The benefits of social media do outweigh the associated risks if used properly and responsibly. Something such as a Facebook or Twitter post is no longer just gossiping with a friend. Many people use these sites for professional reasons. Politicians, advertising companies, and manufacturers use social media sites to network and expand their fan and customer bases.
Recent events in the news have shown what the risks and consequences are of using social media web sites irresponsibly but the benefits still outweigh the risks. These benefits include news updated almost immediately, timely public notices, and awareness of important causes. Staying updated on family and friends that live many miles away is another benefit. If precautions such as anti virus protection and common sense are used, the risks of using social media web sites are drastically reduced.
Social media has made a strong positive impact on our culture. It has led to many advancements in our society. One way is to improve the way people may communicate. It is now easy to keep in touch with relatives and friends who live far distances away from us. Before social networking sites became popular, it was often necessary to write a letter and put it in the mailbox or make an expensive long distance phone call if you wanted to talk to a relative that lived far away. Now we are able to go onto a site such as Facebook and post a message to them in seconds.
Another benefit of social media is that individuals who feel uncomfortable expressing their opinions in a personal environment have the option of communicating anonymously with strangers. Being sociable is beneficial to our well being and people who were previously unable to interact with others can now do so easily. These people may have issues with shyness and because of social networking sites they are able to communicate with others who have the same problems.
Many of the risks and cons posed by social media can be eliminated by using common sense. If a person seems too good to be true, then follow your gut instinct. If gossiping causes problems for you, then stay away from sites that make it easy to gossip. There are predators out there who seek out victims using social networking, but they can be avoided. Only associate with people you know personally and change the privacy settings for any information you post about yourself so that only friends can view it.