Is social media positive or negative influence? I need arguments for both sides please.

Hi Katherine,

76% of American adults online use social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest, as of July 2015, up from 26% in 2008. [26] [189]. On social media sites like these, users may develop biographical profiles, communicate with friends and strangers, do research, and share thoughts, photos, music, links, and more.

Proponents of social networking sites say that the online communities promote increased interaction with friends and family; offer teachers, librarians, and students valuable access to educational support and materials; facilitate social and political change; and disseminate useful information rapidly.

Opponents of social networking say that the sites prevent face-to-face communication; waste time on frivolous activity; alter children’s brains and behavior making them more prone to ADHD; expose users to predators like pedophiles and burglars; and spread false and potentially dangerous information.

Read about the Pros and Cons in:

http://socialnetworking.procon.org/

Best!

I am in charge of social media at a CareerVillage. So yes it can be a job if you know what you are doing. The problem with doing social media as a career is that literally EVERYONE knows how to use it. So you have to bring some extra things to the table. You will need to have some graphic designing skills and strong writing skills to develop content for your employer. It is easier to find jobs in social media for a start up, a non profit, or small business. They often have smaller teams and often they don't have someone dedicated 100% to social media. Professionally, it is a an awesome tool for communicating about events, services, products, or news.

Now onto the "bad" side of social media. It can take away a lot of your time. I often find myself scrolling through instagram and facebook and then I realize, "Oh I just wasted an hr or two." Social media can be addicting so it is always good to find the right balance of time you spend in the digital world and the real world.

It is totally ok to use social media for personal uses. I personally am a big supporter of social media. When older people say it's useless I will often argue that they are wrong and they don't know what they are talking about ( which is true they don't haha.) When it come down to it, social media keeps us connected. We are able to learn about things that are going on in the world, society, and our own community in a matter of seconds. If you sit back and think about that, what we are able to do with social media is really amazing. I hope this is helpful, feel free to ask me any additional questions! :)

HI Katherine!

Social media definitely has its place; however, I feel that we are using it too much and thus losing our ability to interact and participate in meaningful social interaction. We are losing our ability to relate on a one to one personal basis, which inhibits our ability to converse using written and spoken word. Read the attached link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thomas-white/why-social-media-isnt-social_b_3858576.html

Let me know if and how this is of help. Best of luck. Keep me informed. I would like to follow your progress.