Why Social Media’s Pros Outweigh the Cons: A Top 9 List

Social media often gets a bad rep these days, with many feeling that they spend too much time on the platforms. Some find them toxic and full of arguments, whereas others find it creepy to be constantly connected to everybody.

Social media may have negatives, but it is actually good for you for various reasons. Here, we’ll list some great examples to show how beneficial social media is today.

1. Social Media Allows Instant Online Discussion

Whether you use it personally or professionally, social media makes it easy for you to find instant online discussion about any topic that you’re seeking. In the early days of the Internet, forums were the place to go if you were looking for dedicated discussion, but these days options such as Reddit, Twitter, Facebook Groups, and more have opened the playing field up.

It’s not realistic for you and your friends to have the same interests. In these cases, joining an online community can ensure that you still get the discussion you’re seeking.

2. Social Media Promotes Knowledge Sharing

You can share your knowledge with others or learn from them. Social media is a constantly evolving place amongst dozens of popular platforms, so you can guarantee that a lot of the information you get is relevant and recent. Just be sure to validate the knowledge you’ve learned wherever you can with multiple sources; you obviously shouldn’t believe everything you read on the Internet.

Social media facilitates sharing of knowledge on a global scale. This creates opportunities for everybody, no matter where you are in the world, to be educated on the topics you truly care about.

3. Keep In Touch With Old Friends on Social Media

Life happens, and you may find that more and more of your friends move away from your town as you get older. Maybe it’s you who has moved. In either case, social media makes it possible to keep in touch with your friends despite the physical distance. This is apositive effect of social media on people , as it allows you to retain friendships you care about.

This concept led to the creation of early social media platforms such as Myspace and Facebook, and it remains one of the most significant benefits of social media. The conversation is easy, and you can even video or audio call with people to lessen that physical distance even more.

4. Social Media Reduces Stigma

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Many topics such as mental health, race, sexuality, identity, just to name a few, often contain stigma. Social media can help reduce this stigma by offering real-time viewpoints of people from different backgrounds and situations.

Open dialogue is the best way to learn and accept each other. Social media can often help if the users’ attitude reflects open-mindedness and respect when engaging with others’ content.

Socially anxious people can have a hard time socializing in real life, finding a lot of group situations overwhelming. If you struggle with this or know somebody that does, you may find that social media can often take away the pressure and make socializing much easier.

There is protection because of the lack of physicality that many people find safe, and anonymity is even easier to achieve if you’re very anxious about putting yourself out there. Just be careful not to form atoxic social media addiction . Look to be boosted by it rather than reliant.

6. Keep Up With News Instantly on Social Media

You likely have lots of interests and keep up with many different things. In which case, you’ll know that not keeping up with the relevant news for your interests can quickly result in feeling out of the loop.

Social media allows you to keep up with news instantly, which is especially true in the case of Twitter or Reddit—they provide users with the most up-to-date information just as much as communicating with other users on the platform.

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7. Social Media Promotes Free Learning

As knowledge sharing is a social media perk, so is free learning. You can learn so much from other, more experienced people online who are often relevant if you engage with content that has only recently been published.

Constantly learning is an excellent way for you to stay happy and feel more positive about your days, and by curating your feed on the social media platforms, you’ll be surprised at how much knowledge you can pick up in just a few days.

8. Find Communities With Shared Experiences on Social Media

Feeling part of a tribe or group of people is something you likely have experienced at various points in your life. Humans are social animals, and you will benefit from feeling part of a community that understands and relates to you.

Social media can be a great way to find a community with a shared experience. You may find that real-life friends that don’t share your experience may not be able to relate to you in the way that you’d like. This is especially true if you are in the minority or suffer from a disability. In many cases, online communities can be great for providing you with that camaraderie.

9. Social Media Helps Establish Your Personal Brand

A significant benefit of social media is that you can use it to establish your brand. This allows you to monetize your social media accounts and demonstrate your expertise in a particular subject, promote your profits, and more. While using certain platforms just for personal use is fine, you’re missing out by not at least dipping your toe into using social media for professional gain.

Related:How to Grow Your Personal Brand on Social Media

LinkedIn isn’t the only place where you can do this; Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Reddit are all viable options amongst other platforms. In many cases, this gives your profile a focus, and you will find that by putting more into social media, you get more out of it, which can open the door for multiple opportunities.

Social Media Can Be Good for You

Social media doesn’t have to be all negative. While there are negative aspects to all social media platforms, you can stick to those that offer you the most value and enrich your life rather than drain it.

If you’re looking to give social media a more conscious try, you should have a look at the top social media platforms around and pick the ones that seem the most appealing to you.