Prior social media was used as a platform to connect people i.e. as a means of communication. SixDegree was the first social media site lasted from 1997 to 2001 which allowed users to create profile and list friends, family members and acquaintances both on the site and externally. Modern days Social media are designed based upon this site. 

In this modern era of Social Media, the definition of Social Media has been changed from just as a platform of communication to a platform of sharing content quickly, efficiently and in real-time. The popularity of social media has proved the saying that "The world is a global village" which means that the world is becoming more interconnected.

According to the article, Top 10 Social Media Statistics for 2019 it states that:

• The Average Online Adult Spends 2 Hours 18 Mins Per Day on Social Media.

• YouTube is the 2nd Most Viewed Website on the Net.

• Instagram was Part of 93% of All Influencer Campaigns in 2018.

• 55% of Internet Users are Social Shoppers.

• Snapchat is the #1 Social Platform Among Teens.

• In terms of the Number of Active Users, Facebook is Still #1.

• WhatsApp Continues to Rank #1 Among Messaging Apps.

• Video is the #1 Type of Content Consumers Want to See from Brands.

Social Media has become an essential part of our livelihood. Most people are being addicted to it. According to Global Digital Report 2019, the number of social media users worldwide during 2019 is 3.484 billion. 

Some Pros of Social Media:

1. Connectivity and Communication: The main theme of social media was to connect people and to use as a means of communication throughout the world. Modern technology has enabled us to communicate in the various form of communication via video, audio or text. 

2. Entertainment: In this busy life of people, social media has created an emerging platform of entertainment. We don't have to go anywhere physically to entertain ourselves. We can just use social media to watch or listen to anything we like and entertain ourselves.

3. Education and Information Sharing: Due to the increase in the number of social media users, it is very easy to share information and educate ourselves. For eg: In the youtube platform, many tutors have their channels where they exchange information and educate others in real-time. The information can also be access anytime.

4. Awareness: The concept of modern social media stands towards the exchange of information. The information can be useful to aware the users about many goods and bads about many subjects. It enables us to get information about what is happening in another part of the world in real-time.

5. Business and Marketing: Social Media is a great platform for modern-day business. It helps in the advertisement and promotion of the business, connect directly to the customers and exchange feedback, increase brand awareness, know about their competitors, and many more.

6. Promotes Creativity: At present Social Media is the stage for self-creativity and innovation. Social media allows for free communication and content sharing. It enables to create our audience and show them our creativity and talent. For many people, Social Media has been a genuine career opportunity.

 

Some Cons of Social Media:

1. Cyberbullying: The bully which occurs over the digital platform is cyberbullying. Cyberbullying can be sending or posting wrong information, harmful and false content, embarrassing or harassing users which negatively impacts the livelihood of a user. Social media has been an easy platform for predators.

2. Hacking: Social Media contains personal information like the message, photo, videos, documents, etc. Social media is the most vulnerable platform where the hackers try to unauthorized access to our account and get the information. Such hacking might lead to many dangers to the user.

3. Addiction: In 2016 survey 2.307 billion users till 2019 survey 3.484 billion users are social media active users. The total number of social media users have been increased in a significant amount. It has become like a ritual to many people to open their social media account before waking up, during eating and also performing any task. The social media has become one of the crucial part of the life of the users.

4. Fraud and Scams: Social Media contains both good as well as bad; predator users. Those predators are always trying to take advantage of the user. Cash requests, Fake emergencies, Clickbait, Data-mining quizzes, surveys, and contests, Short URLs, friend requests are some of the examples of fraud and scams.

5. Privacy and Security issues: Social Media is a place where we share a lot of information about our personal lives which leads to potential risks and threats. Many predators might be looking for an opportunity to take advantage of the information.

6. Increases the risk of depression: Social Media today is all about sharing content, photos, acceptance from others, likes counts, etc. Many studies have correlated the use of social media leading to depression, anxiety, lower self-esteem, attention-seeking often in teens and adolescents.

There are many more pros and cons of social media. But, I believe that the way we use social media will result in its positive or negative outcome. Social Media is not bad or vulnerable in itself, the users are vulnerable and predator. So, we have to use social media carefully and perform each and every action by keeping in mind our safety. Especially teenage users must take their adults or guardian consent before using social media.

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