Social Media : a Dream or a Nightmare

or

Image: Paul S on Flickr

Technology is embedded in our day-to-day life

Image: Viktor Hanacek on Picjumbo

How does social media

actually influence our lives

and the society?

The question is…


Worldwide, there are over 1.65 billion monthly active

Facebook users which is a 15 percent increase

year over year 1


The internet has 3.17billion users, 2.3 billion of

them are active on social

media 2

Image: Jason Howie on Flickr

We are more connected than ever before. Social networks

offer the opportunity for people to re-connect with their oldfriends or make new friends.

We can share elements of our life, from what we enjoy to photos

of ourselves and those in our lives


“By giving people the power to

share, we are

making the world more

transparent”3

- Mark Zuckerberg

Image: Ahmet Gur on Megapixelstock

Image: Jonathan Mueller on Flickr

Professionals use social media sites like LinkedInto enhance their careers and business prospects

In a survey, 77% of LinkedIn users

said that it helped them research people and companies 4

can now easily tell companies exactly what they want.

can then use that information to fine-tune their products and strategiesImage: Nan Palmero on Flickr

50% of shoppers have made a

purchase based on a recommendation through a social media network 6

In Canada, 95% of respondents

want to do business with brandsthat share their values and beliefs 5

Image: Nial Bradshaw on Flickr

“The era of I write, you read, you’re welcome is over” 7

- Robert Hernandez


News stories around the world

are breaking first on platforms

like Twitter and news programs

feature videos that have already

gone viral on YouTube 7

Image: Takashi M on Flickr


You think social media is not a widespread problem?

Think Again

Social Media has become the go-to place for procrastination;effecting productivity 8

Image: James Rhodes on Flickr


“We are humans and we are easily distracted…” 9

– Samantha Cole in Fast Company

“The deep reading that used to

come naturally has become a struggle ... what the Net seems to be doing is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation” 10

- Nicholas Carr


"We are tempted to think that our little sips of online connection add up to a big gulp of real conversation. But they don’t" 11

- Sherry Turkle

Image: Blonginrikard Froberg on Flickr

Image: Wen Tong on Flickr

Cyberbullying has negative effects

on victims, such as lowering self-esteem, increasing depression and producing feelings of powerlessness 12

Social media: the perfect

cocktail of

ingredients

Image: Paul Chiorean on Flickr

“They didn’t expect to have the

psychological effects of it

to be lonely, to of be panicked, anxiety, literally heart palpitations”12

- Professor Susan Moeller

Image: Ryan Melaugh on Flickr

The availability of personal information online is an opportunity for identity thieves, scam artists, debt collectors and, stalkers to use the information in a

ways harmful for

the owner of the information 13

Image: Allen Lai on Flickr

“I worry about the content

this generation shares and

their naïve belief that it wont

hurt them down the road”13

- Hessi Jones

Image: David Schierner on Flickr

Does the wonderful benefits social media

has to offer outweigh the grave concerns that it presents to every level of

society?

Image: Janet Ramsden on Flickr

Work Cited

1. Park, Menlo. “Investor Relations” Facebook. 27 April, 2016.

http://investor.fb.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=967167

2. Smith, Kit. “Marketing” Brandwatch. 07 March, 2016. https://www.brandwatch.com/2016/03/96-amazing-social-

media-statistics-and-facts-for-2016/

3. Potter, Ned. “Facebook IPO: Mark Zuckerberg’s Letter” World News. 01 February, 2012.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2012/02/facebook-ipo-mark-zuckerbergs-letter/

4. Fernando, Hiranya. “A Step-By-Step Guide to Getting a Job through LinkedIn.” Business Insider. 26 March, 2014.

http://www.businessinsider.com/getting-a-job-through-linkedin-2014-3

5. Matrix, Sidneyeve. “Module 4: Social Goods.” Queen’s University. Kingston, ON. 30 May 2016. Online Lecture.

6. Richards-Kunkel, Erin. “Social Media Statistics.” Small Business.

https://www.aabacosmallbusiness.com/advisor/15-social-media-statistics-every-business-needs-know-

001509118.html

7. Brooks, Rich. “How Social Media Help Journalists Break News.” Social Media Examiner. 03 May, 2011.

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-social-media-helps-journalists-break-news/

8. Anderssen, Erin. “How we are seduced by Distraction.” The Globe and Mail. 29 May, 2014.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/relationships/digital-overload-how-we-are-seduced-by-

distraction/article17725778/?page=all

9. Matrix, Sidneyeve. “Module 3: Mobilities.” Queen’s University. Kingston, ON. 16 May 2016. Online

Lecture.

10. Matrix, Sidneyeve. “Module 1: Digital Literacies.” Queen’s University. Kingston, ON. 2 May 2016.

Online Lecture.

11. Matrix, Sidneyeve. “Module 2: Online Friendship.” Queen’s University. Kingston, ON. 09 May

2016. Online Lecture.

12. Elgan, Mike. “Social media addiction is a bigger problem than you think.” Computer World. 14

Dec, 2015. http://www.computerworld.com/article/3014439/internet/social-media-addiction-is-a-bigger-

problem-than-you-think.html

13. Murphy, Kate. “We Want Privacy, but can’t stop sharing.” The New York Time. 04 Oct, 2014.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/05/sunday-review/we-want-privacy-but-cant-stop-sharing.html?_r=0

14. Rosenwald, Michael. “Serious reading takes hit from online scanning and skimming.” Washington

Post. 06 April, 2014. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/serious-reading-takes-a-hit-from-online-

scanning-and-skimming-researchers-say/2014/04/06/088028d2-b5d2-11e3-b899-

20667de76985_story.html

Social Media : a Dream or a Nightmare

Education