Advantages and disadvantages of social networks

Social networks have generated new dynamics for communication, entertainment and business management.

Some of the benefits they offer are interactivitythe variety of formats wave ease of disclosure ideas or projects at a professional level.

The other side of the coin shows us some inconveniences such as a excessive exposure of intimacy, situations of harassment or attempts to fraud.

Given the growing evolution of the digital world, we must pay attention to the advantages and disadvantages that social networks cause to make better decisions regarding their use.

Advantages of social networks

Initially created for personal use and enjoyment, social networks have ended up transforming the way we access information and communicate, paving the way for many other uses. Let’s see some of its advantages:

1. They improve communications

The networks allow communication through text, chats, private messages and video chats. This multiplies the options to communicate, while creating new dynamics based on each resource.

For example, people who are in different parts of the planet can contact each other through a Facebook chat, send videos to each other on Instagram, or make a live broadcast in real time.

Therefore, social networks do not know physical barriers and facilitate communication without restrictions.

2. Variety of formats

Social networks have contributed to the development of formats that a few years ago were non-existent.

Today it is possible to attend a class or follow a live event through a live of Instagram, have access to a tutorial in the form of post, stories or image gallery.

3. New forms of entertainment

Social networks have become new forms of entertainment. Videos, memes, chats, video chats, gifs, live broadcasts, short videos are just some of the content that we can consume.

Entertainment for all tastes and ages, without the need for many technical resources, beyond a mobile device with an Internet connection.

4. Get instant responses

Both by companies and users, social networks allow them to express opinions, resolve doubts and provide suggestions about products or services in a direct, close and effective way.

The possibility of receiving an answer at the moment favors the communication process on both sides of the screen.

5. They help make better decisions

Thanks to social networks there is the possibility of reading recommendations on places, events, products and services of interest to users.

They are a communication channel where reviews, complaints and criticisms can be reflected. In this way, users can learn about the negative experiences of others and make better decisions about the place they are going to visit or the product they expect to consume.

6. Access to job offers

Thanks to social networks it is possible to improve and disseminate the professional profile, expanding the possibilities of finding work online.

Networks like LinkedIn, created exclusively for professionals, allow you to display a resume or curriculum vitae. They facilitate contact with other colleagues, allow you to generate content of interest to the community, participate in groups and, of course, apply for job offers.

7. Greater professional projection

Social networks help to generate a greater impact and reach in professional projects.

Those who want their idea or project to reach a greater number of people can rely on social networks and the resources they offer.

Today, it is very common to see specialists in an area on the networks offering classrooms, advice, practical tools, tutorials, conferences and other content in different formats (post with text and images, infographics, videos, etc.).

8. Meet people with common interests

Through social networks it is easier to meet people with similar interests to ours. Whether you want to share a hobby, have a romantic date or participate in a social gathering, there are many options to meet people with the same tastes and interests.

You may also be interested in Advantages and disadvantages of technology.

Disadvantages of social networks

1. Increase distraction

Mobile phones, tablets and personal computers are distracting if not used properly.

Social networks can be great allies at an academic and professional level, but there is a risk of ending up consuming content that has nothing to do with our obligations.

2. Exclusion of disadvantaged people

There are many people who, due to economic difficulties, do not have access to digital devices.

This dynamic in which social networks become an indispensable tool in certain areas, generates the risk of excluding those who do not have enough resources to adapt to new technologies.

3. Phishing

Many cases have been reported of people creating fake profiles, identical to existing ones, in order to impersonate them to obtain something in return, from money to sensitive information.

This practice poses a risk to the privacy of the impersonated person and that of their contacts, since they do not know that they are interacting with an impostor account and may provide personal data.

4. Digital bullying

Digital harassment has become an extension of a problem that already existed in the world offline: school and professional bullying.

With this practice, the aim is to humiliate and subject a person to public ridicule, either through insulting messages or the publication of their privacy.

Although today many platforms have tools to avoid or reduce the impact of cyberbullying, It is a problem that is increasing.

5. Tendency to social isolation

Due to the excessive use of social networks, people spend more and more time alone, immersed in the screen and away from the people around them.

This preference for online activities (games, publications, purchases, etc.) generates an excess of connection that disconnects the individual from their community.

6. They can affect mental health

Some of the disorders that excessive consumption of social networks can generate in mental health are addiction and low self-esteem.

The immediacy, the overload of stimuli and the need to be updated at all times can generate dependency. This need leads to various problems such as changes in mood, sleep disorders or anxiety.

On the other hand, social networks function as a permanent window into the lives and experiences of others. The tendency to compare the life that is shown in networks with life in the real world can generate feelings of frustration that directly affect self-esteem.

7. They influence the reputation of companies

Poor management of a company’s social networks can affect the digital image and, therefore, the company’s reputation.

The networks, together with the web page of the organization, function as a letter of introduction in the 3.0 world. A bad customer experience in the digital field can be transferred to an experience with the brand in the world offline.

8. Use of personal data

There is some controversy about the existing privacy policies in social networks, and the use that companies make of their users’ data. Through the permissions to access personal information, a huge database is generated that is used for advertising purposes.

Each application can request different permissions, and almost all agree to request access to images, location, phone data, list of phone contacts, among others.

Facebook has been linked to the use of its users’ data without confidentiality and without respecting privacy policies. Other companies, collaborators of Facebook, also have access to this data, so users do not have real control over it.

9. Computer crimes

Fake accounts on social networks for less than legitimate purposes, such as fraud or stealing from other users, are becoming more frequent.

There are multiple techniques to achieve this, such as the sale of products or services that do not exist (the user pays and the product never arrives).

In other cases, it consists of requesting money in exchange for a product test, requesting collaboration or donations for causes that do not exist or whose identity has been cloned, etc.