Social Media: Impacts, Security Challenges, and Platform Comparison

This report delves into the multifaceted impacts of social media on the internet, highlighting its role in transforming online communication and shaping public opinion. It explores the challenges related to user privacy and security, discussing the risks of data breaches, hacking, and online harassment, while also suggesting preventive measures for users. Furthermore, the report provides a comparative analysis between WhatsApp and Twitter, evaluating their features, applications, and suitability for business purposes, considering factors like marketing, user base, and content creation. The analysis underscores the significance of social media platforms as effective tools for communication and business promotion, while also acknowledging the need for enhanced security measures to protect user data and ensure a safe online experience.

Social Media

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Impacts of Social Media on the Internet......................................................................................3
Challenges and Measures related to Privacy and Security of users accessing Social Media
Online...........................................................................................................................................4
Comparison between What’s app and Twitter based on Features, Applications and Suitability
for Business..................................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Social Media is defined as an internet based website or application which is used to share
information amongst its users. This information can be in the form of video, image or text (Hiatt
and Choi, 2016). In the present study, the impacts of social media on the internet are discussed.
Furthermore, the challenges related to privacy and security faced by the users are discussed and
suitable measures are suggested. Finally, a comparison between Instagram and YouTube is
presented in terms of their features, applications and business suitability. A justification
regarding the application of social media as an effective communication tool is also presented.
MAIN BODY
Impacts of Social Media on the Internet
As illustrated by Siddiqui and Singh, (2016) with the introduction of social media in the
early 2000s, planet Earth has never been so small in terms of the ease of communication possible
in present times. Since, its introduction, social media has functioned as a necessary tool in
connecting people across various nations and starting up of bilateral talk amongst themselves.
Allowing easy and quick transfer of information within its users, social media has led the internet
transform into an online society. The increasing growth of users on social media platforms can
easily be correlated with the growth of internet itself in terms of its usage worldwide. A frequent
use of social media in recent times, have introduced internet as an essential part of public life in
the society. Social-media has provided the internet with the power of influencing the views and
opinions of public worldwide, thereby increasing the overall impact of internet in the real life of
users. With everyone being online a majority of the time, social-media has largely affected the
functionality of major broadcast media, promoting internet services as a major preference to
capture a large amount of audience altogether. Social media platforms also now act as a prime
means of capturing opinions of public related to a multitude of decisions that may influence their
life. Therefore, a majority of business and governments worldwide consider internet based social
media as a necessary aid to promote their policies. This has led to the emergence of a new form
of marketing online wherein many users can be captured with a minimum effort, giving birth to
Social-media marketing. As a result of which, an increased use of internet in the marketing
domain is observed, providing internet with a business friendly image. Nevertheless, the
involvement of marketing on social media has also provided a huge aid to e-commerce
platforms, increasing the popularity of internet as a revenue generating media. The rapid pace of

development of social media platforms have also generated a need of possible advancements in
the framework of internet itself, resulting in a regular up-gradation of internet services, positively
impacting the process of internet usage. Furthermore, due to the diverse amount of content
shared on social media, a need of professionals required to make possible the same is observed.
This has resulted in high rate of job generation in the domain of internet services itself, making
internet a major source of employment for individuals and organizations alike. Finally, the
opportunity of worldwide self presentation, as provide by social media to its users have largely
developed a user-friendly image of internet itself.
In the opinion of Anderson and Jiang, (2018), although a worldwide user representation
as provided by social media has eased the transformation of internet into a global village. It can
be stated that this has also provided a rapid increase in frauds and harassment faced by social
media users online. With the increase in the online users subscribing to social media platforms,
an increase in cyber crime is also observed worldwide. Social media being the main culprit
behind the possible execution of all these crimes, internet services are usually blamed for the
same. As more and more users are being affected by such acts, the credibility of internet services
as a secure service is largely questioned. With increased usage of social media as a toll of
polarization and fake news generation, it is the internet services that face a lot of criticism for the
same. Furthermore, with the adoption of social media as a judgemental tool in the modern
society, the internet is usually blamed for the online harassment and negative opinions faced by
its users. Therefore, due to the above factors, the overall image of internet is negatively projected
amongst its users worldwide. That had also led to widespread internet shutdowns and limitations
forced on internet usage by various nations of the world, at various occasions.
Challenges and Measures related to Privacy and Security of users accessing Social Media Online
As Illustrated by Rousseau and Foulk (2018), with billions of active users accessing
social media online, there lay large privacy risks to these users. With around one third of world
population online there is an increasing trend of user data breach on these particular sites. Due to
huge amount of personal data being stored on these sites, many users experience theft of personal
data and stalking. Hacking of personal accounts on social media sites have also become a major
threat to user privacy online. A majority of new users subscribing to social media sites online are
more likely to face such threats. Being naïve, these individuals act as an easy target for hackers

