GETTING STARTED

1. WHAT MAKES THESE SOCIAL MEDIA/COMMUNICATION PLATFORMS HELPFUL IN THE MODERN

SYSTEM OF COMMUNICATION?

----In terms of business communication social media has the ability to connect brands to their consumers and
potential leads. Social media is, at its core, the exchange of information. It can extend beyond what one would
typically think of as social media networks (such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) and can
potentially include blogs, forums, video sharing platforms, virtual worlds etc. These are all avenues for
communication, which is the keyword to understanding “why is social media important today.”
One of the most important advantages of the use of social media is the online sharing of
knowledge and information among the different groups of people. This online sharing of information
also promotes the increase in the communication skills among the people especially among the
learners/students of educational institutions. Online tools and technology has not only mediated
communication in countless ways, but that the very ways we communicate and even the ways we talk
and think about communication are changing as a result. Social media have the potential to
fundamentally change the character of our social lives, both on an interpersonal and a community
level.
We all know about viral videos, and we all know about the latest trends (whether in regards to fashion,
humor, politics etc).
This time of pandemic social media platforms really helped a lot as a means of communication in terms of
business, offices and online classes .Even on the stayed at home moms, they can easily searched on
you tube on how to cook and learned ideas that is relevant and we can use in our daily lives.

2. HOW ARE THEY DIFFERENT FROM ONE ANOTHER?

Many people think of all social networks being equal – but they’re not. They all have their own specific
purposes and all have the job to do in the ways of networking. Understanding their purposes and what to
use each channel for will give you a better understanding of how to use them for your businesses and which
social network will work best to engage with your customers.

Facebook:
 Social networking site where users create profiles, upload photos and videos, send messages
and keep in touch with family, friends and colleagues.
Instagram:

 Instagram allows anyone to be a photographer – including YOUR BRAND – with easy to use filters and
photo edits.

 Instagram is a platform where users share their experience through photography.

Twitter
 Social networking service where users send and read 140-character messages called tweets.
Users must be registered to send tweets but anyone can read them.
LinkedIn
  Business-oriented social networking service used to build connections and professional
relationships.Because of the professional nature of the site, LinkedIn is especially popular
among college graduates and employed people.

Youtube

 Another huge advantage of marketing on YouTube is that the platform allows you to run ads
against other creators’ videos. As part of the Google ecosystem, YouTube ads are managed
through Google AdWords. A video-sharing website

WhatsApp
 While WhatsApp doesn’t yet allow you to buy ad space on the platform, the app is still useful for
building SMS subscriber lists, interacting with your customers, and giving prospects and leads an
easy way to engage with your brand.
Facebook Messenger
 Facebook Messenger is the second most downloaded social media app of all time, second only to its
parent app, Facebook.
WeChat
 While originally a simple messaging app, WeChat has swelled in capabilities. These days, you can
use it to make calls, shop online, transfer money, make payments, book taxis, make dinner
reservations, and much more.
Snapchat
 But when describing Snapchat, users didn’t offer any negative emotions, saying instead that
the app made them feel creative, attractive, adventurous, excited, happy, and
spontaneous.This is huge for brands because people are more likely to make buying
decisions when they feel good.

Blog
 Blogs, or weblogs, started out as a mix of what was happening in a person’s life and what was
happening on the Web, a kind of hybrid diary/news site.
Flickr
 Flickr is almost certainly the best online photo management and sharing application in the world.

Google
  Search the world's information, including webpages, images, videos and more. Google has many special
features to help you find exactly what you're looking for.
Tinder
 Tinder is an online dating and geosocial networking application. Users "swipe right" to like or "swipe left" to
dislike other users' profiles, which include their photo, a short bio, and a list of their interests
Skype
 Skype is for connecting with the people that matter most in your life and work. It's built for both one-on-one
and group conversations and works wherever you are – via mobile, PC, Xbox and Alexa. Skype messaging
and HD voice and video calling will help you share experiences and get things done with others.
With Skype, you can have meetings and create great things with your workgroup, share a story or
celebrate a birthday with friends and family, and learn a new skill or hobby with a teacher.

