Introduction
Since their inception, social networks have had a significant impact on society. Despite some negative aspects, they have changed and greatly simplified how people communicate and interact. Moreover, thanks to social media, they contribute to distributing information about social problems, becoming a platform where people unite to achieve social justice. All this significantly influenced society, making it more open and united. Therefore, this paper will assess the positive impact of social media on society.
Benefits of Social Media
One of the most positive impacts of social networks is that they create an opportunity for communication and interaction between people. They allow people of different races, cultures, and socioeconomic statuses to unite and find common interests. This will enable people to socialize, which is extremely important for “healthy individual and societal development” (Conerly et al., 2022, p. 126). Socialization is necessary for the functioning of individuals in society and society as a whole. Moreover, the opportunity for impression management that people have on social networks has played an essential role in this (Conerly et al., 2022). This allows for the depreciation of prejudices in the interaction between people and contributes to creating a global community.
Furthermore, today, social networks are actively used to solve social problems. They provide people with “a near-constant stream of information about the quest for social change around the world” (Conerly et al., 2022, p. 631). This helps people to be heard and draws the general public’s attention to existing problems. Social media is a platform for creating and developing social movements such as #MeToo and Black Lives Matter. It allows people to share experiences, find support, and collectively confront global societal challenges.
Conclusion
Thus, social networks have a strong positive impact on the public. They facilitate communication and interaction, increase people’s awareness of existing problems, and create new opportunities for help and self-realization. In addition, today, social networks are one of the key tools for addressing global challenges. They promote spreading information and sharing experiences, help get more people involved in problem-solving, and build a cohesive international community.
References
Conerly, T.R., Holmes, K., &Tamang, A. L. (2022). Introduction to Sociology 3e. Independently published.