The use of the Internet and specifically social media platforms such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook has recently overtaken the universe and might soon be considered as a universal consumer occurrence (Gillespie, 2018). The use of different social media platforms is regarded as one of the most common activities among adolescents, children and older adults today. Social media provides individuals across different ages a medium for communication and entertainment and has consequently become one of the major platforms for accessing news and information. The antagonistic use of social media among young individuals could be connected to their nature of being up to date with the best technological enhancements and the proper access to the tools that are used for purposes of social networking. Even though the use of social media can be linked to numerous advantages, it is also evident that the use of social media has brought about certain disadvantages to society.

One of the significant advantages of social media is that it ensures that people can remain in contact and communicate with their allies and meet new individuals. The different social media websites provide that people can find others with the same interests thus leading to the creation of relationships where they can get to learn about each other. Social media platforms allow the formation of social groups where individuals with the same interest can catch up. Social media platforms further permit creative communication by utilizing programs such as messaging and blogging to post stories and ideologies. Another concern is that social media platforms can be used to share TV shows, music, photos, hobbies, and many other items. Invitations to events can be created and sent to people instead of having to write invitational letters. Individuals planning to attend events can respond to the invite on the social media site.

Social media is beneficial because it not only connects friends and relatives but can also be utilized in discussing educational matters (Greenhow & Lewin, 2016). Social networking is perceived as a valuable segment of social media since it assists in improving an individual’s quality of life thus reducing health dangers. Most individuals indicate that they have never experienced the adverse effects of social networking, thus making schools perceive the advantage as a useful tool for educative purposes. The usage of social networking assists in elevating the technological expertise of learners, thus exposing them to different perceptions about things. Social networks have also assisted with communication techniques and make sure that people can learn from different cultural backgrounds across the universe.

Furthermore, learners utilize social networking tools to deliberate on their homework with their schoolmates on the different social media platforms and also acquire assistance with their homework on the online platform. According to a recent study, 60% of learners who use diverse social media platforms affirm that they discuss their education, while 50% mainly discuss their assignments at school. These learners appear to have a fantastic collection of the 21^st century and traditional techniques which include creativity, communication, technology aptitude, leadership techniques, and collaboration. Most parents also live with the expectation that schools might take advantage of utilizing social networking tools for teaching students, but ensure that they do so in a way that is safe to both the teachers and students. Some of the public learning institutions have crafted a social network platform that is secure for the learners to be able to communicate with other learners and make sure that they do so in a safe environment.

The use of different social media platforms not only helps individuals but instead it is also beneficial to businesses (Zhu & Chen, 2015). The social media websites ensure that companies can market and advertise the nature of services that they provide to many customers, where they set up company profiles free of charge. Many enterprises have been able to configure a profile that offer information that is detailed explaining how a specific business operates and advertises the data at a reduced cost. Most businesses acquire much attention on the different social networks mainly because the profile of the industry is usually present to all the users of various social media platforms for their perusal. Additionally, most businesses like using the different social networks for purposes of learning what the future workers look like, and ensure that the most effective decisions are made from the nature of the information provided on the profile of an individual.

Social media platforms have also altered how individuals from different parts of the universe interact, even though it has continually changed in a way that makes it easy for most people to access. Currently, social media has become mobile thus ensuring that users can access it through their mobile gadgets including cell phones and laptops. The availability of social media platforms on mobile gadgets has promoted the ease of access by boosting social networking because many individuals carry their mobile devices every time. People can, therefore, use their mobile gadgets to post comments, update status, upload photos and interact with others from their handheld devices. The ability to access social media platforms on mobile devices significantly increases the number of users since most individuals find it as a more convenient way of obtaining information.

References

Gillespie, T. (2018). Custodians of the Internet: Platforms, content moderation, and the hidden decisions that shape social media. Yale University Press.

Greenhow, C., & Lewin, C. (2016). Social media and education: reconceptualizing the boundaries of formal and informal learning. Learning, media and technology, 41(1), 6-30.

Zhu, Y. Q., & Chen, H. G. (2015). Social media and human need satisfaction: Implications for social media marketing. Business horizons, 58(3), 335-345.