Introduction
In the present realities of the information age, social media networks have become essential to online communication and business purposes. Namely, they unite people globally, make information accessible, offer education opportunities, and create a healthy environment for business ideas. These benefits are vital to the development in most areas of life as information is the most significant value in the 21st century. Nevertheless, some experts emphasize that the abundance of data on social media networks might have the opposite effect on people. Some of the counterarguments include the unhealthy obsession of users with social media platforms, extensive misleading information, and data security issues. Ultimately, the current essay argues that social media networks are beneficial for the development of humanity, and it is possible to mitigate their disadvantages via continual education and to raise public awareness.
Information Accessibility
The first direct benefit of social media is improved information accessibility, providing countless opportunities for education and self-realization. Akram and Kumar (350) emphasize knowledge sharing as one of the contributing factors to information accessibility, stating, “it provides an easy and an effective way in which students can share knowledge.” This idea concerns people from various backgrounds and social statuses, providing equal opportunities for education and self-realization (Boholano 22). Moreover, Alnasser et al. (546) emphasize that improved information accessibility is crucial during challenging times, such as the COVID-19 outbreak. The authors explicitly demonstrate that social media networks helped increase public awareness concerning the dangers of the pandemic (Alnasser et al. 546). González-Padilla et al. (121) further showcase the effectiveness of social media networks through the example of Twitter, which was used to spread infographics about suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases. Ultimately, social media networks significantly improve information accessibility and provide countless opportunities for learning.
Nevertheless, experts emphasize that improved information accessibility might lead to extensive disinformation. Aldwairi and Alwahedi (216) warn “users continue to deal with sites containing false information and whose involvement tends to affect the reader’s ability to engage with actual news.” It is a relevant problem that highlights the disadvantages of improved information accessibility. While the counterargument has a solid foundation and evidence, the benefits of information accessibility mitigate the risk. For instance, Farpour et al. (46) state that “they (social networks) allow health messages and information to be transmitted immediately; they have a unique potential for communication.” The authors recognize the vast potential of social media networks as dynamic systems to find credible health information (Farpour et al. 46). Ultimately, the risks of disinformation are high, but it is possible to mitigate them by raising public awareness.
Business Opportunities
Consequently, the second direct benefit is the impact of social media networks on business opportunities. At present, entrepreneurs use social platforms for online sales, marketing, socialization with customers, and product visualization (Fraccastoro et al. 23). Dwivedi et al. (1) emphasize, “Social media plays an important part in the digital transformation of businesses.” In other words, an extensive number of entrepreneurs adopt contemporary business strategies and implement social media platforms as a part of marketing campaigns. Tajvidi and Karami (1) support this thesis by revealing that social networks substantially impact customers’ purchasing decisions. The authors have conducted a comprehensive analysis of more than three hundred firms in the United Kingdom and concluded that social media representation had a direct positive influence on the firm performance (Tajvidi and Karami 7). Furthermore, Ilieva and McPhearson (553) emphasize the immense potential of social media networks as instruments to analyze human interaction behavior for business purposes. Wibowo et al. (5) highlight improved relationship quality, customer experience, and increased loyalty as primary benefits of social network campaigns. Ultimately, the examined findings explicitly demonstrate the effectiveness of social media in business.
Social Media Obsession
Another counterargument to the current paper’s thesis is the increasing number of social media obsession cases. People tend to develop unhealthy habits, which involve scrolling the social media feed for an extended time, resulting in the loss of productivity and mental health complications. Bashir and Bhat (125) warn, “The imbalance created by the excessive usage of social media is a great concern for parents, researchers, and society regarding the mental health of individuals.” The authors argue that unhealthy online habits lead to compulsive behavior and anxiety among teenagers and adults (Bashir and Bhat 126). Recent research has demonstrated that approximately 45% of users might experience restlessness when they have no direct access to social media networks, which might evolve into further problems (Bashir and Bhat 126). As a result, obsession with social media is a relevant problem that affects users globally.
However, the described problem is not exclusive to social media networks, as people of all ages can become mentally dependent on various attractions. The solution to the problem is continual education on the risks of social media networks and mental health care. For instance, although Bashir and Bhat (129) acknowledge the dangers of social networks, they propose counseling sessions at education facilities as a response to the problem. The authors emphasize this point by adding, “The significance of continual inquiry and examination on this construct cannot be overstated.” (Bashir and Bhat 129). Moreover, Stellefson et al. (3) suggest guidelines for health education professionals on how to engage with their patients concerning the dangers of social media and obsession in general. The recommendations include transparent communication and the identification of factors that might affect mental health (Stellefson et al. 4). Ultimately, social media experience might evolve into unhealthy habits, but continual education and mental care are effective methods to mitigate the described problem.
Data Security Problems
The last relevant counterargument against the benefits of social media concerns data security problems. Zhang and Gupta (915) summarize the issue, “this type of social media ecosystem <…> suffers from data interception, information fraudulence, privacy spying, and copyright infringement.” There are many cyber threats, including spam, malware attacks, identity theft, impersonation, fake requests, and hijacking (Zhang and Gupta 916). In general, online presence is prone to cyberattacks, and professionals should ensure the safety of social media networks to increase trustworthiness among users. Users have varying needs for security, and most people do not recognize the potential dangers of sharing valuable information on online platforms (Zhang and Gupta 923). However, it is possible to mitigate cyber threats by raising general awareness and improving the infrastructure of social media networks. Zhang and Gupta (924) propose security notifications as an effective method to enhance the relationship between administrators and users, simultaneously educating them about the risks. Ultimately, data security breaches are frequent occurrences in social media networks, but it is possible to moderate this issue by teaching users the significance of personal information.
Mitigation Strategies as a Response to Social Media Drawbacks
Lastly, it is essential to discuss the mitigation strategies that might effectively prevent disinformation, unhealthy user habits, and data security issues, minimizing the impact of the drawbacks. As seen from the previous sub-chapters, the primary method to protect users is continual education on the potential dangers of social media networks. This approach allows mitigating the examined drawbacks by raising public awareness concerning some of the specific risks. For instance, data security issues primarily occur due to the users’ misconceptions of how significant private information might be, leading to cases of fraud and data manipulation (Rashidi et al. 198). Consequently, De Martino et al. (141) emphasize that misleading information about health concerns can be countered by educating people about reliable sources of health knowledge. Clinicians might redirect their patients to the verifiable sites and social network groups supervised by certified professionals (De Martino et al. 142). Ultimately, there are several drawbacks to the growing popularity of social media networks, but the benefits of social media are more significant.
Conclusion
The current argumentative essay has explicitly demonstrated that social media networks are beneficial to humanity. Despite several notable disadvantages, such as disinformation, the obsession of users with social media platforms, and data security issues, the benefits of social networks are more relevant. In particular, it is possible to implement effective strategies to mitigate the impact of drawbacks. Raising public awareness concerning the dangers of social media networks is essential to protect their users. Namely, people can benefit immensely from learning about the significance of private information, healthy habits on online platforms to avoid addiction, and the importance of credible sources to acquire knowledge. Ultimately, social media networks are beneficial to humanity since their advantages are more relevant than their drawbacks.
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