Has social media improved human communication?

It is so evident that social media has become a buzzword. It plays a very vital role in our today's life but there will always be an extensive variety of opinions about how useful or harmful social media can be in this present time. There is more to social media than the regular platforms which we know of, there are more than 75 social media sites and billions of active users everyday.This is why there is the need to discuss the topic with valid points to prove if social media has or has not improved human communication. I'll start by giving an overview of what the term "social media" is.

WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA?

Social media is a blanket term that describes software applications designed to allow people interact, connect and convey information and contents efficiently. The popular platforms includes the likes of Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, Snapchat, and so forth. Others include Tumblr, Fetlife, Wattpad, Pinterest and a whole lot more.Having said that, here are points on how social media has improved communication.

PROPOSING SIDE.

The question still remains, how has social media improved our communication in this present day?

1. Gives access to direct connection: The most important fact about social media is that you get to connect with anyone at anytime no matter the location, in terms of reaching out to family members, friends, audiences and it also opens the door for your business to get more leads even at the comfort of your home. In summary, i'll say social media basically connects the world.

2. Educational process: With the help of internet tools you can enhance your knowledge about any sphere from anyone regardless of where they are, it's so easy to gain knowledge from expert without even paying for it.

3. Gives room for information to go viral: Social media has improved broadcasting of information all over the world. Things happening around us such as entertainment, news, weather reports, and so on can spread in just a moment.

4. It helps you build your brand: Gone are the days when people engage in traditional marketing, these platforms enable you put up organic contents, photos, videos or adverts to promote your brand. You also have the opportunity to build good relationship with interested leads and expose your brand more.

5. It has zero cost: There are no fees attached in signing up on any social media network, it is totally free and accessible. In terms of business purposes, most platforms require paid advertising options, with that being said it is necessary to note that it isn't a compulsory option. 

6. Provides assistance: It is easy to seek for help in terms of money, advice or strategy from a given community. You can also share your ideas to those you're connected to or anyone who is in need of it through blogging, vlogging, or other mediums.

OPPOSING SIDE.

Having discussed  the good sides of social media, let's also see the downsides of using social media. The downsides don't actually mean that social media is bad, it just presents potential obstacles we need to avoid.

1. Intrusion of privacy: Nowadays, people practically live on or for social media, and this equally has affected their private lives because you either want to impress people or get impressed by other people. In most cases, things you put out on the internet tend to put you in a terrible dilemma.In summary, social media intrudes our privacy.

2. Hacking: This is the most dangerous incident happening on social media everyday, so it's best advised to keep all personal data and important information safe and away from your social media handle. It's so sad how individuals steal other people's identity and make them suffer great losses.I could say that social media paves way for fraudulent activities to take place.

3. Encourages cyberbullying: Some of us might have experienced bullying especially as a high school student or as a teenager in general. Same thing applies to the internet it has become so easy to bully on social media, people actually get threatened, intimidated, and rumors are being put out easily. A good example is the #duduke song and tiwa savage saga that recently went viral here in Nigeria, that was a perfect example of cyberbullying on tiwa savage's side. Social media through cyberbulling taints someone's reputation.

4. No emotional connectivity: Talking to someone online leaves you wondering what their expressions or emotions actually look like at the point of the conversation that's why having the conversation face-to-face or in reality helps you connect more and increases your communication skills.

5. Addiction: Here is another disadvantage of social media, like we're so addicted that " when a place is on fire, the next thing is to turn on our Instagram or Facebook live and start recording instead of trying to help in such situation". Also for students, it distracts us from studies and also waste time that could be utilized by productive activities 

As we all know, debating lies between the good and bad side of virtually every topic. In as much as social media is an excellent platform to grab opportunities and grow, it could also bring about a great fall. I think it's best we moderate the way we use the internet, if used correctly it definitely improves our lives, if not it does otherwise.

So having said all this, I hope to see your opinion on the topic.