

The Electric Typewriter
10 great articles and essays about social media, #manhunt by james gleick, small change by malcolm gladwell, look out, it’s instagram envy by sarah nicole pricket, #riot by bill wasik, what defines a meme by james gleick, the meme generation by matt labash, sex, love and relationships, like. flirt. ghost. by mary h. k. choi, say everything by emily nussbaum, all my exes live in texts by maureen o'connor, why kids sext by hanna rosin, see also…, 50 great articles about computers and the internet, 100 great articles about science and technology.

Facebook: An End to Endings? by Paul Ford
Is facebook making us lonely by stephen marche, subscribe to our email newsletter.
Homepage H1 can go here

Writing for Social Media in 2023: Tips and Tools
Writing for social media takes talent, creativity, focus, and a deep understanding of your audience. Here are a few tips to help you get started.
Writing for social media is not an easy job.
You work with strict character limits and tight turnarounds. You speak the language of memes and microtrends that your boss and coworkers might not understand. You have to quickly — and wittily — react to trending topics. And, if you ever publish a post with a typo, people will notice and call you out. (Looking at you, Twitter meanies.)
But it’s also fun and rewarding. Great content can help you start inspiring conversations, build engaged communities, create buzz around your brand, and even directly influence sales.
Keep reading for expert tips and tools that will help you become a more confident and effective social media writer in no time .
Bonus: Download The Wheel of Copy , a free visual guide to crafting persuasive headlines, emails, ads and calls to action . Save time and write copy that sells!
What is social media content writing?
Social media content writing is the process of writing content for social media audiences, usually across multiple major social media platforms . It can include writing short captions for TikTok or Instagram Reels, long-form LinkedIn articles, and everything in between.
Writing for social media is different from writing for blogs and websites — it requires expert knowledge of social platforms and their audiences, trends, and inside jokes.
Social media writing is a crucial element of any brand’s social presence. It can make or break a campaign or your entire social media marketing strategy. When done right, social writing directly influences engagement and conversions, and contributes to strategic business goals.
7 social media writing tips for 2022
The tips below will help you create content that will inspire your target audience to interact with you, take action, or simply spend a few seconds contemplating what they just read.
Try some (or all) of these in your next 10 social media posts to build good habits and strengthen your writing muscle. You’ll be amazed at how clear you’ll write, and how you’ll zero in on your voice.
1. Just start writing (you’ll edit later)
Writer’s block is real, but there’s an easy way to blast past it: Just start writing without overthinking it.
Start typing whatever comes to mind and forget about sentence structure, spelling, and punctuation (for a moment). Just keep your fingers moving and power through any blockages. Editing will come later.
This is how John Swartzwelder, legendary Simpsons writer, wrote scripts for the show :
“Since writing is very hard and rewriting is comparatively easy and rather fun, I always write my scripts all the way through as fast as I can, the first day, if possible, putting in crap jokes and pattern dialogue […]. Then the next day, when I get up, the script’s been written. It’s lousy, but it’s a script. The hard part is done. It’s like a crappy little elf has snuck into my office and badly done all my work for me, and then left with a tip of his crappy hat. All I have to do from that point on is fix it.”
2. Speak the language of social media
This, of course, means different things on different platforms.
Eileen Kwok, Social Marketing Coordinator at Hootsuite thinks it’s absolutely crucial to “have a good understanding of what language speaks to your target audience. Every channel serves a different purpose, so the copy needs to vary.”
Wondering what that looks like, exactly, on Hootsuite’s own social media channels? “LinkedIn, for example, is a space for working professionals, so we prioritize educational and thought leadership content on the platform. Our audience on TikTok is more casual, so we give them videos that speak to the fun and authentic side of our brand.”
But this advice goes beyond picking the right content categories and post types for each network. It really comes down to the language you use.
Eileen says: “On most channels, you’ll want to spell-check everything and make sure you’re grammatically correct — but those rules don’t apply for TikTok. Having words in all caps for dramatic effect, using emojis instead of words, and even the misspelling of words all serves the playful nature of the app.”
You can go ahead and show this to your boss the next time they don’t want to approve a TikTok caption mentioning Dula Peep or using absolutely no punctuation.

