Analyzing the Societal and Business Impact of Social Media - Essay

This essay provides a comprehensive analysis of social media's impact on both business and society. It begins by introducing the widespread adoption of social media and its role in modern communication, emphasizing its advantages like fast communication and global connectivity. The essay delves into how businesses, including multinational corporations and small businesses, leverage social media for marketing, customer engagement, and business growth, highlighting strategies like targeted advertising and brand building. It also addresses the societal impacts, including the potential for cyberbullying, the spread of misinformation, and the effects on mental health and well-being. The essay concludes by summarizing the dual nature of social media, acknowledging its benefits while cautioning against its misuse and advocating for responsible usage to mitigate negative consequences.

Running head: ESSAY ON SOCIAL MEDIA
ESSAY ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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ESSAY ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Introduction
Social media can be considered as one of the main aspects of communication in today’s
world. It has grown immensely over the last few years ever since the over popularity of
Facebook and Twitter and thus capture the attention of millions over the world. The intensively
fast development of technology has made people interested in fast and effective communication
where they can connect to people on the other side of the world within a matter of seconds. With
the high rate of the increase in technology, it is evident that people would go ahead and grasp the
benefits that come with it. From progressive to under-developed nations, every country is
utilizing the power of social media for the betterment. However, the gift of social media towards
humankind brought many advantages, along with that, many disadvantages as well. Just like
anything that can be used for both good and bad ways, depending on the person. It is all about
the way it is used which rests on the hands of the user to use to its full advantage. However
sometimes it does cause negative impact, whether it is willingly or unwillingly (Warren,
Sulaiman, and Jaafar 2014).
Discussion
The term “new media” means the new age technology, which is used by the youth to
connect to various food companies over the world. It is because of mobile devices or computers
with the added feature of internet connection and social media. These new age technologies are
based on connectivity and innovation. Food companies over the world uses high level of
marketing strategy to attached people to lucrative offers. These companies use the means of
social media first to connect to their customer base and create a connection in between them
(Kumar et al. 2016). The young generations nowadays are very much inclined towards

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commercial food products, which do not mean that it is fast food. By understanding what they
want, these companies strategize their marketing accordingly (Vinerean et al. 2013). Large
multinational companies like KFC or Coca-Cola use the means of social media to their
advantage. For example, they provide special offers like if a customer uploads a picture of
themselves with their product on social media and use a ‘hashtag’ with a catchphrase stated by
the company, they might get featured on the company’s official website. The advancement of the
internet from static platform to social has provided opportunity for both the companies and the
customers (Whiting and Deshpande, 2014).
When it comes to business growth, social media has changed the interface of the world.
All type of business no matter it is large or small is depended on social media for their growth
and promotion (Jin, Liu, and Austin 2014). By the means of online platform business it is easier
to access and gain affordability. It is because of social media, small businesses or shops are
getting the proper attention they deserve. By the strategic means of low cost marketing, business
are able to focus more on the production cost and still gain many customers (Ashley and Tuten
2015). Social media’s reach has not limit, a business which is located at one part of the world can
inform about its products and services to a customer who is located at another part of the world.
This therefore increases the sales rate at an increasing rate and still the promotional costs is
minimum. If a well recognized company or a brand promotes their business by the means of
social media, it is normal that they would gain more customers than regular businesses.
Therefore it has turned into a competition amongst the brand to gain more customers.
Social media is a necessity nowadays for all kinds of businesses. It is a heavily debatable
topic regarding it is a benefit or rather a cause for issues towards the company. Social Media
Marketing represents the business on how well its image is perceived by the customers

