Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Networking

If you are like most people, you already use at least one social media platform, but you may still have some questions about social networking. Is social media helping or hindering your life? Is it safe? Can it really increase productivity and build brand awareness - or is it simply a place to waste a considerable amount of time?
Five Advantages of Social Networking
There are many reasons why someone may choose to take advantage of social networks online.

1. Worldwide Connectivity
   No matter if you are searching for a former college roommate, your first grade teacher, or an international friend, no easier or faster way to make a connection exists than social media. Although Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest are probably the most well-known social networking communities, new websites are popping up regularly that let people connect and interact over the Web.

With each of these sites, individuals can make new friends, build business connections or simply extend their personal base by connecting and interacting with friends of friends - which can have a multiplying effect.

These connections can help with a variety of things such as:

Finding romance
Seeking a new job
Locating assistance
Getting and giving product and service referrals
Receiving support from like-minded individuals
Making or receiving career or personal advice
Sharing political beliefs
Accessing news in real timeIn many ways, these social communities are the virtual equivalent of church socials where family and friends gather to exchange news and get updates. Even the age-old custom of connecting with pen pals has been upgraded as private messages can be sent over social media. When it comes to getting information, few methods are faster than social media.

1. Commonality of Interest
   When you opt to participate in a social network community, you can pick and choose individuals whose likes and dislikes are similar to yours and build your network around those commonalities. For instance, if you are a chess aficionado, a book lover or have a particular political leaning, you can find and interact with those who share your interest.

It can also be a great way to share tips and ideas. Sites like Pinterest have been very successful due to the ease in which a person can learn - and share - information about hobbies, crafts, cooking, gardening and other do-it-yourself activities. By pinning and sharing, you can attract like-minded individuals into your circle.
But, just as these virtual groups can help hobbyists exchange ideas and techniques, other social network groups offer solutions for more vexing, real-world problems. For example, social media groups can be lifelines for individuals suffering from a rare disease. Churches, synagogues and temples also use social media to reach out to members who may be unable to attend services.

1. Real-Time Information Sharing
   

Many social networking sites incorporate an instant messaging feature, which lets people exchange information in real-time via a chat. This is a great feature for teachers to use to facilitate classroom discussions because it lets them utilize the vast store of information available on the Web. This can be a great time saver for the teacher - since students no longer need to visit a library to conduct research- and it can be a great way to engage distracted learners.School is not the only setting where this type of real-time information sharing can be beneficial. Social networking can provide a tool for managers to utilize in team meetings, for conference organizers to use to update attendees and for business people to use as a means of interacting with clients or prospects. Some leaders are going so far as to include Tweets or other social media updates during presentations. This approach can make events more interactive and help the presenter reach a larger audience.

1. Targeted Advertising
   Whether you are non-profit organization that needs to get the word out about an upcoming fundraiser or a business owner marketing a new product or service, there's no better way than social media to get your message in front of millions of people 24/7.

Although social media can be used to spread a company's message for free, fee-based advertising options are also available. One of the best aspects of social networking is the ability to deliver your content only to those users with the most potential interest in your product or service. Each social platform offers an array of tools that enable a business to deliver specific content to a very specific target group. This approach can maximize targeted reach while minimizing waste.

1. Increased News Cycle Speed
   Undoubtedly, social networking has revolutionized the speed of the news cycle. Most news organizations now rely on social media sites to collect and share information. Social media - especially Twitter - is steadily becoming a mainstream source for breaking news. Today an individual can know, in real time, what is happening throughout the world. This has led to the development of a nearly instantaneous news cycle as everything from terrorist attacks to local car crashes get shared on social media, quickly alerting their intended audience of the event.

Part of the increase in the speed of news can be attributed to smartphones. The percentage of individuals accessing social media via their phone or mobile device continues to rise. A 2014 Pew Center study states that 40 percent of smart phone users access social media from their phones - and 28 percent do it on a daily basis.

Five Disadvantages of Social Networking
Before diving too deep into the world of social media, perhaps you should consider some of these possible pitfalls