1. individual
1.1. positive
1.1.1. Reducing Communication Barriers
1.1.1.1. We are living in a time where the world is open to us. We can contact anyone around the world, at any time, with just a few keystrokes. It is free, unlike calling across the ocean, and live. We can also share elements of our life, from what we enjoy to photos of ourselves and those in our lives. It is like being a part of that person’s world, even though distance keeps you apart.
1.1.2. information
1.1.2.1. Social media has made it possible for like minded individuals to discuss important topics, widen their personal knowledge and discover things they never knew before.
1.2. negative
1.2.1. A False Sense of Connection
1.2.1.1. Social media sites can make it more difficult for us to distinguish between the meaningful relationships we foster in the real world, and the numerous casual relationships formed through social media. By focusing so much of our time and psychic energy on these less meaningful relationships, our most important connections, he fears, will weaken.
1.2.2. Privacy
1.2.2.1. The things they post remain available indefinitely. While at one moment a photo of friends doing shots at a party may seem harmless, the image may appear less attractive in the context of an employer doing a background check. While most sites allow their users to control who sees the things they've posted, such limitations are often forgotten, can be difficult to control or don't work as well as advertised.
1.2.3. Decreased Productivity
1.2.3.1. While many businesses use social networking sites to find and communicate with clients, the sites can also prove a great distraction to employees who may show more interest in what their friends are posting than in their work tasks. Wired.com posted two studies which demonstrated damage to productivity caused by social networking: Nucleus Research reported that Facebook shaves 1.5% off office productivity while Morse claimed that British companies lost 2.2 billion a year to the social phenomenon. New technology products have become available that allow social networks to be blocked, but their effectiveness remains spotty.
2. pubilc
2.1. business
2.1.1. Faster Information
2.1.1.1. Thanks to social media, companies can get their information out to the public faster than ever. Instead of printing inserts and waiting for the Sunday paper to announce their sales, companies now can let the world know about an exciting promotion through email, social networking, their websites and Internet ads.
2.1.2. Greater Reach
2.1.2.1. Social media means businesses can reach more customers than ever before. A simple promotion featuring a giveaway or a freebie can earn a business hundreds or thousands of Facebook fans and email and text message subscribers, meaning that the business can send a message to these consumers with just a touch of a button.
2.1.3. Options
2.1.3.1. Because of social media, businesses now have many more options that they can choose from when seeking to get word out about their businesses. Instead of choosing among a TV or radio commercial or a print advertisement, they can now create media that is a combination of audio, visual, text and interactive media. This mixed media can appeal to a larger audience with differentiated preferences.
2.2. politics
2.2.1. The Power of Many
2.2.1.1. Social media tools have allowed Americans to easily join together to petition the government and their elected officials, leveraging their numbers against the influence of powerful lobbyists and monied special interests. Make no mistake, lobbyists and special interest still have the upper hand, but the day will come when the power of social media allows like-minded citizens to join together in ways that will be just as powerful.
2.2.2. Fundraising
2.2.2.1. Some campaigns have used so-called "money bombs" to raise large amounts of cash in short period of time. Money bombs are typically 24-hour periods in which candidates press their supporters to donate money. They use social media such as Twitter and Facebook to get the word out, and often tie these money bombs to specific controversies that emerge during campaigns.
2.2.3. Direct Contact With Voters
2.2.3.1. Social media tools including Facebook, Twitter and Youtube allow politicians to speak directly to voters without spending a dime. Using those social media allows politicians to circumvent the traditional method of reaching voters through paid advertising or earned media.