Computer Literacy Report: Comparing Linkedin, Twitter, and Instagram

This report provides a comprehensive comparison of three major social networking sites: Linkedin, Twitter, and Instagram. It begins with an introduction to the impact of social media on modern communication, highlighting the increasing importance of these platforms in personal and professional contexts. The report then delves into the specific features, advantages, and disadvantages of each site, examining their unique roles in networking, information sharing, and visual content dissemination. It discusses the benefits of each platform, such as professional networking on Linkedin, rapid information exchange on Twitter, and visual sharing on Instagram, while also addressing the potential drawbacks, including privacy concerns and security risks. The report concludes by summarizing the similarities and differences between the platforms, emphasizing the evolving nature of digital communication and the need for responsible social media usage. The report also includes references to relevant literature.

Computer Literacy

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Comparison of different social networking sites.............................................................................1
Advantages:............................................................................................................................2
Disadvantages.........................................................................................................................3
Similarities and difference between Linkedin, twitter and instagram.............................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Inception of social networking sites has been changed the way through which
people interact with each other. It helps in enriching the networks on the personal and
professional grounds. In the era of Globalization, connectivity has enhanced a lot. Sharing
of information became very easy and feasible. With the different forms of facilities, these
sites became aninextricable part of people's life. Further, Use of these sites has been
amplified over the short period. Three such social networking platforms are Linkedin,
twitter and instagram. Linkedin is the platform for the professional networking. It enables
user to upload their profile on internet and by accessing such information recruiters select
candidates as per their needs. With more than 100 million users, twitter has gained
worldwide popularity in very short span of time. It provides services related to exchange of
information that includes a limit of 140- characters per message called as tweet. Instagram
is introduced with distinctive features which enables users to share photographs and images
captured in any aspect ratio. These sites are proved to be useful on the multidimensional
grounds. It is effectual for developing the personal and professional networking. Social
networking sites are become a significant part of the economy in terms of generating
revenue in a considerable manner (Selber, 2004).
Comparison of different social networking sites
The social sites are endowed with many features that are accessed by the users for
the different purposes. Linkedin has become very effectual tool for enhancing the level of
business networking. It is a medium for recruiters to seek information of the aspirants and it
is a platform for the job seekers. Here, they can upload the information necessary for the
identification and eligibility. Employers can enlist the potential employees who fulfill the
needs of job specification and they can hire them. It offers the platform to contact with
employees and seek the necessary information. Twitter is becoming more popular with the
escalating pace globally due to the user friendly interface as well as the platform provided
to the users to share and exchange information in the prompt way which fulfills the needs
on various grounds. With a wide stream of users twitter is accessed by the all the genre of
professions like politicians, corporate elites, writers, people from the entertainment world,
sportsperson and others. This site works on the principle of following (Gee, 2007.). It
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includes a nested loop in which one user can follows another user to access the information
uploaded by them. With the sharing of events users keep themselves connected with each
other. Different types of updates like news bits from the news broadcasting users,
promotion and advertisement by the corporate firms, updates from the elites of the nation or
be it the general tweets between the users such as the music recommendations, knowledge
or education related information, interesting news links and variety of tweets are appeared
on tweeter while scrolling down the page. Intsagram was launched with the specific features
and tools. It enhances the personal connectivity between the users by providing the facility
of instant messaging, sharing many photos in different dimensions and other information
such as text, files, images, videos, sounds and musical works (Poynton, 2005).
Linkedin, Instagram and twitter have brought lucrative benefits to the users,
benefiting them in different areas with the increased features and tools. These applications
are endowed with variety of facilities and opportunities for the users. With the escalating
use, wide stream of users are availing the benefits. Along with the advantages, due to the
increased number of users it also imparts its influence with some serious threats. Following
are the advantages and disadvantages of accessing these sites.
Advantages
