Is Social Media a Good Thing or a Bad Thing?

| Social Media TodayBack in 2012, Social Media Today

published an article that asked the question: "Is social media a good thing or a bad thing?" Then, in
2015, the article was updated, asking the question: "Is social media bad for us?"

Both of these posts still get a high number of views each month, as people are still Googling, looking
for the answer to "Is social media good or bad?"

I'm sure there are as many answers to this question, on both sides, as there are people using social
media. Perhaps that number would even skew negative, if you also asked people not using social.

Social media, and the internet as a whole, has provided people with more access to information than
they've ever had before. And not only more access, but quicker access - anyone with a mobile device
can search for virtually any information they need, at any time.

"The amount of digital information increases tenfold every five years. Moreover, there are now
many more people who interact with information. Between 1990 and 2005 more than 1 billion
people worldwide entered the middle class. As they get richer they become more literate, which
fuels information growth." - The Economist

So what is the answer? Is social media basically good, or does it have a "negative impact on society",
as the original post's author Syed Noman Ali asked?

Here's my answer: social media is what you make of it. Like so many other things in life, both online
and off, you get what you put into it.

Positive Effects

I think social media gives many positive effect toward todays society.

Human beings are inherently social creatures. As people are more and more mobile, moving for jobs,
living far from their families, technology that helps bridge the social gap created by the modern
economy is useful. We build and maintain relationships on social media. Social media helps
connecting people.
Since there are no gatekeepers when you publish via your social profile, you can write anything and
anyone has the chance to view it. It has truly democratized media, and given everyone a medium
through which to be heard. Social media gives everyone an equal voice.

Whereas the big companies that were able to purchase ads getting their message out, now, any
sized company can take the time to jump into a conversation on any social network. Social media
has revolutionized business.

With more access to each company and its employees, and more ways to share such insights - both
positive and negative - companies need to be much more careful in what they say and do, because
everything is now public and easier to access. In another word, social media can increase
transparency.

Consumer insight

Brands are also now able to tailor their products and services to what people really need and are
looking for.

Social media can also provide access to educational opportunities previously not available.

News content is now available much faster due to social media. I personally like the immediacy of
Twitter for news - almost daily I'll learn about something that has occurred in the world via Twitter,
without having to wait for (later) regularly scheduled television news updates.

Negative Effects

People can find real news and they can find fake news, laid out as real. Inevitably, there will always
be people looking to capitalize on any media distribution method, which social media is, and there'll
be those who'll believe anything they read and not look any further into finding out if what they’re
reading is a hoax.

Reduced productivity

Social media can be addictive. Many people can't get out of bed before checking Facebook.

Social media can also facilitate cyber-bullying, which can take disagreements to new levels, leaving
little escape for victims.