Social Media

Social Media Paper

HUM/186
11/7/12

Social Media Paper Information is the way we acquire knowledge and progress into the future. Social media is how information is carried and distributed throughout the world. The information provided by social media is gathered, distributed and stored through the internet, extranet, television and radio. The information highway called the social media can be a reliable researchable source depending on subject matter and the author. Social media, like any other tool involved with gaining knowledge and progress, come with pros and cons. For example, the knowledge a person possesses, gives them the capable to use social media to obtain reliable data. It can also provide information that is fictional. This can create chaos and confusion while society searches for the truth. In this paper we will define some of the advantages and disadvantages of social media and the information society gathers and distributes twenty-four hours per day.

Over the years the term media convergence has applied to the different way information is attained. There are a lot of views relaying to the ways information is harnessed and then transported around the world. A good understanding of this would be the use of communication in today’s society. When using the internet it enables those around the world to transport information from one point to another, without any hassle at all. The internet is also a mainstream example of social media in the world. “For example, Yahoo! gleans information from search terms, Google scans the contents of Gmail messages, and Facebook uses profile information (age, gender, location, interests, etc.) to deliver individualized ads to users’ screens. Similarly, a mobile social networking application for smartphones, Foursquare, encourages users to earn points and “badges” by checking in at business locations, such as museums, restaurants, and airports (or other user-added locations), and to share that information via Twitter, Facebook, and text messages( E book Collection).” Where the disadvantages lack on the ways information can be obtained, the advantages are endless. The use of email, blogs, wiki website, social media sites, and instant messaging are all ways information can easily be acquired. While this is a good way to obtain information easily it has its drawbacks. For instance, when using web sites like Wikipedia the data isn’t always a reliable source of information. The ability to edit the information listed causes it to be an inadequate source of facts and reasoning. This would be a reason leading to the disadvantages of easily obtainable information and the credibility of their sources.

Now let us discuss marketing and advertisement and how it is influenced by social media. Everywhere you look there is an advertisement of some type being promoted through social media? Companies use marketing tools to create advertisements that appeal to the needs and wants of societies throughout the world. These two key aspects play an important role in the advantages of social media. When social media meets in term of marketing, it establishes price effective tactics toward reducing company expenses by utilizing the internet. Billboards and flyers can be considered an example of how price effective tactics can save money. The more billboards and flyers printed the more revenue that is consumed, so the end result is that the internet is a more reasonable choice for income sales. Advertising converges with the marketing features by getting the product known through social media. The more social media pushes traffic towards, websites, television, and radio the easier it is for companies to make a profit. A good understanding of this would be the use of advertisement on a website. The more views the website has the more time an ad can be seen.

On the disadvantage side, marketing and advertising can be too time consuming, most organizations just want to get there work known; Just not add an extra work load to their picture. For instance in order to get social media’s full influence, you need to comprehend the mechanics behind it, knowing the time and place it can be useful and the area in which to focus on depending on the crowd being reached. The outcome of social media it has its uses, but also has some drawbacks in society. With the knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages of social media, a person could use critical thinking to figure out which benefit would best suit them in their work environment. It would also alter how they look for information on the web, if information was reliable, and what to look for when using social media. Who, What, When, and where are the direction one should take when approaching the uses of social media.

In conclusion, information is the way we acquire knowledge, and knowledge is the tool that we use to progress our actions and ideas forward. Social media is effective enough to influence a variety of companies, organizations and individuals. It is also proof that our society has continued to find new and improved marketing strategies over the past century. Social media has a vast range of resources. That in return can reach every potential consumer, regardless of their range of being able to comprehend mass advertising. The advantage and disadvantage of social media is profitable and sometimes reliable.

Reference page

EBOOK COLLECTION: Campbell, R., Martin, C., & Fabos, B. (2012). Media and culture: An introduction to mass communications (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s.