In a world where social media has become such a regular part of day-to-day life, I find it quite ironic that so many people are quick to rip what social media has to offer us. Why is there so much negativity surrounding something that has changed greatly our lives?
Sure, social media allows far too many people to rant and rave about how much they hate President Obama and Hillary Clinton. It also allows people to post far too many pictures on the most insignificant things. But even with every annoying status, political post, and pointless picture, there are so many more positives to social media than people fail to realize. I believe social media has truly made our world a better place and I think overall the world has greatly benefitted from its existence for many different reasons.
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In a time where traveling for work has become the norm and so many people are required to be in a different place multiple times each month, social media allows individuals the chance to stay close with their family and friends. It allows them to share what’s going on in their life in the most convenient way. Being an out-of-state college student, I also have seen the benefits of social media as. I go to school in Colorado and my family resides in California.
To make matters even more complicated, my mom refuses to get a smartphone. So how can I keep her in the loop? Sure, I could print out pictures of every exciting event that takes place in my life and use snail mail the send pictures to her. Or I could make life much easier by posting pictures for her to see online. The second option is much more convenient and realistic. Social media accounts enable people from all over the world to foster and maintain relationships without letting distance become a barrier.
Social media has also created an exciting outlet for people to see news and stay updated on current events in the world. Most of the time, I try to avoid traditional news websites because I personally find them to be boring, dry, and/or biased. However, when I go on Facebook, I can log on with the purpose of keeping up with my friends and also get to see what is going on around the world at the same time.
Facebook makes news more exciting because it is not strictly a news source and the articles posted on Facebook have all sorts of opinions and ideas coming from all ends of the spectrum. If I wanted to get the full side of a news story outside of Facebook, I would have to go to multiple different sites and read the liberal side of the story as well as the conservative side of the story.
On Facebook, I don't have to do this because I am able to see articles and news that come from all different sides right in front of me. I also enjoy seeing posts and opinions from people that I know regarding current events in the world because it makes it more interesting for me to know how what the people I care about think. Some people may find this annoying, but I think it is interesting to see how the people in my social network feel and respond to things that are relevant.
Another perk of social media is that it is a great place for people to job search and network with others. As many people know, landing a job is all about connections. With the help of social media, an individual can go on multiple different platforms to connect with others that have similar interests. Social media makes it so easy to reach out to others in a non-intrusive way. In fact, I have always felt more comfortable reaching out to someone through social media because if that person is not interested in what I have to say or offer, they can simply choose not to reply to my message.
On the other hand, if I were to call someone and they answered but were in preoccupied or uninterested, my phone call would be an inconvenience and could be uncomfortable. Social media makes it easier for employers and recruiters to reply to messages online with ease and in a much quicker fashion than a phone call or snail mail would allow.
Lastly, social media allows many small businesses to advertise for free. As a business student, I have seen firsthand how many small businesses cannot afford to pay for advertising such a TV commercials or radio ads, etc. Currently, anyone can make a Facebook page for their business and can reach out to a large audience through this medium. I think that this option is really useful and helpful for society since small businesses are so important.
While I won’t deny that the creation of social media has caused many people to form annoying habits such as posting food pictures, posting statuses at the dinner table, and posting memes of Donald Trump, social media has given our society a better way of life and it has aided people in their daily lives. Social media is not the enemy; it is our ally and it has provides us with resources that we never knew before.
