Has Social Media Made Us More or Less Social? Sociology Essay Example

People are social by nature thus they need to interact with one another. Social media has made possible for us to be more social in our different areas of specialization. People get the chance to socialize with their peers and as well as other age groups thanks to the introduction and actualization of the idea of social media (Kristoffer, et al. 27). Social media has had an array of impacts on the society especially people that are fully exposed to it. These people range in ages from the younger generation to the elderly and senior citizens. It has positive effects that are clearly showcased in different aspects and sectors in the society (Laroche, Michel, et al. 1760). Social media has indeed made us more social. This paper will discuss the ways through which social media has benefitted people by making us more social. Before the advancement in technology in the communication sector people lagged behind in terms of development and interaction with each other (Lisette, Sonja and Peter, 89). Different media in communication helped open up the world in the ways through which people share information and knowledge with each other. This impact is felt and seen through socialization. For instance different social networks such as Facebook, twitter provide people with the rare opportunity of reconnection with old friends, have the chance to share ideas. Applications such as Instagram allows for sharing of photographs as well as content. A window of opportunity is given to people through social media to communicate freely with each other (Kristoffer, et al. 20). This impacts positively on peoples way of life, everyone gets the chance to fully explore the various platforms given by social media thus making us more social.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Information is power to everyone, people who are more exposed to social media get the most recent of local and global developments thus stay ahead in terms information. This gives them the chance to participate a lot in an array of activities that are of their personal choices (Kristoffer, et al. 29). For example people have the liberty of par taking in activities such as campaigns in different sectors, this often is a personal choice of an individual. Such activities are catapulted by social media, when people of the same school of thought come together to discuss and share ideas and propose a course of action, this in itself is a positive aspect in relation to making people more social through the media. Other media too play an important role in passing on recent global information that is of relevance to peoples livelihoods.

Different career paths of individuals have taken shape as a result of sharing their prospects on social media (Lisette, Sonja and Peter, 87). Social media has been the tool used by different professionals all over the world to enhance their business prospects by pitching their ideas. For example social media sites such LinkedIn have been gained popularity among professionals and have been used to showcase and market their skills to others. Such sites have enabled people to get access to different potential employers and as a result secured work, this in itself is extraordinary as potential employees and employers are linked together making it easier for interaction.

The younger generation has reaped the most out of the positive impacts of social media (Kristoffer, et al. 28). This is evident in the way students use social media to collaborate with peers in different aspects of their education. Academic proficiency is achieved among those who are actively involved with social media. In this sense these youngsters get to develop and improve their communication skills which impacts positively in their education and social lives. For example students form groups on different platforms provided by social media to discuss about different topics appertaining there diverse educational requirements and topics. These group set ups help in keeping the students focused towards the main goal and objectives when aiming at reaching their educational pinnacle.

Social media has opened peoples minds and the way through which they interact (Laroche, Michel, et al.1765). Different media have been established overtime and embraced by people from different cultures all over the world. An array of ideas from people of diverse backgrounds have been put together to form some of the best projects which have been developed into successful global business ventures (Lisette, Sonja and Peter, 83). For example, people make connections with others over different social networks such as twitter, facebook to open up, share opinions and trade ideas, this results in and promotes globalization which is a positive attribute of social media.

Works Cited

De Vries, Lisette, Sonja Gensler, and Peter SH Leeflang. Popularity of brand posts on brand fan pages: An investigation of the effects of social media marketing. Journal of interactive marketing 26.2 (2012) 83-91

Holt, Kristoffer, et al. Age and the effects of news media attention and social media use on political interest and participation: do social media function as leveler? European journal of communication 28.1 (2013): 19-34

Laroche, Michel, et al. The effects of social media based brand communities on brand community markers, value creation practices, brand trust and brand loyalty. Computers in human behavior 28.5 (2012): 1755-1767

Korda, Holly and Zena Itani. Harnessing social media for health promotion and behavior change. Health promotion practice 14.1 (2013): 15-23