1.

Backlash
A joke among friends is one thing but a joke with the world at-large is much different. When
potentially offensive content is posted online, the amount of feedback can be excessive and is often
brutal. This is particularly true with highly opinionated subjects like politics and religion. This
backlash can also have a long-term impact on a person's future, especially in a world that has fallen
prey to over-sharing. Even high school students are learning that comments they post on social media
can influence whether a college approves their application for admission.
In an age where selfies are the norm, the over-sharing may even be altering our worldview by creating
a more narcistic mindset.
2. Cyberbullying and Crimes Against Children
Use of social networks may expose individuals to other forms of harassment or even inappropriate
contact. This can be especially true for teens and younger children. Unless parents diligently filter the
Web content their family views, children could be exposed to pornography or other inappropriate
content.
Besides unleashing age-inappropriate content, the digital age also gave birth to a social phenomenon cyberbullying. It is often levied more harshly against young females that males and, unlike traditional
bullying, it is not limited to physical interaction. Cyberbullying can happen 24 hours a day, every day
of the week. Adding to this realm of cyber abuse are the anonymous social media sites which can
elevate the severity of the assault - under the false promise of privacy.
3. Risks of Fraud or Identity Theft
Whether you like it or not, the information you post on the Internet is available to almost anyone who
is clever enough to access it. Most thieves need just a few vital pieces of personal information to make
your life a nightmare. If they successfully steal your identity, it could cost you dearly. A report on
Bankrate reveals Millennials are one of the fastest growing groups to be victims. This is linked to the
group's comfort with sharing everything online - including personal information.
4. Time Waster
Business Insider reports that social media is the most popular use of the Internet - surpassing email and smartphones and other mobile devices seem to be the driving force behind this trend since 60
percent of the traffic is from a mobile source. The GlobalWebIndex poll shows that 28 percent of the
time spent online is on social networks. With these type of numbers, some of the time spent on social
media occurs at work. When these visits are for non-work related activity, it can cost companies
money through lost productivity. A report on Forbes states that 89 percent of responders admitted to
wasting time on social media while at work.
5. Corporate Invasion of Privacy

Social networking invites major corporations to invade your privacy and sell your personal
information. Have you ever posted a comment on Facebook, only to notice an advertisement appear
with content related to your post? Last year, Facebook earned an estimated $16 billion in ad revenue.
That's not bad for a free site.
If Facebook and other social networking sites don't charge their members, however, how do they
make so much money? They do it by selling the ability to specifically target advertisements. On social
networking sites, the website isn't the product - the users are. These sites run algorithms that search
for keywords, web browsing habits, and other data stored on your computer or social networking
profile and provide you with advertisements targeted specifically to you.
Five Advantages of Social Networking
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 time

In 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.
2. 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.
3. 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 tofacilitate classroom
discussionsbecause 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 researchand 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.
4. 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, feebased 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.
5. 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
10 Disadvantages of Social Networking
1. Lacks Emotional Connection
A couple weeks ago, one of my friends and I got into a fight and she told me all of her feelings as to
why she ignored me for two weeks. Assuming it would have been really hard to say it to my face, she
sent me a text message. The negative side was I didnt know if she truly felt sorry because I didnt
hear it from her. The quality of a conversation using social media is awful because you cannot sense
the emotion or enthusiasm from the other person. It makes you wonder if they actually mean what
they say.
2. Gives People a License to be Hurtful
I do think it has gotten to an extreme point where you can say things you cant say or get away with
in person.