 Sites supplemented with the advent of advanced technology has made the spread of
information very fast and precise. Major section of traditional media has adopted
these means to reach the people.
 This enables people to strengthen their relationships and develop it in a better way.
 Linkedin has become an effective platform for the employers to get qualified and
experienced candidates. Along with this, it is also helpful for the job seekers in
getting desirable placement. With helping to job seekers, this platform also captures
the attention of the corporations and small business units to enhance their
corporate’s contracts (Gordon, 2011). It also influences the number of macro-
economic factors. Social media has emerged as a new industry. Its collaboration
with the other sectors has affected the efficiency and productivity of the customer
services in a considerable way.
 With the increased connectivity among the people, it has prompt the awareness
towards the social change and the responsibilities of countrymen towards the nation.
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With pooling out the ideas and opinions at one platform, people become more
empowered. It helps people to stay connected with the society (McNeil and et.al,
2006).
 It also brings changes in the political and social scenarios of the country. With the
engagement of mass population on the social sites such as twitter and instagram,
people can express their views on this platform and initiate the mob towards the
upliftment.
 It has enabled improvement in the sales and profitability of the business units
through promotion and advertisement on the platforms such as instagram and
twitter.
Disadvantages
 With the increase in access of these sites, privacy of people has got threatened. For
the subscription, theses sites seek the basic details of the user which can be misused.
 With the inception of these sites, face to face interaction between the people got
reduced to the great extent which affects the relationships constructs in a
considerable way.
 Major threat to these sites is of the security attacks. Invasion of privacy is the major
concern of the legislative and government agencies working in this area. They
continuously seek the measure to fight with these issues. Potential threats associated
with it are related to theft, stalking, unintentional fame, employment issues, online
victimization and surveillance.
 New way of interaction has also given birth to the new ways of crimes. Access of
these sites by the criminals initiates the cyber crimes and new ways of materializing
their evil objectives (Cole and Kelsey, 2004). Due to the minute to minute
happenings by the people ease the process of gaining the personal information for
the robberies and other related crimes.
 Increased exposure of people on the social networking sites and sharing of views
and opinions some times proliferate the matter which can be changed as a national
issue through which intolerance can be increased.
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Similarities and difference between Linkedin, twitter and instagram
 Formality: Linkedin is all about the professionalism whereas twitter and instagram
are the informal platform for sharing information.
 Relationship building: Linkedin promotes the expansion of busines as well as
corporate relationship. This emphasizes on the authenticity of the conversation and
the connections while interactions on twitter and instagram are informal in nature
and demands less accountability and responsibilities from the users (Hoffman and
Vance, 2005).
 Expansion and brevity: Linkedin enables user to provide information in an
elaborated form whereas twitter allows to share thoughts in 140 characters or fewer.
CONCLUSION
These individual centred web based services make the connectivity of people
stronger which is overshadowing the political, social or economic borders by sharing of
interests and activities. Online communities through instant messaging and exchanging
information bought the paradigm of shift in the way of interaction. It has broadened the
horizons of connectivity. It has benefited people in all the sectors. Every coin has two faces,
the increased digital communication is to be accompanied with certain regulations in regard
to the security and privacy issues. Various steps have been taken to resolve several issues
incorporated with social media. Tracking information through IP address is the major issue
and many organisations are working to avoid such practices.
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REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Cole, I. J. and Kelsey, A. 2004. Computer and information literacy in post-qualifying
education. Nurse Education in Practice, 4(3). pp.190-199.
Gee, J. P., 2007. Good video games+ good learning: Collected essays on video games,
learning, and literacy. New York: P. Lang.
Hoffman, M. E. and Vance, D. R., 2005. Computer literacy: what students know and from
whom they learned it. ACM SIGCSE Bulletin. 37(1). pp.356-360.
McNeil, B. J. and et.al., 2006. Computer literacy study: report of qualitative findings.
Journal of Professional Nursing, 22(1). pp.52-59.
Poynton, T. A., 2005. Computer literacy across the lifespan: a review with implications for
educators. Computers in Human Behavior 21(6). pp.861-872.
Selber, S., 2004. Multiliteracies for a digital age. SIU Press.
Online
Gordon, W., 2011. Top 10 uses for Twitter. [Online]. Available
through:<http://lifehacker.com/5788266/top-10-uses-for-twitter-that-arent-self-
indulgent>. [Accessed on 30th November, 2015]
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