Research Proposal: Social Media and Its Positive Impact in the Contemporary Society

Introduction

Social media is one of the technology inventions that have become an integral part of most people in the world. It is broadly used chiefly by the young people, who have the highest percentage of the total global population, and this has influenced businesses and political organizations to take advantage of the technology communication tool to sell their brands and ideas (Mayfield p. 5). Most companies utilize the social media to promote and sell their products and services, and on the other hand, it has become the ground where people across the world engage both socially and politically. Thus, it has been of great benefit to individuals and organizations using the various channels and platforms including Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, LinkedIn and many other sites where the public can freely access. The following research paper is aimed at establishing the various ways that social media has benefited its users and also illustrate that despite there being several challenges associated with the tool; its advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Its good side is more recognizable than bad side since with it there have been significant transformations in how things are conducted, and people have gained a lot from it. Communication of which is the basis of almost everything that happens in the world including economic, social and political activities, has been significantly enhanced making things easier and fast, and at the same time cost-effective. The argumentative essay of which is a claim of value will be supporting and elaborating on how social media has positively enhanced performance and participation in these fields.

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Social Impacts

Social engagement has been enhanced significantly as many users interact and communicate through different social media sites. People especially the youths who surf through these platforms looking for updates and messages from their friends can engage and share ideas faster and easier than when using traditional means of communication. Regardless of the distance or differences in the locations, individuals can interact freely and get messages in real time. Hence, this has enhanced globalization making the world a better place where opinions are shared beyond the geographical boundaries. Furthermore, individuals can reconnect with their long-term friends and colleagues while others meet and bond with new people; thus, one is given the opportunity of meeting other people of which it would have been impossible outside the social media (Kaplan et al. p. 61).

According to a study done in 2014 by Pew Research Center, 52% of online adults use two or more social media sites with Facebook having the most users (Couldry). It is through these platforms that the world is united as the individuals are focused on an essential specific goal. Campaigns on various motions are developed through the technology communication tool, and this has enabled the transformation of the society significantly. For example, campaigns against the adverse implications of crime and substance use among the youths are raised through social media sites by individuals and organizations including bloggers, activists, and writers among other influencers. By doing this, the rates in these activities is dropping significantly across the world since alternative ideas and suggestions are offered primarily to those people who are directly or indirectly affected. Therefore, users especially the youngsters get helpful information and tips that they cannot find in traditional relationships regarding their lives and how they can avoid ruining their future (Agichtein et al.).

Additionally, social media has platforms that are used by various professionals such as doctors, teachers, and lawyers among others who have specialized in distinctive fields to share useful information to the users. For example, one can acquire healthy living tips from an online nutritionist of which it may be expensive and time-consuming when having a face-to-face with the professional. Online individuals can seek advice and gain skills from these posts, and this has transformed their lives significantly. For instance, GraceUKFit started a Facebook page on 8th January aimed at attracting people with an ambition of having a healthy living through physical exercises. Moreover, students in distinctive educational levels can access various learning materials posted online by professional tutors to improve their performance at school. They can get additional tutoring sessions away from the physical class, and this has greatly helped a lot of people around the world achieve their academic goals.

Economic Impacts

Besides positive social implications of the technology communication tool, studies have indicated that individuals and cooperatives engaging in various businesses have benefited substantially from different online sites. Organizations and brands have utilized the social media to promote and sell their products and connect with their customers. Unlike in the traditional sense where the marketing strategies are time-consuming and expensive, companies have enhanced their performance and achieved their objectives by progressively utilizing the services provided by the social media platforms (Eyrich et al. p.411). Correspondingly, consumers can interact with their services' providers effectively and efficiently. They can now give opinions and complaints concerning the services being offered to them. Also, the social media tool has enabled customers to make orders on the products and services they would like delivered. For instance, according to a study done by Xiang and Ulrike, it has become a modern norm in the tourism industry where companies are pervasively utilizing various online communication channels to market their brands and extend to a broader audience (p. 174). Furthermore, consumers get their travel-related services effectively and efficiently. It is easier to acquire information related to tourism such as the best places to visit and stay, and also the ideal services to purchase from the travel agents (Curtis p. 90). For example, Priceline Company, which is based in the United States, uses online platforms such as blogs and its website priceline.com to market travel-related services such as airline tickets and accommodation facilities.