Im disappointed whenever I hear about social media being used as a way to hurt people. I wonder if
this happens when the writers forget that there are real people behind the screen.
3. Decreases Face-to-Face Communication Skills
Computer reliance could hurt a persons ability to have a face to face conversation by making it
awkward and unusual to hear something and respond with a thoughtful message through the spoken
word because of ones dependence on a keyboard to convey a message.
4. Conveys Inauthentic Expression of Feelings
Social media conversations today are filled with haha, LOL, and other exclamations that are
meant to represent laughter. This shorthand has become second nature and is often used when the
sender is not even smiling, much less laughing, in real life. On the occasion that our roflcopter is
actually put to use at a funny moment, we are replacing actual laughter with, in this case, a simple tenletter acronym. According to Robin Dunbar, an evolutionary psychologist at Oxford, the actual
physical act of laughter, and not the abstract idea of something being funny, is what makes laughing
feel so good. If we are so willing to replace the act that, honestly, we all love, with an artificial, typed
representation that doesnt even bring the same joy, what else would we be, potentially
subconsciously, willing to exchange?
5. Diminishes Understanding and Thoughtfulness
Since the inception of social networking, the quality of conversations has dropped. I believe that
people are spending so much time online that they dont always understand the feeling, emotion
and/or character of the person they are talking to. When you talk to someone through a message or
even a voice, you cant always fully understand them.
Social networking has ruined the thoughtfulness in basically saying hello in person. For instance,
you could say hello to your friend in Germany with Facebook, chat in seconds; but what if there was
no way to communicate via social networking? Well you would have to write them a letter and that is
something very thoughtful.
6. Causes Face-to-Face Interactions to Feel Disconnected
When I see my friends on their phones and I am around them, I feel disconnected even though we
are only two feet apart.. Unfortunately, sometimes friends use their phones so much that it is
difficult to have an actual conversation with them. Sometimes friends can get so socially attached to
something such as a blog or gaming console that they lose touch with friends, creating small gaps and
holes in close friendships/relationships.

7. Facilitates Laziness
The new socially active era causes laziness because instead of running to your friends you can
message them. Or instead of walking upstairs to notify the family of dinner, I can blog it. Social
networking makes life so convenient that it creates laziness. In my opinion staying fit is important, but
it is difficult to go beyond the newly developed status quo.
Its really easy to spend hours doing nothing.Its a fantastic way to waste time.
8. Creates a Skewed Self-Image
We tell ourselves lies about ourselves and develop something we are not. We post pictures of us
looking perfect and share the good news. We never post pictures of ourselves when our dog dies,
when someone we love leaves, and when we lose a job. We never share the bad news that always
clouds our lives. We all develop this perfect image of ourselves and some of us actually try to rely on
this imaginative thought we have of ourselves instead of staying true to who we are.
9. Reduces Family Closeness
Texting, Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail alienate us from our families more than we actually think it
does. When my family is spending family time together and watching a movie, in reality my
brother and I are on our phones rather than actually watching the movie with our parents.
10. Causes Distractions
When I have my phone out, it makes me feel like nothing else is going on around me. I use social
media as a way to feel popular, important, and also just to fit in. My friends and I always compare
ourselves to each other, wondering who has more Facebook friends or Twitter followers. But what
really ends up happening is I begin to talk less and end up relying on text for a conversation. Ever
since I got a smartphone I have been distracted from everything. I watch television less, do homework
less, and even spend less time with my friends and family.
The Advantages of Social Networking
1. Staying In Touch
As we grow older, friends, family, and people that we knew move away and it is very easy to lose
touch with them. With social networks, this problem is essentially solved. It is extremely simply to
find people on social sites, and once you do you can add them to your friends list and always be able
to instantly communicate with them, as well as keep up with what is going on in their life.

2. New Connections
Meeting people can be difficult, when the internet came around the dating world changed completely
to try to fix this problem. Social networking is possibly the number one way that people met new
friends or romantic partners in todays society. Profiles and interests allow you to pre screen a
person beforehand to see if there are any deal breakers.
3. Aids In Criminal Cases
Whether people are aware of it or not, what they post on social media can very easily be used against
them if they where to get in trouble with the law. Someone who is selling drugs, and may be posting
about it on their social networks, can be caught in this way. This also applies for someone who gets
caught drunk driving, and was posting pictures of them at the bar moments before.
4. Gives Shy People An Outlet
Communication doesnt come naturally to many people. If someone is very reserved or shy in their
normal day to day life, social networking can be an outlet for them to share their ideas and thoughts
with other people in a comfortable environment.
5. Connecting Kindred Spirits
Finding someone who is interested in all of the same things that you are can be tough, especially if
you are interested in something unique. Social networking allows you to connect with entire groups of
people who are interested in the same things as you, helping to grow friendships and enrich lives.