What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media?

* What are the advantages and disadvantages of social media?

Social networking of today’s world offers many benefits. It is now easier than ever to keep in contact with old friends, family and co-workers. Businesses can use the large number of people on Facebook and Twitter to help market their products and services. Facebook has a number of services to help businesses market themselves more effectively, including the ability to target advertising at certain demographic groups that are likely to be interested in what the business is marketing.  It also can save a company money in advertising by using the social marketing tools to reach their target group who will in turn spread the word and do a lot of the advertising for them.

Social networking also has its fair share of disadvantages. One is that it opens up the opportunity for hackers to commit fraud and send out spam and virus attacks. Which can lead to people falling prey to internet scams that seem real and to identity theft. It can also open up a business to negative attacks or comments from employees or former employees that could hurt the company or even cause law suit. A great disadvantage that social media has is the loss of productivity of employees that use it at work. It is so easy to just check in for a minute and that turn in to an hour of your employer’s time. Social media has its good and bad effects, these are just a few. With proper usages and common sense it can be a wonderful tool.

* How might knowing these advantages and disadvantages alter how a person might use social media?