In the last few years, actually, in the last decade, social media has changed the way society operates. Back then, social media was mostly used for communicating with friends and family via the internet. Things have drastically changed throughout the years. Social media can be used for much more. It’s a place where people can make money, post public opinions, and gain immediate access to information. Like most things, social media has its pros and cons. Some of the pros are you can basically gain free marketing and promo. Instead of paying companies to advertise your business on Facebook, you can easily turn to social media and market yourself. It’s very easy to go viral on social media which can be good or bad but either way you’re getting exposure and free promo. Another pro is that social media can bring people together. For example, Reddit is a website that has different communities based on the interests that people share. This is a pro because people can feel comfortable and feel welcomed. Some cons are that social media can be used as a way to bully people. Kids are using social media to embarrass their classmates or a complete stranger which can sometimes lead to suicide. Another con is that criminals such as hackers and scammers can easily find new victims through social media.
One article that speaks on the cons of social media is an article by New York Times Magazine called “The Web Means the End of Forgetting”. This article speaks on the fact that once something is on the internet, It is always on the internet and can possibly haunt you for the rest of your life. This article used Stacy Snyder, a 25-year-old teacher in training. Stacy Snyder posted a picture of herself on Myspace drinking from a plastic cup, wearing a pirate hat. Once her supervisor at the school she was training at found her page, she informed Stacy that her post was unprofessional. This all led to Stacy not being able to receive a teaching degree. This is a perfect example of how future employers can get access to your social media pages or posts and judge your character based on what you decide to post online. This also shows that nothing is ever forgotten on the internet and it shows that you have no privacy on social media. The article states that “The fact that the internet never seems to forget is threatening, at an almost existential level, our ability to control our identities; to preserve the option of reinventing ourselves and starting anew; overcome our checkered pasts” (New York Times Magazine). This statement backs up my claim that the things you post on the internet can haunt you and will never be forgotten.
Facebook may be one of the most controversial websites in today’s society. Facebook has the most users, and when a website is that big, it will always raise concerns and controversy. The article “Who Will Take Responsibility for Facebook?” written by Virginia Heffernan speaks about the corruption of Facebook and how Mark Zuckerberg fails to take responsibility for his creation. For example, Facebook allowed Russia to purchase ads in 2016 which interfered with the elections. Mark Zuckerberg knew about this and failed to take responsibility for it. Also, another example is people use Facebook’s live stream to do crimes or even commit suicide and Mark Zuckerberg still acts as if nothing happens. He fails to acknowledge the flaws that Facebook has.
Another article that speaks on social media and its impact is “Taking the You Out of Youtube?” written by Henry Jenkins. This article talks mostly about the buyout of Youtube. This article talked about Google buying Youtube and how consumers felt about it. Some people felt like it was a bad move because google is known for ads and people feared that google commercialization would destroy Youtube. People feared that google will change the true meaning of Youtube and just turn it into a money-making ad machine.
