Blog Post 1

Grant Bosiacki

Is Social Media a double-edged sword?

            Social media is clearly taking over people’s lives. Look at the average college student. It’s really not that uncommon for a student sitting right next to you in class to have over 10,000 tweets. 10,000. That’s a lot of time spent in the “Twittererse.”

            Social media is most definitely a double-edged sword. It’s used for many good purposes, but can also be seen as something bad. A picture used to be worth 1,000 words, and it still may be, but what’s growing ever so quickly is the simple click. Twitter accounts want the clicks!

            Twitter brings people together. It’s a way for people to communicate; it’s a way for news to be shared. These are the reasons Twitter is so popular. There has to be a reason it has over 250 million users.

            The good side of the sword is easy to see and if used correctly, that side of the sword should be the most prevalent. The pros, like stated above, are that it’s a way to communicate. Twitter and Facebook make it east to message someone, especially if you don’t have their pone number. It’s a very quick, efficient way to find out abut breaking news. Last Friday it was announced that Adrian Peterson, the Minnesota Vikings running back, had a warrant for his arrest for child abuse. Before any news station announced this over the air, most NFL fans were already notified. That’s because it spread on Twitter like a forest fire. Within minutes, the whole world knew. Social media is also powerful enough to send a notification to your phone. You don’t even need to open Twitter now. Your phone just sends it to you! You can also help network with potential work partners or future job openings. LinkedIn helps meet numerous people to help set you up with a job and show what you’ve already done.

            The negatives can be seen. Once you get past the trolls, you can get there are others that just aren’t smart about social media. As much as social media can help you in your professional life, it can hurt you twice as badly. Using profane language or posting an unprofessional picture of you on the web can get you fired in the blink of an eye. The message is clear: be smart.

            Social media is meant to be a helpful tool. If you are careful with how you brand yourself on social media, the sword should be lopsided in favor of the good side.