Podcast
 A podcast is a series of episodes, and refers to the programme as a whole. Then, a podcast episode is just
one recording from that entire Podcast. It's just like TV, really.

TALKING IT OVER

1. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF THESE COMMUNICATION

TECHNOLOGIES?

Advantages
 Families can reach out after a significant cross-country move, the birth of a new baby or a job promotion to
see the reaction of loved ones as they share the news virtually face-to-face on phone apps and web cams. It
can also offer job opportunities for those who work remotely to increase their income significantly. The
justice system in many states uses online communication to capture criminals and relate information that
can save children in peril.
 Time: Employing communication technologies saves time for both: individuals and businesses. In business
world time equals money; therefore it is essential for any company to have a reliable and efficient
communication channel. Email ticks all the boxes as it is quick, effective as well as cost efficient. Equally, it
is widely used by millions of people worldwide in their social environment
Access: Communications technology brings unlimited possibilities in terms of access to quality education,
cost effective shopping as well as anytime banking. It is especially important to those who would normally
be excluded from traditional forms of those activities such as the disabled (e-learning), businesspeople with
hectic schedules (online shopping and teleconferencing) or individuals working long hours (anytime banking,
 social media such as Twitter or Facebook)
Costs: Employing communications technology can significantly reduce cost to individuals and businesses.
Sending an email costs no more than a monthly

Disadvantages
 When you share information through photos, social media outlets and business websites, you are also
sharing personal data that can create numerous problems. As technology advances, passwords become
obsolete, and the photos of family with names and dates can be used to maneuver through the maze of
security you have set up to protect your information, and allow hackers to access your information.
 Many negatives are resulting from the use of modern means of communication, including:- It affects building
relationships, due to the reduction of a direct meeting between people, and the reduction of dependence on
actual telephone communication. Modern means of communication give ease in the written communication
process, and people build better relationships when they interact with each other face to face.- Modern
means of communication are insecure because the information is centrally in one database. It is likely to be
exposed to tampering from corrupt people, and pirates or viruses can also attack it.- Modern means of
communication is harmful to health, especially as they use low-frequency signaling technology, which may
cause fatigue and sleep problems, so they should be used in moderation.

2. WHAT OTHER COMMUNICATION PLATFORMS CAN BE INCLUDED IN THE LIST?

 Youtube
 TikTok - One of the most popular social media sites in 2022 is TikTok. And
boy has this new social network has taken the world by storm!

TikTok users can create short video clips and share them with their followers.
Clips that gain a lot of shares and social interaction are promoted by the
app’s algorithm, potentially bringing in millions of new followers.

 Pinterest - Pinterest is one of the top social media sites because it offers users an
engaging social media platform where users can create boards of their favorite
photos, products, memes, and much more.
 Reddit - Reddit one of the best social media sites are its niche communities that
work like a living search engine to help people find the information they need.
 Douban - Douban is a Chinese social networking site that gives users access to
books, movies, music, TV, and more. In essence, it’s an amalgamation of
Spotify, Goodreads, Amazon, Reddit, Pandora, and Facebook — we know, it’s a
lot.
  Discord - Discord is a quickly evolving VoIP platform that allows users to connect
with like-minded people and communicate using text, voice, and video services
— making it a kind of hybrid of social media sites like Facebook Groups, Slack,
and Skype.
 Vimeo - Vimeo caters to creative professionals and users who browse the
platform tend to look for high-quality artistic and educational content. This makes
Vimeo ideal for businesses that have the budget to create professional-quality
content and feel like unleashing their inner artist.
 Telegram - Telegram is one of the top social media sites available right now with
millions of users transitioning to the app from Messenger and WhatsApp over
security concerns.
 Twitch - While originally a social media site for the gaming community, Twitch is
quickly becoming the internet’s go-to platform for all live streaming.

MAKING IT WORK FOR YOU

Choose a social media platform from the list described and create a movie maker presentation that shows its various
features and functions. Use the rubric in the planning and preparation.

