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SOCIAL MEDIA WITHIN OUR SOCIETY

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram; Educational, Personal, and Professional

Opportunities and Threats of Social Interaction in a Technology Driven Society

Stephanie Adegbule

Professor Rhoden-Trader

SOC 111

December 6, 2016
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Abstract

This Social Policy Issue paper explains the advantages and disadvantages of

opportunities and threats of society through social media applications such as Facebook,

Twitter, and Instagram. The opportunities and threats of social media and its effects on

society, are described on a personal, educational, and professional perspectives.

Moreover, the similarities and differences of the personal, educational, and professional

use of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram’s effects on society are expresses through the

way it impacts society and how they can be a risk or connection. Overall, the social

structure and socialization among all perspectives are changed and impacts society’s

role on each of them.

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Educational Impact

In society, the way education is taught, organized, and operated within schools,

colleges, and universities has changed and improved with the advancement of

technology. Now, with the involvement of a more widespread way of social interaction

between students and instructors has transformed through the use of Facebook, Twitter,

and/or Instagram within the classrooms. Its utilization has both affected the time of

instruction within education in both positive and negative ways.

Opportunities With use of social media within the classroom, it has brought a new

kind of social structure for social interaction between students and instructors virtually.

For example, 75% of students admit to being on Twitter “all the time” and are using a

micro-blogging site as a forum to share content, encourage debate and answer queries,

with some even setting up hashtags for individual courses to create online discussion

communities for their students (Active B, 2010).

Also, educationally, social media opens the doors of distance learning. Distance

learning providers are obliged by the very nature of their courses to keep pace with any

trends and technological advances which promote communication with students and

enhance the learning experience (Active B, 2010). The use of learning management

systems such as Moodle and Blackboard have become immensely popular in universities

in recent years as a means to distribute lecture notes and other course information, as a

portal for students to upload assignments and check them for plagiarism, and as a chat

forum where students can communicate with their lecturers, and with each other (Active

B, 2010). The means of social interaction increases and the way to distribute instruction

to students becomes more convenient.

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Threats If the engagement of social media within educational institutions rises, so

does the lack of physical social groups among students. Social media (more specifically,

chatting on a cell phone via text or Twitter) is preventing our students from being

socially aware of anything beyond themselves or their immediate social circle (Leicht

and Goble, 2014). It is not expanding their social circle or worldview, it’s limiting it

(Leicht and Goble, 2014). Additionally, the use of social media in education can become

a distraction to academic performance of students. For instance, students who use

social media had an average GPA of 3.06 while non-users had an average GPA of 3.82

and students who used social networking sites while studying scored 20% lower on tests.

[84] College students’ grades dropped 0.12 points for every 93 minutes above the

average 106 minutes spent on Facebook per day, according to ProCon.org, 2016.

Personal Impact

On a more personal level, social media has given society a grand platform of

communication between others. The media has functioned as socializing agents in

several ways: (1) they inform us about events; (2) they introduce us to a wide variety of

people; (3) they provide an array of viewpoints on current issues; (4) they make us

aware of products and services that, if we purchase them, will supposedly help us to be

accepted by others; and (5) they entertain us by providing the opportunity to live

vicariously (Kendall, 2014, p.90).

Opportunities Among society, social media gives us a chance to promote open

expression among secondary groups. The connection and following of people with

common interests and for some, even family members’ increases. A study has found that
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52% of teens using social media report that using the sites has helped their relationships

with friends, 88% report that social media helps them stay in touch with friends they

cannot see regularly, 69% report getting to know students at their school better, and

57% make new friends. [14], according to ProCon.org, 2016.

Furthermore, the spread of information comes at an exponential rate when

delivered to society, especially through media. For example, over 50% of people learn

about breaking news on social media, [1] 65% of traditional media reporters and editors

use sites like Facebook and LinkedIn for story research, and 52% use Twitter, and [2]

social networking sites are the top news source for 27.8% of Americans (ProCon.org,

2016).

Threats Along with the benefits of social connectivity and virtual vast

communication, people are still at risk for cyberbullying and false identity.

Cyberbullying is the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another

person (KidsHealth.org). Severe, long-term, or frequent cyberbullying can leave both

victims and bullies at greater risk for anxiety, depression, and other stress-related

disorders (KidsHealth.org). In some rare but highly publicized cases, some people have

turned to suicide (KidsHealth.org). Experts say that people who are bullied — and the

bullies themselves — are at a higher risk for suicidal thoughts, attempts, and completed

suicides(KidsHealth.org). For example, Canadian teenager, Amanda Todd, took her own

life as a result of cyberbullying (Amanda Todd Story, 2016). Prior to her death, she

posted a YouTube video that seemed like a cry for help (Amanda Todd Story, 2016). She

told the story of being abused, bullied, harassed, and stalked online and in person, and

also narrated her silent story of how she used self-harm, drugs, and alcohol in an
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attempt to silence the pain she suffered as a result of cyberbullying (Amanda Todd

Story, 2016). She was desperate for someone to understand her, listen to her and

simply, she wanted a friend who got her (Amanda Todd Story, 2016).

