Pros
In order to understand the advantages of social media it is necessary to imagine the world without it. For example, a world where only governments or large media companies can publish information at scale and everyone else is a media consumer. With this in mind, the following are possible advantages of social media.Connects people globally | Instant information sharing |
Keeping in touch with people | Social networking |
Venue for political discourse and debate | A way to escape social isolation |
An outlet for free expression | Allows small businesses to promote themselves |
Political awareness | Political engagement |
Political dissent | Tool for political activism |
Access to news and information with no paywall | Opportunities for small media producers |
Creative expression | Tool for learning |
Knowledge exchange | Diverse perspectives |
Sustaining relationships | Low cost way to communicate |
Family communication | Provides every user with a global voice |
Raising awareness of environmental and social issues | Building new relationships |
Entertainment and stress relief | Finding inspiration from others |
Asking questions to a broad audience | Potentially educational |
Tool for research | Tool for businesses |
Often free or low cost | Allows the truth to get out |
Can break down barriers between people from different backgrounds | Potentially diverse and inclusive |
Finding others with the same interests | Supports the development of subcultures |
Professional development | Professional opportunities |
Reputation building |
Cons
The disadvantages of social media largely relate to how it is governed, managed, controlled and used. That is to say, that it is a powerful tool that isn't inherently negative in itself but produces negative outcomes in the real world due to the realities of how it gets managed and used.Cyberbullying | Spread of misinformation, rumors and gossip |
Tool of propaganda | Online censorship |
Centralized control by corporate owners | Privacy risks |
Creates a digital footprint that may be more or less permanent | Filter bubbles that cause people to overestimate how much others agree with them |
Cyberbullying that impacts offline life | Social exclusion in social media such as classmates that exclude a few people from a class-wide thread |
Social media addiction | Wasting time |
Impact on productivity such as studying or working | Negative impact on self-esteem due to issues such as unrealistic portrayals of lifestyles, beauty and social life |
Promotion of consumerism | Promotion of shallow values |
Online vigilantism | Damaged reputation based on misinformation |
Spread of biased information that is produced to a low standard | Disinformation |
Echo chambers where people with similar opinions convince each other they are right | Overuse of social media for socializing whereby people become isolated in real life |
One-sided terms of service imposed by owners of social media | Social media owned by monopolies whereby single firms and individuals amass large scale power over global politics and information exchange |
State controls over social media whereby it could become a tool of oppression | May generate jealousy, envy and a fear of missing out |
Dissemination of private or confidential leaked data, media and communications | Short form social media that may lead to short attention spans |
Online scams | Online crime |
Cyberstalking | Trolling |
Sleep disruption | Information overload |
Excessive notifications that disrupt real life processes | Copying negative behavior in social media |
Fake news | Mental health issues |
Increased screen time | Comparison culture |
Political polarization driven by echo chambers | Exposure to age inappropriate content |
Unwanted exposure to graphic content | Reduced physical activity |
Reduced face-to-face communication | Pressure to conform to trends |
Pressure to curate an online image | Pressure to conform to groupthink |
Erosion of family time | Loss of empathy |
Desensitization to real-world issues |