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(Valenzuela 2013). By the means of innovative thoughts and new strategies, companies try to
win the hearts of the consumer and at the same time rivals with other competitors to stay on top.
Sometimes companies think of campaigns or strategies, which has not been done before to get
attention of many people at the same time. Brands like Lay’s Potato Chips made a very
ambitious move when they used the means of social media to get options of people to choose a
new flavor for them. Lays played their marketing strategies so well they received more than 12
million responses for suggestions of various new flavors (Hudson et al. 2015). This made the
customer aware that Lays as a company values feedbacks. Other brands like Coca-Cola,
Starbucks and even the all popular Google values feedback and utilizes them for the satisfaction
of the people they serve.
Social media marketing has grown at an unprecedented rate over the years. Towards
market and business sectors, it has made a major impact as well as the customers they serve. It is
due to proliferation of social media platforms, the customers are able to interact and engage with
the brands they choose (Kelly et al., 2015). Social media is considered to be an essential part of
the marketing strategy of any business when it comes to generating co-created value or to
monitor brand related discussions and attain the goal of turning consumers into business
advocates. By the use of digital marketing, a business can promote its service or products in
various aspects and gain trust along with spread their name (Holt et al. 2013). Search engine
optimization allows a business to maintain their position on search engines so that when anyone
is looking for a similar type of service, they would see the business coming up on the top of the
results.
The main goal social media is connectivity, as people can communicate from any part of
the world regardless the location or the religion. Even so, it has many benefits for students and

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teachers because it is very easy to teach online. People can even learn e-courses regardless of
what background they have (Antheunis, Tates and Nieboer 2013). Despite the fact, social media
can be used for the benefits of many people however there are those who misuse its power.
According to (Perloff 2014) many children over the world have been victims to cyber bullying.
As platform like Twitter and Facebook allows anyone to create free accounts, many use this to
their advantage to create fake accounts and perform deeds that cannot be traced back. Therefore,
it is very easy for someone to get cyber bullied on the Internet. By sending anonymous threats,
intimidations and even rumors, it creates problem within the society. Even hacking allows people
to get hold of personal data, which would lead to financial loss of a person. In the past, many
cases of hacking have occurred and people got hold of bank account details. Social media is a
benefit towards to society. A person can share his or her issues with the community to get
suggestions and help. It does not matter whether it is in term of finance or even legal advice. It is
considered to be the largest medium of spreading awareness and innovate the way people live. A
person can get himself updated with the latest news around the world within a matter of minutes.
It has the advantage of helping the government and security agencies to catch criminals as news
travel fast and people like to write what they know or see in social media (Valkenburg and Peter
2013). As there different religions and beliefs all over the world, social media helps in creating
the community of a new religion and to talk about it. People of different communities can talk
and interact with each other and share related information. On the same contrast, social media
can easily ruin the reputation of someone or a large organization, even if it is a rumor. False
stories spread like wildfire and easily ruin the reputation that individual. The excessive use of
social media is also harmful and causes negative effects on the health (Alharbie, 2015). As
exercise is a key method of losing weight, people get lazy because of the high use of the social

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media sites and results in ordered in the real routine life (Laroche, Habibi and Richard 2013).
There are other factors like crazy stunts that are shared on the internet, and when people get
inspired and try them for themselves, it can result in self harm or even death. Despite all its good
and bad viewpoints, it is actually on the people who use the means of social media to promote
themselves and the views they support.
Conclusion
Therefore from the above discussion it can be concluded that social media is an integral
part of the modern world where not only the people, but the systems that run the society are
depended of them. On the off chance if it is used incorrectly, social media could cause national
and global issues. Social media stunts relational development and expands narcissism in
numerous web clients. Regardless of whether the clients are not mentally influenced by online
networking, they are still in threat. No one is insusceptible to the hurtful reactions of web-based
social networking sites including fraud, stalkers, or programmers. Person to person
communication permits fabrications and false data to cause across the board disorder. In the
event that there are no directions or impediments via web-based networking media, the
repercussions will aggregate. Individuals need to change the damaging examples of web-based
social networking use before it crushes society. The quick, simple access to data that should be
advantageous to society is unfavorable to society.

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