Social Media and Networking Presentation

In today’s world, many people depend on the internet for news and entertainment, yet other people worry about how reliable it can be. Now days you can sign on the internet and find any information that you want, from the weather to the news, to your favorite video. Many people have started to rely on the internet for research for school, but with anyone being able to post anything, how do you know what you find is creditable? While the advantages seem great, there are also some disadvantages that come with easily obtainable information. Some of those disadvantages are theft of personal information, accuracy, and viruses. Sometimes when you are searching for things, or finding things online, they will ask for personal information, such as social security number, credit card number, or even little things like full name and address. When you enter that information in, it opens an opportunity for hackers to get a hold of your information and use it. Also going on web pages searching for things opens your computer up for viruses. Many websites are notorious for sending adware, viruses and also other malicious software that can slow the computer and in some cases even harm it considerably. (Ambekar 2008) This leads to the next thing, accuracy. When you find information online, you have to make sure is reliable and accurate. Anyone can write or post something on the internet, so you always check to make sure what you are reading is coming from a reliable source. Other social media network that has become popular over the past few years is Facebook and Twitter. Both of them have been a hug hit over the years Facebook is on mainly for family and friend making it easier to stay in touch. Twitter is used for mainly the actors, famous athletes, television shows and etc. Either of them can be used to help promote and advertise some one’s personal business or job. Some of the advantages of social media are being able to make connections with other people that share the same interests, staying in contact with friends and family members in other areas of the world, flexibility, and free. With social media, you have opportunities to meet people where you live, or even in other areas that share the same goals, beliefs, or interest that you may not have met before. It is the same almost like keeping in touch with people around you. For instance, military people have to move a lot, so now with social Medias, it is easier to still be a part of their life and know what going on, instead of waiting for a phone call or letter is. Another great thing about social media is that is free! You can join about any site and not have to pay out of pocket. That can be very beneficial for small businesses that are trying to get their name out there, and don’t have the funds to advertise on the radio or television. Some of the disadvantages of social media are it can be slightly impersonal, you can have social drama, and danger. With social media, everything is online so you do not have the opportunity to get to talk to a person either face to face or on the phone. It makes it easy for someone to fake something, or make you think they are something they are not, which also ties into the danger aspect. Many people have pretended to be someone else in order to gain your trust, and then turn on you. You also have a larger chance of internet drama. Having a computer in front of you can make you feel inferior and act certain ways that you would never do in public, and then that can cause negative attention. Making sure you know both the advantages and disadvantages of social media can help you take the necessary steps to enjoy the social media, yet be safe and avoid anything negative. If a person knows what they are getting into and have a clearer view on what to expect and whether or not it is something that they would like or would be better off without. The internet has become such a huge part of everyday life, that knowing what you are doing is a great step into the right direction.

References
Ashwini Ambekar (2008) Advantage and Disadvantages of the internet http://www.articleswave.com/computer-articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-the-internet.html