
Ms. Minnier
English II
1 May 2015
The Benefits of Social Media
Social networking sites, or SNSs, are interactive websites that allow members to post
personal information through profile accounts and communicate with other users, such as friends
and family; some examples of SNSs include Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and LinkedIn (Belanger
and Finley 1). Social media provides advanced tools for educational aid, business marketing, and
scientific collaboration, which are all accessible 24 hours a day via computer, tablet, smart
phone, and Internet-enabled devices at any location (Social Networking 7) Although social
networking sites pose some threats to personal safety, they are valuable sources that create
international outlets for professional communications; therefore, SNSs should be modified in
order to protect users but allow the freedom to work with people around the world.
Social networking sites are beneficial educational resources that can be used in and out of
the classroom. Many students utilize SNSs as personalized lesson tools that fit their learning
styles and interests in order to gain a better understanding of new topics (Varlas 1). These sites
also mimic classroom interaction at home; one example is Edmodo, which promotes Twitter-like
functionalities between teachers and students (Varlas 4). Michele Colon, a mathematics
instructor, uses Edmodo to reach out to members of the schools math league. She has found
that Edmodo is perfect for getting information out quickly, and explains that beforehand, she
relied upon long lists of email addresses and the accessibility of a compatible computer in order
to send out reminders, which are now sent directly to the students mobile devices. She also uses
Edmodo in the classroom by uploading notes and assignments (Research Paper). Another
teacher benefiting from the use of SNSs is elementary school teacher Erin Schoening, who uses
a class Facebook page to communicate to parents, family, and other classrooms about the work

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her students are doing because most parents/guardians are already signed up and using the site
(Varlas 2). Finally, the benefits of SNSs can be carried far beyond public education and into
college, where online courses are readily available. Students can also communicate with tutors,
talk about their education and in-class activities, and share materials such as instructive videos
(Golston 1). All in all, social media facilitates education at all ages.
Furthermore, social networking sites are strong marketing tools that small and large
businesses alike can employ to reach their clientele. Companies that have an online presence
create an outlet for sales: from online shopping to deals and coupons (Rao 1). In addition, the
business can reach their consumers and communicate about their product. For example, Levis
was one of Facebooks first members to use the site as a platform for sales and marketing and to
utilize the Like function, which allows members to share favorited posts with friends (Rao
5). Another successful company that campaigns on social media is Starbucks, whose Facebook
page had approximately 10 million Facebook followers as of 2010 and has launched multifarious
promotions from free pastries to Wi-Fi connectivity (Rao 6). SNSs are also used as persuasive
techniques to convert clientele to a companys product, without spending exorbitant amounts of
time and money; in fact, 84% of marketers found as little as six hours of effort per week enough
to generate increased traffic, and therefore attract potential buyers (DeMers 2-3). Lastly, social
media gives companies the advantage of social listening, which allows marketers to gain
valuable information about what their customers are interested in and how they behave by
closely observing comments made about the products being sold (DeMers 4). In conclusion,
SNSs are a lucrative advertising and marketing tools for all businesses.
Social networking sites can also be used by scientists working in all fields in order to
collaborate and share recent research and publications. One popular site is ResearchGate, which
mainly attracts the attention of biologists who want to share results, projects, methods, and

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innovations with other scientists around the world (Crawford 2); as of 2014, More than 4.5
million researchers have signed up for ResearchGate, and another 10,000 arrive every day (Van
Noorden 3). One advantage of this resource is that social media prevents the repetition of studies
by displaying the researchers work for scientists to view worldwide. This site also allows users
to discuss research, ask questions, comment, and share publications (Van Noorden 3; Tachibana
3). Billie Swalla, an evolutionary biologist and lab director, says that she can search and find
recent papers more efficiently on ResearchGate than tracking voluminous marine-biology
journals and that she and the majority of her peers have created profiles (Van Noorden 5). Most
scientists also find it helpful to maintain a professional presence online to meet colleagues for
future work (Van Noorden 7). Therefore, social media is an extremely useful tool that facilitates
international scientific research and collaboration.
Although social networking sites create virtual communities for members of all ages,
posting personal information that is accessible for anyone to see is potentially dangerous. Some
apprehensive users worry that profiles may draw the attention of anonymous sexual predators
and stalkers (Sexton and English 1). However, privacy and security settings can be installed to
keep personal information confidential, and it is suggested to create multiple online pages to
separate posts shared with friends and posts shared with the public (Social Networks 1). Some
people also argue that taking part in social media makes users vulnerable for identity theft and
fraud, but nearly all fields of personal information, such as full name, date of birth, and home
address, are completely optional (Lewis 1). Clearly, the benefits of social media outweigh its
possible dangers when used carelessly.
In conclusion, social networking sites provide tools for educational aid, business
marketing, and scientific collaboration. Because some online dangers do arise when using social
media, modifications should be made to include abuse buttons. These buttons would be attached

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to each post and can be clicked when offensive or corrosive comments are made on ones page
(Lee 2). Once the post is flagged, company moderators can analyze the statement and discern
whether to obviate the comment or ban the member. This amenity would be an improvement to
current flagging systems, which include filling out tedious web forms about the complaint (Lee
2). Overall, SNSs are valuable assets for interacting with friends, colleagues, and clientele
around the world; therefore, abuse buttons should be implemented so that explicit material can
be amended easily by moderators while still allowing users to enjoy the many benefits of social
media (Lee 2).

Works Cited
Belanger, Craig, and Laura Finley. "Social Networking Sites: An Overview." Points of View:
Social Networking Sites. Great Neck, 2015. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 16
Mar. 2015.

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Crawford, Mark. "Biologists Using Social-networking Sites to Boost Collaboration." BioScience
61.9 (2011): 736. JSTOR. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.
DeMers, Jayson. "The Top 10 Benefits Of Social Media Marketing." Forbes. Forbes, Inc., 11
Aug. 2014. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
Golston, Evelyn. "Benefits of Social Media." Socialnomics. Socialnomics, 25 Sept. 2015. Web.
23 Mar. 2015.
Lee, Dave. "Six Ideas for Making Social Media Safe - Could They Work?" BBC. BBC, 7 Aug.
2013. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.
Lewis, Kent. "How Social Media Networks Facilitate Identity Theft and Fraud." Entrepreneurs'
Organization. Entrepreneurs' Organization, n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.
Rao, Leena. "How Social Media Drives New Business: Six Case Studies." Tech Crunch. AOL
Inc., 17 July 2010. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
"Research Paper." Message to Michele Colon. 19 Apr. 2015. E-mail.
Sexton, Jennifer, and Marlanda English. "Counterpoint: Social Networking Websites Isolate
People and Put Them at Risk of Predation." Points of View: Social Networking Sites.
Great Neck, 2015. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
"Social Networking Pros and Cons." Social Networking ProCon.org. N.p., 24 Mar. 2015. Web.
24 Mar. 2015.
"Social Networks." Stay Safe Online. National Cyber Security Alliance, n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2015.
Tachibana, Chris. "A Scientist's Guide to Social Media." Science Careers. HighWire Press, 28
Feb. 2014. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
Van Noorden, Richard. "Online Collaboration: Scientists and the Social Network." Nature.
Nature Publishing Group, 15 Aug. 2014. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.

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Varlas, Laura. "Can Social Media and School Policies Be "Friends"?" Can Social Media and
School Policies Be "Friends"? Winter 17 (2011): 1-5. ASCD. ASCD. Web. 23 Mar.
2015.