Below is a simple and short essay about social media I wrote back in March, 2018.
Nowadays, social networks, websites, or programs with which it is possible to share information and files in real-time with the whole world have become part of our daily lives. According to statistics gathered in January 2018 by wearesocial.com, there are 3.196 billion active profiles on various existing social networks. However, setting aside the statistics, some spontaneous questions arise. Are social networks a positive or negative phenomenon? Are we able to understand their real usefulness? Is it right for anyone to have access to them?
Before addressing these questions, it is necessary to describe the three main common characteristics among all social networks. The first common characteristic is the ability to share information, files, and ideas with the whole world instantly without leaving one's home. In my opinion, this is a positive feature when used intelligently, as it allows each of us to spread our ideas globally at zero cost, which was previously impossible.
The second common characteristic is the ability to communicate easily and instantly with anyone in the world. In my opinion, this feature is both positive and negative because, since social media managers do not verify users' personal data, anyone could be on the other side, not the person you intended to communicate with.
The third and final common characteristic is the ability to create a profile for one's business to advertise it. This, in my opinion, is a positive feature because social networks, having so many users worldwide, are an excellent tool for advertising and consequently boosting the earnings of a business, on par, or even more so, than radio and television.
If one were to focus only on these three objectives of social networks, it might be believed that they are more than a positive phenomenon for humanity. However, reading a newspaper is enough to change one's mind: every day, social media is the cause or means of crimes, disputes, the spread of false news, violence, and even death worldwide. In fact, social media, being poorly controlled, are exploited by wrongdoers to defraud other users and even lure victims into possible crimes, such as pedophilia, kidnappings, rapes, etc.
Then there is the phenomenon of the so-called "keyboard warriors", people who see social media as an anarchic place to heavily insult users with different opinions, and that of disseminators of false news, who enjoy inventing completely false news and sharing them with other users. Finally, there is the serious phenomenon of social media addiction, where people spend their entire day on the computer or phone, publishing everything they do on their profiles, neglecting their real lives.
However, despite all these negative aspects, I believe social networks should not be closed, as they also have many positive aspects and are a revolutionary invention: closing them would be like forcing humanity to take a step back. Instead, I believe social media managers should control users' personal data more to prevent the creation of fake profiles and the publication of offensive messages and false news. I also think that parents should not allow their children to create profiles (especially those under 12 years old), as at that age, they are not yet responsible and are easy targets for wrongdoers on social media.
In conclusion, I ask you, the reader of this text, to consider the following questions. Do you have one or more social media profiles? Do you believe you use social media in a useful way or not? Do you agree with my opinion, or do you have a different one?