looking to blackmail users related to stolen private data. With a frequent occurrence of such
incidents, users generally face challenges in protecting their private data online. These users
must take up preventive measures in order to save their shared data online, from individuals
trying to use up this data to harm the user in the long run.
In the Opinion of Bhansal and Bhandari, (2018) a lack of understanding amongst the
social media users regarding the privacy settings used up by such sites is the main reason behind
the frequent occurrence of user privacy breaches online. There are certain precautionary
measures users can take to secure their private data online. Firstly, the users must carefully read
and understand the privacy settings of any particular social-media platform. Possible changes in
the user privacy settings may inhibit the accidental sharing of personal information with
undesired users. Furthermore, limiting the sharing of current location data may help the user to
eliminate any possible life threatening situations that may be possible in the real world. The user
can also minimize the negative impact of private data breach by simply avoiding the sharing any
confidential data online through social media. Finally, sharing information with only trusted and
known users online can also eliminate the chances of possible user personal data breach in the
near future.
As illustrated by Hiatt and Choi, (2016) the emergence of different social media
platforms over the past decades have increasingly possessed security threats to the users
accessing these media platforms online. A frequent increase in phishing and fraudulent attacks
online, the users face various challenges related to user security. Social media platforms present
themselves as an unsafe medium of communication for a majority of new as well as existing
users. Professional hackers and frauds lay various traps to harm the users that might be
unfortunate enough to fall prey to the same. Many users experience frauds and blackmailing in
these social media platforms. Many times it is observed that planned attacks are targeted towards
known personalities in social media platforms in order to harm and extort monetary returns from
these users. The failure of a majority of social media platforms to prevent such attacks leaves the
users largely at risk.
In the opinion of De Veirman, Cauberghe and Hudders (2017), most of the present
security risks can be easily eliminated with the help of educating the users regarding various
preventive measures related to secure internet usage. The users must firstly read and understand
the security policies adopted by the social media platform in use by them, so that a basic idea if

security threats that might be possible in the future must be determined. Furthermore, the users
must not access their social media profiles over shared networks and devices. A possible solution
to keep social-media accounts secured is setting up of unique and hard to guess passwords
containing an array of numbers and special characters. The users must also prevent surfing
unknown links and pages, so that there remains a minimal risk related to security to the user.
Finally, the user must use a device secured with the latest version of antivirus installed, so that a
minimal risk of malware and spyware harm may be possible.
Comparison between What’s app and Twitter based on Features, Applications and Suitability for
Business
Basis of comparison WhatsApp Twitter
Features  WhatsApp is a social media
app and is one of the most
popular social media app
used across the world.
 Main features include text
and video chat, share
videos audios, pictures etc.
(Hudson, 2019).
 It enables its users to
upload and enables to
interact with others and
gives a great services to
users without any
interruption.
 One of the main feature is
that user can create group
and can chat
simultaneously with all in a
single group. Same goes
with the live video calling
 Twitter is a free,
internet based photo
sharing application,
microblogging and
social networking
platform.
 Main features include
image and video
editing, location and
user tagging, private
message, follow, live
stream, comments,
stories, push
notifications, group
message, hashtags,
filters, public and
private profiles etc.
(Bansal and Bhandari,
2018).
 It enables its users to

which is also the best
feature of WhatsApp.
compose text message
which comes under
140 character or
words.
 Main feature of Twitter
is direct tweeting as
well as retweeting,
following people,
likes, links, videos and
photos.
Applications  WhatsApp is normally used
for chatting and sending
information to others which
can be audio, video etc.
This app is also used by
various businesses in order
to promote their business.
 Twitter is normally
used for micro
blogging and is also
used to communicate
with others. Here
people can enter into
conversation and
agrees or disagrees
with each other
(Rousseau and Foulk.
2018).
Suitability  In terms of marketing
goods on this website, the
cost of creating content is
usually low.
 The content creators on this
website usually remain
loyal to the type of content
they create online. A long-
lasting capture of target
 In terms of marketing
goods on this website,
the cost of creating
content is not very
high.
 The content creators on
this website although
remain loyal to the
content they create, but

audience can be possible
using this app where a
sender can regularly send
contents.
 This app allows long
durations of promotional
ads in video format to be
posted and can even be
downloaded by the user.
 This app is most suitable
for promotion of goods
related to the domain of
electronics, beauty, health,
entertainment and almost a
majority of brands.
 With billions of regular
users, what’s app can be
suitably used for business
growth.
in the capture of
targeted audience is
quick and not long-
lasting.
 This site dose not
allows long durations
of promotional ads in
video format to be
posted.
 This site is most
suitable for the
promotion of goods
related to the domain
of lifestyle, fashion,
fitness, travel, food etc.
 With billions of regular
users, Twitter is not
very suitably for
business growth.
Based on the comparisons made above, it can be stated that WhatsApp and Twitter do
work as efficient social-media sites. With billions of users online, these social media sites cater
to a large amount of audience worldwide. Social media sites have provided an opportunity of
worldwide self representation to its users. Such users are allowed to communicate with
individuals of different nations having similar opinions and interests online. User based groups
comprising members of diverse nations and cultures sharing information amongst themselves is a
prime example of how easy and quick communication has become on social media. Even
multinational-organizations and businesses deem social media platforms fit for communicating
with their employees and customers (Privacy and Security in online social media, 2017). Also,
the increasing use of social media by world leaders has proved the effectiveness of social media
platforms as a communication tool. Nowadays, social media platforms are used by all the levels

of communicators to express their views and ideas. Furthermore, the usage of social media
platforms as feedback platforms by various world organizations and governments alike, do
confirm the presence of social media at every level of communication. Also, the increasing use
of social media platforms in the field of human resource management and acquisition provide a
clear perspective as to how easily these platforms have changed the inner dynamics of all the
previous communication media. Therefore, social media can be recognized as a suitable and
efficient communication tool in the modern world, expecting to only increase its grasp on the
world population in the near future.
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded that in recent times, social media platforms do have major impacts on
the internet. The impact was found to be both positive and negative depending upon the user and
his/her interaction with the internet. It was further concluded that social media users faced
challenges related to security and privacy when accessing social media online. It was also
concluded that suitable measures based on user interaction and usage can successfully tackle
most of the challenges posed. With the help of a comparative study it was further concluded that
both YouTube and Instagram can be used as efficient tools for business sustainability in the near
future. Finally, it was concluded that all the social media platforms can be recognized as suitable
and efficient communication tools in the modern world.

REFERENCES
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