WRITING ABOUT YOUR THOUGHTS

Write an essay that explains responsible social media use. Use the rubric in the planning and preparation.
Responsible use of social media can be summed up in three words: responsibility, sensibility, and positivity.
Participants should think many times over before clicking to publish, promote, or share. There must be conscious
effort to participate sensibly by avoiding to create unnecessary confusion and conflict. Being one of the positive
content  creators who produce useful content is an unspoken responsibility of social medium users. Social Media,
when used in the right way can benefit mankind in the same manner that it can be dangerous when used for the
opposite. It all boils down to motives and reasons. Its use is not to be taken lightly for it has corresponding
responsibilities. Social Media in the wrong hands can be the deadliest weapon of destruction. In the right hands, it

can be the single most important tool for finding solutions How to
Responsibly: 5 Easy Tips
The world is at our fingertips. With a touch of a screen or click of a mouse, we can share our thoughts, opinions, and
interact with someone halfway across the world. We can live stream footage or share snippets of our lives in 30-
second stories.

That is the power of social media.

Having this much power online, we should also learn how to properly use it. Or face the consequences.

We have watched celebrities lose credibility because of one irresponsible tweet. And it's not limited to celebrities!

There are also instances where ordinary teens lose their scholarships due to irresponsible use of social media.

That said, be mindful of what you post. Learn how to use social media responsibly. In this post, we've listed easy tips
to avoid negative consequences. Plus, how to keep your personal information safe online.

But before we get to that, let's first take a look at some of the most common consequences of using social media
irresponsibly. 

Social networks are one of the major modes of communication today and although their basic idea is built on the
concept of connecting with friends and family; the impact of these websites have far outweighed their initial uses.
These are forums where people can find friends and adversaries; get connected with like-minded individuals and
lead the world to change in both positive and negative ways. The world has become very small due to the advent of
these forums and levels of connectivity which was hitherto undreamt of; has suddenly reached everyone’s fingertips.
People are still coming to terms with the vastness of the internet and getting used to knowing everything about
everyone through these websites. In the meantime, the private corporations which built these social media are
regularly collecting large amounts of personal data from unsuspecting users around the globe. This vast amount of
data is then used for two things – firstly, to tailor content according to each user’s individual taste. The algorithms are
set to understand the liking and disliking of every user and machine learning helps to improve on the advertisements
and recommendations individually. Secondly, from all the files leaked by Edward Snowden in 2013, we now know
Facebook, Amazon, Google and others work with the world’s governments in providing them with all this personal
data so they can snoop on everyone under the guise of terrorism prevention.
This course will be designed to create digitally aware citizens who can utilize social media in a positive way and stay
safe from addiction and breaches of privacy in the modern world.
The project is divided into three modules:
Module 1: Our Secrets, Their Secrets
The first part explores the area of Social Media Intelligence or SOCMINT. The surveillance and collection of user’s
personal information on social media and monitoring their posts and data to predict future behaviors and manipulate
them for marketing and profit. This breach in privacy is possible because users are readily giving away their data
unsuspectingly. So, the first part will guide students to:
1. Be aware of what they’re making public and limit the websites from monitoring personal data.
2. Be aware of the policies of social media sites and how to block cookies and extensions to ensure no additional
information is given out.
3. Engage in Security and Privacy Check-ups provided by Google, Facebook and the like.
4. Familiarize themselves with all account settings, especially group settings so no potentially sensitive information is
shared among a large crowd without realization.
5. Be aware that privacy has to be spread among friends and family too so they don’t make mistakes by sharing
personal information without their knowledge.
Module 2: Eat, Breathe and Drink Content
This will consist of the meaning, symptoms, causes and effects of social media addiction and how it has become an
all-pervading problem in the modern world. The increase in sharing personal pictures of moments with friends brings
into fore new disorders which include the likes of “FoMO” or Fear of Missing Out (added to the Oxford English
Dictionary in 2014). This leads to people going through a constant fear that something is happening and they’re
missing out. Similar cases of “Cybersickness”, “Facebook Depression”, “Online Gaming Addiction” etcetera have
become rampant. This part will cover:
1. The negative effects on mental health of addicted users and the categories of disorders that have newly developed
because of this.
2. The negative effects on physical health of addicted users and how one can slowly destroy their body by getting
consumed more and more.
3. How to overcome the obsessive need of checking social media constantly, avoiding selfie deaths, handling and
reporting cyber bullying and ways to survive in the cut throat world of cowards hiding in anonymity behind their
screens with evil intentions.
Module 3: Becoming Digital Celebrities
The third part will cover the positive side of social media. Social media, if used properly; can become a powerful tool
for performing democracy. It gives everyone a chance to voice their opinions and start direct dialogue with big
corporations and government officials. An individual can harness social media to popularize his art, craft or skill
without needing to get discovered by anyone. This part in the course will show students how to:
1. Customize and create content that attracts more viewers. Sharing is easy but one has to make a user click on the
content and make sure he gets the important information at a glance. This will be possible by customizing and
reformatting a single content for different social media.
2. Use social media to showcase their talents and connect with people or businesses to advance their careers. How
to create free websites, create and manage Facebook groups, free blogs and pages to share content among
potential audience will be shown.
3. Connecting with like-minded people, groups and such to get important messages across peers and spreading
awareness about social issues. If one can generate a movement to ban single use plastics across the world; it might
prove to be incredibly more effective than any government speech or conference. This will start with understanding
various hashtag activism movements that have empowered people through social media in the past.

