When was the last time you were active on Instagram, Facebook, or even WhatsApp? A few minutes ago, right? Yeah, don’t worry about that. I just finished watching a video on Instagram too. We are all caught up in this web of social media addiction.
Decades ago, people communicated through letters, birds, and signals. The advent of social media made life very easy as you can communicate with family and loved ones at the snap of your fingers. The communication is done via messages, calls, or Social media.
Due to social media addictions, there has been an ongoing debate on two questions: is social media a curse? Or is social media a blessing? Of course, the answer to that depends on the user’s applicability and effective use of social media. The next 6 points clarify why social media has been more of a blessing than a curse over the last few decades.
Table of Contents
6 Reasons Social Media is a Blessing and Not a Curse
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Communication
“Dear my love, kiss this letter before opening it.” That was the conventional way of getting messages to people about a while ago. Those days, people go as far as spending nights in a cyber cafe to chat with family and friends through emails. Gone are the days of writing letters to close friends and family through pen and paper. People now easily communicate through social media platforms, and distance is no longer a barrier.
A few years back, there was difficulty communicating with friends and loved ones. The only way one could communicate with people outside Nigeria, for instance, was through email and expensive phone calls. Despite the sabotage and activities of cyber criminals who impersonate people to steal money, social media is still effective in passing messages. Social media connects individuals with loved ones and makes communication seamless.
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News
Gone are the days when the only source of information and news was from newspapers and radio stations. For instance, you could also find invitations from your colleagues, friends, and neighbors on social media platforms, thereby saving the cost of the conventional approach of passing information. Government agencies, departments, and individuals pass information through social media platforms.
News agencies and big companies now have social media accounts that pass information, adverts, and editorials to their followers. This is mostly done through their verified accounts. In this age of hate speech and fake news, it is very important only to take news from verified social media accounts seriously, as one can easily be swayed into believing fake news.
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Networking
A researcher from Nigeria about decades ago could only meet colleagues and prospects through physical meetings. The advent of social media made things easy for such individuals; social media platforms like LinkedIn offer professionals the avenue to showcase their work, network, and attract donations to their cause. One needs only to demonstrate professionalism while reaching out to colleagues in the same field. A lot of up-and-coming scientists can now connect with mentors through social media. Nowadays, webinars, lectures, and training are carried out through social media platforms like WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
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Relationship/ Dating
Mr. James is a successful banker who works from 8 am to 6 pm and on other days from 8 am to 9 pm. He has a very busy schedule which has denied him the opportunity of meeting new people outside work; weekends are equally very busy. If you are like Mr. James, social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram offer you an opportunity of meeting new people and possibly kick it off if your interest aligns together.
Nowadays, due to the busy schedules of individuals, they hardly find time for people; social media platforms offer this opportunity to meet people having similar interests and possibly tango. Many couples met through comments, likes, and messages on social media platforms. Despite the advent of social media scams like the “tinder swindler,” many have found love. One only needs to be careful.
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Learning new things/skills
I know this sounds a bit off, but you can learn a lot from social media. Due to the negative perception about social media going around the Internet, one could easily write off social media. However, social media lets you learn much from career mentors and live coaches. Contents from great teachers can serve as a good inspirational guide towards achieving one’s success. Some Facebook pages, for instance, give information about some laws and life hacks.
Many chefs, instrumentalists, etc., give some training through social media pages. There’s been an argument by behavioral experts about social media addictions and how it has affected the population. This has led to many demonstrations against social media usage. However, the use outweighs the disadvantages, and one can only reduce the number of hours a person spends on social media.
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Making money
“Yahoo 419” scam isn’t the only way of making money on social media. Is Social media a blessing? This particular point answers this question judiciously. Courtesy of social media, many unemployed people are now gainfully engaged through content creation and advertisements that run on social media. Contrary to popular belief, social media is the new avenue for making money.
Social media sites pay content creators based on the number of views and advertisements. Despite the sabotage of scammers who put out pornographic and spamming content to steal from users, social media is more useful to creatives who want to venture into digital marketing, for instance.
Learn how to make money through digital marketing on social media here.
Conclusion
Is Social media a blessing? Is social media a curse? I will let you be the judge of that fundamental question. This article pointed out 6 points why social media is a blessing rather than a curse. Social media is now a part of our day-to-day lives, so much so that we can hardly do without it. However, it is advisable to be objective while using social media platforms so as not to be carried away by the happenings and not to fall victim to the preying hands of scammers.
Read also:
Top 9 Social Media Influencers You Should Know in Nigeria
How to Handle Negative Comments on Social Media as a Nigerian
Top 100 Social Media Celebrities in Nigeria
About Author
- Yakubu is a seasoned writer with a scientific background (Biochemistry) having a Masters level of education. He enjoys writing articles involving the technology space and some other days he's a Researcher trying to change the world.
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