Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Linkedin, Pinterest, Tumblr, Flickr, VK, Instagram – these are some of the most popular social network sites at the moment…to name only a few. As it’s a widely spoken about topic, we decided to look at the pros and cons of social media and how it has affected our daily lives.
Social networks have come a long way since they were first launched, not only are they great for keeping in contact with friends and family all over the world, but they have also now become a means of keeping up-to-date with breaking news. Social networking sites are the top news source for 27.8% of users, ranking below newspapers (28.8%) and above radio (18.8%) and print publications (6%). [Source: ProCon]
There’s no doubt about it, social networks have become such a large part of our lives. 23% of Facebook users check their account at least 5 times a day. [Source: SEJ] Honestly, how long do you think you can go without checking any of your social networks?
Whether you want to chat to friends, catch up on worldly events, browse photos, write/read articles or even search for a job, there will be a social network out there suitable for your every need. In July 2012, 74.0 billion minutes were spent on social media via a home computer, 40.8 billion minutes via apps, and 5.7 billion minutes via mobile web browsers, a total of 121.1 billion minutes on social networking sites. [Source: ProCon]
With the majority of people relying on their smartphones nowadays, it’s not surprising that 91% of mobile Internet access is for social activities with 73% of smartphone owners accessing social networks through apps at least once per day. Similarly, 4.2 billion people access social media sites via mobile devices with 189 million Facebook users being ‘mobile only’. [Source: SEJ]
Display advertising on social media is becoming more and more popular due to the vast variety and high levels of users. 89% of advertisers use free advertising tools while 75% buy paid media. Most social networks won’t deal with your business directly – you would need to go through a media agency. 3/4 of respondents use paid advertising of which 64% are looking to increase spend. On a similar note, budget spend is shifting from offline to online – not really a surprise, is it? [Source: SmartInsights]
Throwing in another fun fact; If social media companies were countries: Followed by China, Facebook would be the world’s most populous country with over 1.1 billion users. Google Plus (693 million active users) would be third and Twitter (554 million users) would be fourth. That’s ahead both India and the U.S. [Source: SEJ]
Now for the pros and cons of social networks.
| PROS | CONS |
| Social networks enable the spread of information faster than any other media. Fewer people are watching the news or reading the newspaper to catch up on worldly events. Over 50% of people learn about breaking news on social media, whether it’s from a news publication itself or from a status a friend has just posted. | Social networks facilitate the spread of unreliable and false information. It was only last week that #RIPAlexTurner was trending on Twitter when in actual fact the lead singer from the Arctic Monkeys hadn’t died, it was just a hoax. |
| It allows people to improve and build relationships. It allows you to keep in contact with people all over the world and keep up to date with what they are doing without seeing or speaking with them regularly. As well as create new relationships. | 12% of adult users had an experience online that resulted in a face-to-face argument. I’m sure we have all either caught out or been caught out by something on one of the social networks. |
| Some social networks are great for employers in need of a new recruit or for finding a job. | Social networks can also harm job stability and employment prospects due to posts on their personal profiles. |
| It provides academic research to a wider audience. A lot can be learnt, for businesses to individuals, from trends and surveys on social networks. | Social networks entice people to waste time, and in a sense, to not be social. It is becoming more and more acceptable to use your phone at the table, on a date, or generally in the company of someone else. |
| Businesses can use social networks as a way of promoting their brand – basically free advertising. | Social networks cause people to spend less time interacting face-to-face. Do you really need to meet up with them? You spent the last hour catching up via Facebook chat… |
