Hello Steemit Friends,

It is not uncommon for people to question themselves about social media networks whenever they log into their favorite platforms. They are constantly checking for status updates and likes, most phones staying pinned to the wall due to their drained batteries. In fact, most people decide to quit for a while when they feel a hint of social media addiction cropping up. Such situations could indicate that most social media users yearn to know whether it helps or hinders their lives.Anyone with the slightest idea of what social media is has used at least one social media platform at one point. They must have, as a result, formulated an opinion on the topic. We live in a world whose technology is surrounded by social media, making it critical to understand its pros and cons.

Positive View

The most obvious advantage of using social media is for connectivity, whether for business or friendly intentions. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are today the most natural ways of tracking down an old classmate or a middle school teacher. A new friend or business relationship can easily be made, which can result in assistance, landing new jobs or finding love, Social media is comparable to a community, where people of all calibers meet and exchange news and updates, which is a highly positive outcome.

Social media has primarily been used for advertising by significant companies across the world. There is no better, timely and cost-effective way to inform your customers about your latest product, a trending promotion or upcoming event. Although such messages are often shared for free on social media platforms, some advertisement arrangements are based on a fee, ensuring the platform owner, the advertising company and its clients all benefit simultaneously.

Real-time sharing of information can also be attributed to social media. Most social networks include an instant messenger as their primary feature, enabling people to share information instantly using chat rooms. Such a social media feature saves its users time significantly. Teachers can share lessons with their students promptly, business partners can have a quick meeting online, and huge audiences can be addressed in an instant.

Finally, social media results in the collection of interest commonalities. Most young people want to take part in social media communities that are made up of people who share their interests. For instance, a fashion lover will mostly spend their time on Pinterest rather than Twitter, while a photographer is more likely to browse pictures on Instagram rather than keep up with breaking news on Twitter and we who are interest in the growth of the new world of currency and blogging adores Steemit more than anything.

Negative View

Cyber bullying has been the most challenge faced by social network participants. People feel extensively influential tweeting about something or someone behind a computer screen, and they, as a result, harass and bully others. Harassment is mostly in the form of invading one's privacy through hacking, sharing of adult content and fraudulent cases.

Young people tend to lose track of their time management schedules when they engage in social media. It is not rare to spot a young fellow staring at their phone or computer with headphones plugged in their ears for hundreds of hours. In fact, research indicates that about 30% of time spent on the internet is on social media. Such practices can be costly, especially for one's productivity.

On a business perspective, most people get their privacy invaded when they use social media. Social platforms end up selling users' confidential information, which is used by different corporate to generate revenue. It goes to show that social networking sites exploit their users to make income.

Most critically, people's identities get stolen using social media; It is not always that the information you share online is immune to access by random internet users. Stolen identity cases can be costly since one's private information can be exposed, or their bank accounts can be robbed.

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Although social media has many pros, a few pointers should be considered before one gets immersed in too deeply. Every social media user should be responsible for their safety when they are online,while also using it for positive impacts in their personal and professional lives. Remember that just because a social media topic is trending, don't be quick to join in without evaluating how you will be affected by the outcome. Steemit has just hit 400k accounts registered yesterday. Congratulation on accelerating like a rocket !. I remembered i started here at the beginning of June with a 200k users. Since my journey here, All i can say that i have had wonderful experiences and it had definitely changed my shifts from other Social Media to right here. ;) Where the future is !! :)

I hope this post gives you a little something to enjoy.....

I always deeply appreciate your comments, upvotes and share.

Much Love, Suzana