Additionally, the risk of false identity is among the virtual social structure in

social media. The term ‘’catfishing’’ coined by American producer, Yaniv (‘’Nev’’)

Schulman, refers to someone who assumes a persona (or many) in order to trick another

person into believing that they’re really that person online (Psychology Behind Catfish,

2016). Oftentimes a “Catfish” will go to extremes to continue their lie and typically use

social networks, dating sites and all different types online forums. Also, they might

display fake profile pictures, get a separate phone line and even create a complete online

profile with “fake” friends to cover their tracks (Psychology Behind Catfish, 2016).

Professional Impact

Not only does the mass media play an effect on society educationally and

personally, but also professionally. The business and marketing industries have another

social framework of their formal organizations to be demonstrated to the world in a vast,

quick, virtual way. The creation and development of new occupations have also been a

result of the mass media

Opportunities Small businesses benefit greatly from the free platforms to connect

with customers and increase visibility of their products or services (ProCon.Org, 2016).

[60] Almost 90% of big companies using social media have reported "at least one

measurable business benefit." For example, large chain restaurants are using social
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media to quickly disseminate information to managers, train employees, and receive

immediate customer feedback on new items, allowing for quick revision if needed

(ProCon.org, 2016). Many fast food chains and restaurants have their own personal

apps where consumers can order and pay for services via cellular phone or earn rewards

such as discounted or free products and services. Starbucks, for example, has a

membership called Starbucks Rewards, which is an easy way to get rewarded for doing

what you're already doing (Starbucks Rewards, 2016). One would download the app,

join, and they’re on their way to earning amazing benefits like free brewed refills, a free

birthday drink, ordering and paying ahead with your phone to jump the line and so

much more (Starbucks Rewards, 2016).

Threats The use of mass media for professional purposes can lead businesses to

risk of privacy and competition. According to (Abrons, 2016), in according to Web Pro

News, eight out of 10 social media users feel ambivalent to uneasy about sharing

personal information and place social networks low in security confidence. The practice

of shaping ads and campaigns off member information collected from social networking

sites has stirred a wave confidentiality controversy, and marketing efforts can be met

with bitterness and offensive reactions (Abrons, 2016). The controversy between

smartphone companies, Apple and Samsung, has sprung through the mass media and

its battle between its features and design. For instance, if Apple executives pursued a

claim against Samsung for stealing the iPhone, Samsung would come right back at them

with a theft claim of its own (Eichenwald and McCabe, 2014). The battle lines were

drawn. In the months and years that followed, Apple and Samsung would clash on a

scale almost unprecedented in the business world, costing the two companies more than
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a billion dollars and engendering millions of pages of legal papers, multiple verdicts and

rulings, and more hearings (Eichenwald and McCabe).

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References

Abrons, R. (n.d.). The Disadvantages of Using Social Networks as Marketing Tools. Retrieved

December 04, 2016, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/disadvantages-using-social-

networks-marketing-tools-20861.html

Active, B. (2010). How social media is changing education. Retrieved December 04, 2016

Catfishing – What is it, where it came from and the Psychology Behind Catfish Online Dating

Scams. (2016). Retrieved December 04, 2016, from https://socialcatfish.com/what-is-

catfishing-online-dating/

Cyberbullying. (n.d.). Retrieved December 04, 2016, from

http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/cyberbullying.html

Eichenwald, K., & McCabe, S. (2014, June 29). The Great Smartphone War: Apple vs.

Samsung. Retrieved December 04, 2016

Goff, K. G. (2009, January 28). Social networking benefits validated. Retrieved December

04, 2016

Kendall, D. E. (2014). Socialization. In Sociology In Our Times: The Essentials (10th ed., pp.

90-92). Bosotn, MA: Cengage Learning.

Leicht, G., & Goble, D. (2014, October 1). Should teachers be using social media in the

classroom? Retrieved December 04, 2016

Social Networking ProCon.org. (2016, November 21). Retrieved December 04, 2016

Starbucks Rewards (2016, May 13). Retrieved December 04, 2016, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FalnLT5irs
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The Unforgettable Amanda Todd Story. (2016, September 9). Retrieved December 4, 2016.

from, https://nobullying.com/amanda-todd-story/