Tips For Responsible Social Media

Use
Social media can be a great way to stay in touch with friends and family and even to network
professionally. Today there are a wide variety of social media outlets available – Facebook,
Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram are just a few of the options. While social media can be a
useful tool, it is important to keep several pointers in mind to keep your social media use as safe
and responsible as possible.

Keep your profiles set to private. As a general rule of thumb, it is good practice to keep your
social media profiles and accounts set to private. Keeping your social media profiles private
allows you to limit access to your personal information and photos. However, it is important to
note that you cannot rely completely on privacy settings. Social media sites routinely update
their privacy settings, which may leave your profile and information less protected than hoped.
Additionally, there is always a chance your friend’s profiles are not as protected as yours.

Avoid posting unprofessional photos or statements. View your social media accounts through
the lens of an employer and adjust the contents of your account accordingly. Some employers
and schools search for the social media accounts of prospective employees and students during
the application process, and you want to make sure you continue to make a good impression.
Also, keep in mind that many schools and places of employment have policies regarding social
media use. Make sure to familiarize yourself any social media policies and make sure your social
media accounts are in accordance with the policies or you may face repercussions.

Do not post your whereabouts. While it can be tempting to post vacation photos or photos
while out and about on the town, doing so tells everyone with access to your social media
accounts that your house is unoccupied and could invite a thief to come to your house during this
time. While it may seem safe to share such information with your social media contacts, keep in
mind that accounts may be hacked and your privacy settings may not be as secure as you would
hope.

Think twice before posting in an emotional state. Although it can feel therapeutic in the
moment, making a social media post in anger can have repercussions long after the statement is
made. Keep in mind that once something is posted on the internet, it can never really be
removed. When making an emotionally charged statement on social media, be mindful of the
consequences before publishing the post. In particular, avoid posting vents regarding your place
of employment as such posts can have long-lasting consequences on your career.
Keeping these guidelines in mind can help you keep your experience with social media positive.

Listed below are some good reminders about using social media and
technology responsibly to make the most of the positive benefits it can
offer.

 Develop and tend to your real life relationships and

experiences.
 Take an honest self-assessment of your use. How much are
you using social media and why?
 Be yourself and be nice!
  Set limits and take breaks. For example, no posting during
homework time, shut phone off or keep in another room during
sleeping hours, make “technology free” rules with peers and
family members.
 Don’t share your passwords with friends.
 Learn about privacy settings and review them often.
 Utilize social reporting policies and sites.
 Always think before you post.
 If you’re a parent, monitor and set limits for your children and
teen’s social media use, have honest conversations about the
benefits and risks, and model appropriate social media and
technology use yourself.
 The Internet has undoubtedly (and dramatically) changed since the rise of social media sites. In

such a time when people are divided by their beliefs and perspectives, it becomes more

important than ever to educate oneself about social media etiquette and responsibility.

 Wouldn’t it be nice if we’d learn from each other instead of turn against each other? Perhaps

it’s about time we become mindful social media users for a safer online community for

everyone.

 After all, a screen should never be a barrier for empathy!