Is Social Media Giving You the Advantages You Want or Not

Social media has become a huge part of society. This can be a good or bad thing, depending on how you use it.

There are many advantages and disadvantages to social media. Understanding them can allow you to get the most out of your social media time while avoiding the significant pitfalls.

Social media is here to stay. Ensure that it’s adding more to your life than it’s subtracting.

Advantages

Social media can add a lot to your life:

1. It provides a way to share your gifts with the world. Social media can be a great way to share your music, art, photography, writing, or anything else you do well with the world. It’s a free way to market yourself and your gifts.
   
2. You can stay in touch with friends and family. This is supposedly the whole point of social media. Your friends and family are never far away. You can stay on top of things even if you’re 10,000 miles away.
   
3. You can meet new people. You can meet people from any country and culture. If you want a pen pal from Iceland or Zimbabwe, you’re in luck. If you like to travel, you can begin making friends in your destination country before you even set foot on the plane. It can also be a great way to meet people locally.
   
4. You can speak to a very large audience. If you have ideas you want to spread and share, social media provides an effective platform to make your voice heard.
   
5. You can make money via social media. There are a lot of people making money from social media, either directly or from marketing their business.

Disadvantages

There are many disadvantages, too:

1. You can feel inadequate. It’s easy to compare yourself to everyone else on social media. You see their fancy house, car, or new swimming pool and it’s natural to feel like you’re not doing well. Avoid comparisons!

2. Social media isn’t always honest. Most people on social media are trying to make their lives look better than they really are. You might see your college friend with her seeming perfect family, marriage, job, and house on Facebook.

• • The truth can be very different. She might be on the verge of divorce, hate her job, and be in danger of losing that house. But those aren’t the types of things people put on social media.

3. It can be a real time waster. Too many people are spending hours each day on social media. It can be a big distraction and impact your job and relationships. Track how much time you’re spending and ask yourself if that’s the best use of your time.

4. It’s easy to be a victim of stalking or cyberbullying. There are countless stories of people being stalked or bullied online. It’s an easy way for people to check up on your life or to give you a lot of grief.

• • It’s been said that social media is only good for two things: stalking people and showing off.
    

5. It can be socially isolating. While social media can be a good way to stay in touch, too many people use it as a substitute for face to face communication. Ensure that you’re still getting out of the house and interacting with others in a meaningful way.

Social media can be a useful addition to anyone’s life if used responsibly. Stay in touch with your friends and family. Make some new friends, too. Just be sure to understand that few people are putting the truth of their life on social media. You’re only getting part of the story. Your life compares much better than you think.