How Social Media Has Influenced the Way We Live Today

Today, social media became a primary component of our spirit. Mariam Webster dictionary defines social media as “forms of electronic communication (as Web sites for social networking and micro blogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content” (merriam-webster.com, May 18-2014). The entire human population is plugged into the network with the help of blogging websites such as Facebook, twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. It is highly rare to find an alienated person from the network, as this modern application of technology links everyone with the click of a mouse. It is the new generation of socializing method. Social media websites bridge the gap between different nationalities, cultures and mentalities generally and it is used nowadays for academic and business reasons.

First, social media help to increase your knowledge; some people use the social media for learning and academic reasons. Since the beginning of the 21th century, most universities around the world created the concept of online learning that depends on the special social network. According to Conaway Carrie’s essay “Virtual University” (2002), the author describes how the educational system has been developed since the creation of social media until now. Students can access their courses online, submit assignments, and take lecture notes through an academic, social network provided by universities. For example, some universities use Blackboard to post questions, assignments, sample exams and lecture notes for their courses. This creates a bridge of communication between the professor and the students and also creates a bridge between all students that each one has his or her prospective an...

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... are disadvantages of using social media as results of social media abusing. Some people use social media to widen the gap between nationalities and mentalities by spreading rumors and faked information to create problems and issues. Also, there are hackers who use their knowledge to hack other people’s social media accounts. These dangerous phenomena have to be banned and stopped by using security policies and reassuring of news before spreading them, or reporting about any abusing in social media.

References

Conaway, C. (2002). Virtual university. Regional Review - Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, 12 (1), 6-13. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.aus.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/200753061?accountid=16946

Chui, M. (2012). The social economy unlocking value and productivity through social technologies. New York: McKinsey & Company.