In their journal, Mangold and David have defined social media as the new hybrid for promotion mix implying that the tool has become an integral part of organizations and businesses in the contemporary times ( p.360). Marketing HR managers in companies have taken advantage of the online sites to interact and engage their consumers in business-related relationships. By doing this, they can learn better ways to improve their services delivery strategies and enhance their organizational development. Correspondingly, Hanna et al. illustrate that communication between the businesses and customers have been enhanced significantly. The social media is being utilized to reach out to many customers (p. 267). Additionally, it has been the most effective marketing strategy to get to some of the most important consumers in the contemporary society, and that is the young people. Youngsters are the most users of the online sites; hence, through these platforms implies that businesses have improved their sales and profits significantly.

Political Impacts

Research and discussion by Gil de et al. have indicated that social media has become the ground for political affairs in the current times (p. 330). Unlike in the past decades where the public had difficulties getting to their leaders and express opinions regarding how they are being served, in the contemporary society people can use the online social media sites to influence the political realm. Additionally, governments and leaders are now using the technology communication tool to prove the effectiveness of their leadership skills and the ability to take the citizens to the next level in development (Bertot et al. p. 267). Some have adopted various online means to ensure transparency in government and the ability of the respective leaders to fight and mitigate corruption in the country.

In 2001, few years after the first social media platform was invented, Philippine citizens engaged and spoke in one voice until the corrupt president was impeached. The people used the social media to influence the decision of the legislature because they felt that they were not being led according to their anticipations. Hence, as Clay suggests in her article, an individual's opinion has more power than the government when it is expressed and supported through the online communication tools (p. 350). Information is effectively and efficiently transmitted leading to the transformation of a single voice into a powerful weapon to fight the irregularities associated with the political leaders. Therefore, citizens have benefited politically from the utilization of the online social media sites, and they now have the power to make relevant changes in their governments.

Conclusion

Political, economic and social engagements have been substantially transformed by the online social media sites that have become the central grounds where people develop and share ideas. Despite there being possible harmful effects of these channels such as addiction and misuse among the young people, it is essential to note that without these platforms a lot of development strategies employed in the contemporary society couldn't be in existence. Moreover, social media users including the military personnel and the students have in many instances acquired essential and relevant information regarding their respective fields. Therefore, it is through the technology online communication sites that the people in the world have been able to achieve a lot of their objectives without much effort and resources.

Works Cited

Agichtein, Eugene, et al. "Finding high-quality content in social media." Proceedings of the 2008 international conference on web search and data mining. ACM, 2008.

Bertot, John C., Paul T. Jaeger, and Justin M. Grimes. "Using ICTs to create a culture of transparency: E-government and social media as openness and anti-corruption tools for societies." Government information quarterly 27.3 (2010): 264-271.

Couldry, Nick. Media, society, world: Social theory and digital media practice. Polity, 2012.

Curtis, Lindley, et al. "Adoption of social media for public relations by nonprofit organizations." Public Relations Review36.1 (2010): 90-92.

Eyrich, Nina, Monica L. Padman, and Kaye D. Sweetser. "PR practitioners' use of social media tools and communication technology." Public relations review 34.4 (2008): 412-414.

Hanna, Richard, Andrew Rohm, and Victoria L. Crittenden. "We're all connected: The power of the social media ecosystem." Business horizons 54.3 (2011): 265-273.

Gil de Zuniga, Homero, Nakwon Jung, and Sebastian Valenzuela. "Social media use for news and individuals' social capital, civic engagement and political participation." Journal of ComputerMediated Communication 17.3 (2012): 319-336.

Kaplan, Andreas M., and Michael Haenlein. "Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media." Business horizons 53.1 (2010): 59-68.

Mangold, W. Glynn, and David J. Faulds. "Social media: The new hybrid element of the promotion mix." Business horizons52.4 (2009): 357-365.

Mayfield, Antony. "What is social media." (2008): 2-36.

Shirky, Clay. "The political power of social media: Technology, the public sphere, and political change." Foreign affairs (2011): 28-41.

Xiang, Zheng, and Ulrike Gretzel. "Role of social media in online travel information search." Tourism management 31.2 (2010): 179-188.