Social media refers to virtual communities and networks that allow users to connect, share, and exchange information. Some major social media platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, Snapchat, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google, and Reddit. According to polls, 22% of teenagers log onto social media over 10 times a day, and over half log on daily. The number of social media users worldwide has grown dramatically from 0.97 billion in 2010 to over 3 billion currently. While social media provides opportunities for marketing, reconnecting with friends and learning about other cultures, it also poses risks like cyberbullying, distraction in the workplace, and potential damage from oversharing personal information online.

1. IMPACTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA
BY PARAMITA SAHA

2. WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA?
• Social media refers to interaction among people in which they
create, share and/or exchange information and ideas in
virtual communities and networks.
• Social – refers to instinctual needs humans have to connect
with other humans.
• Media – what we use to make connections with other
humans.
• Social Media – Media used for social interaction.

3. DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOCIAL
MEDIA PLATFORMS
Facebook Instagram Twitter WhatsApp Snapchat
YouTube Linkedin Pinterest Google Reddit

4. ACCORDING TO A POLL:
22% of teenagers log on to their favourite social media site more than 10 times a day.
More than half of adolescents log on to a social media site more than once a day.
75% of teenagers now own cell phones.
51%
25%
24%
Teenagers
Texting Social Media
Instant Messaging

5. 0.97
1.22
1.4
1.59
1.91
2.14
2.28
2.46
2.62
2.77
2.9
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
AxisTitle
Years
Number of Social Network users worldwide from 2010 to 2020
(in billions)

6. We all are aware that social media has had a tremendous impact on our culture, in
business, on the world at large.
What are some of the real impacts, both positive and negative, that social media has vested
in our hands?
Positive
Impact
Negative
Impact

7. POSITIVE IMPACTS OF SOCIAL
MEDIA
 Companies are using social media to advertise their products, build customer loyalty
and many other functions. Compared to television advertisements and other expensive
forms of marketing, social media presence is a cheap and effective means to enhance
brand image and popularity.
 Social networks offer the opportunity for people to reconnect with their old friends,
make new friends, trade ideas, share content and pictures, and many other activities.
 Users can stay side by side with the latest global and local developments, and
participate in campaigns and activities of their choice.

8.  Professionals use social media sites like LinkedIn to enhance their career and business
opportunity.
 Students can collaborate with their peers to improve their academic proficiency and
communication skills.
 You can learn about different cultures and societies by connecting with people in other
countries.

9. NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF SOCIAL
MEDIA
 Cyber bullying is the act of harming or harassing via information technology networks in
a repeated and deliberate manner. According to U.S. Legal Definitions, "cyber-bullying
could be limited to posting rumors or gossips about a person in the internet bringing
about hatred in other’s minds or it may go to the extent of identifying victims and
publishing materials severely defaming and humiliating them."
 Kids especially are vulnerable to the practice of cyber-bullying. The devastation of these
online attacks can leave deep mental scars. In several well-publicized cases, victims have
even been driven to suicide.

10.  Many companies have blocked social networks on their office Internet as addicted
employees can distract themselves on such sites, instead of focusing on work. In fact,
studies show that British companies have lost billions of dollars per year in productivity
because of social media addiction among employees.
 If you are not cautious, what you post on the social media can come back to haunt you.
Revealing personal information on social sites can make users vulnerable to crimes like
identity theft, stalking, etc. Many companies perform a background check on the Internet
before hiring an employee. If a prospective employee has posted something
embarrassing on social media, it can drastically affect their chances of getting the job.
The same goes for our relationships too, as our loved ones and friends may get to know
if we post something undesirable on social networks.