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Social Media: Is It a Gift from Angel or Devil?

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I keep hearing two distinguishing voices about social media. Some complain that social media has negative impact on individual users and the society as a whole because people can become very addicted to it and there is no sense of privacy in the cyber world. Others think highly about social media because people can use social media to promote business, find jobs, solve crimes, and remain connected with friends and family. Which school of thoughts makes sense to you?   

To me, they all make sound arguments. I see social media as a “neutral” tool. If people do not understand social media or fail to use it in an appropriate way, it could be very harmful. At the same time, social media can certainly become very useful, depending on how we use it.

The following news videos, for example, provide some great examples of how social media can make positive impact. As featured in the first, CBS news video, NextDoor is a new entrepreneurship venture that keeps people connected with their neighbors. On NextDoor.com, people can seek support from neighbors and remain informed of what is happening in the neighborhood without knocking on people’s doors. According to the second, MSNBC news video, police departments are relying more on social media, especially YouTube in solving crimes.

So, what is your opinion on social media? Is social media a good thing or a bad thing?

Relevant discussions:
Still Feeling Reluctant to Adopt a Social Media Strategy? Please Think Again
Yammer: Another Entrepreneurship Idea that Built on Social Media
Social Media for Entrepreneurs

The CBS News video about Nextdoor:


The MSNBC News video about more police departments adopting social media in solving crimes:

References: The picture was downloaded from TightMixBlog.com.
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Comments

  1. India KesslerAugust 31, 2012 at 4:38 PM

    I agree with you Professor Kwok, social media can be viewed as good and bad. The problem with social media is that it is very addicting and creates a barrier between technology and real human interactions. I also think that the people who view social media as a negative thing are people who do not understand it and do not know how to work it. People who do use it daily and are involved should be mindful of others and try to get them involved so they don't view it as a horribly negative thing.

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  2. Jihee HanNovember 30, 2012 at 12:15 PM

    I think social media is good unless it protects everyone's privacy. Many social media like Facebook, Twitter are being loved by large number of people in the world. They offer a lot of useful functions and entertaining factors to communicate online. However, one of the most controversial issue related to social media is privacy. I think each one of us is responsible for caring their accounts to protect their privacy. If we take care about our privacy well, using social media would be so beneficial in many ways.

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