Big news! An AI caption writer for Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn is coming to Hootsuite. Join our mailing list and be the first to know more.
3. Make your posts accessible
As a social media writer, you should make sure that everyone in your audience can enjoy your posts.
Nick Martin, Social Listening and Engagement Strategist at Hootsuite told me: “When writing for social media, accessibility is something you should be keeping in mind. Some of your followers may use screen-readers, and a post that is full of emojis would be nearly unreadable for them.”
Unintelligible posts won’t help you reach your social media goals. In fact, they might turn people away from your brand altogether.
“The same goes for when you share an image that has text on it,” Nick adds. “You’ll want to make sure you write alt-text for that image so all of your audience can enjoy it.”
Here’s a great example of how you can have fun writing creative and entertaining alt-text for your social post’s accompanying images:
Self-care routines and bear encounters both start with setting boundaries pic.twitter.com/reul7uausI — Washington State Dept. of Natural Resources (@waDNR) September 20, 2022
4. Keep it simple
Imagine you’re writing to an 8th grader. Like, actually .
This is a simple but super effective exercise that will force you to write clearly and ditch any unnecessary jargon that would likely only confuse your readers.
“Drive innovation.”
“Become a disruptor.”
LinkedIn, in particular, is home to some of the most over-used, under-effective statements of all time. And sure, it’s a “businessy” social media channel. But business people are, well, people too. And people respond well to succinct, clear copy — not overused buzzwords with little to no real meaning behind them.
To connect with your audience, you have to speak a language they understand. Say something real. Use plain language and short sentences. Practice on your niece, mom, or friend, and see if they get your message.
5. Write to the reader
Your social media audience isn’t dying to find out what your company is up to or what’s important to you (unless it’s super relevant). They want to know what’s in it for them. That’s why you should always write from the readers’ perspective. Make them the hero.
So, instead of posting a boring list of features that have just been added to your product, tell your audience how their life will improve if they use it.
Sometimes, “standing out” is nothing more than writing from the reader’s point of view — because most of your competitors don’t.
6. Have a clear purpose
… and write that purpose down at the top of your draft to keep your mind on the target while you write.
What action do you want the reader to take? Do you want them to leave a comment or click through to your website? Whatever it is, make it clear in a CTA (call to action).
Note that a CTA doesn’t have to be a button or any other super explicit, easily identifiable element within your post. It can be as simple as an engaging question within your caption, or a sentence telling your audience why they should click on the link in your bio.
7. Use (the right) pictures to enhance your words
This one speaks for itself. (One image is worth a thousand words, anyone?)
We’ve already talked about the importance of adding alt-text to images for accessibility, but the images you pick are very important.
Some networks rely on words more than they do on images and videos. But whenever possible (and relevant), you should try to include visuals in your posts — they’re much more effective at grabbing the attention of scrollers than words. And without that attention, your words won’t get a chance to shine.

Everything you need to make engaging content. Post templates, an AI hashtag generator, and access to Canva and Grammarly Pro in Hootsuite.
4 writing tools for social media
1. grammarly in hootsuite composer.
Good for: Making your writing clear, effective, and correct.
Cost: Included in Hootsuite Pro plans and higher
Did you know that you can use Grammarly right in your Hootsuite dashboard, even if you don’t have a Grammarly account?
With Grammarly’s real-time suggestions for correctness, clarity, and tone, you can write better social posts faster — and never worry about publishing a typo again. (We’ve all been there.)
To start using Grammarly in your Hootsuite dashboard:
- Log in to your Hootsuite account.
- Head to the Composer.
- Start typing.
That’s it!
When Grammarly detects a writing improvement, it will immediately make a new word, phrase, or punctuation suggestion. It will also analyze the style and tone of your copy in real-time and recommend edits that you can make with just one click.

Try for free
To edit your caption with Grammarly, hover your mouse over the underlined fragment. Then, click Accept to make the changes.
Learn more about using Grammarly in Hootsuite.
2. Hemingway app
Good for: Writing anything succinctly and clearly.
Cost: Free in your browser, one-time $19.99 payment for the desktop app.

The Hemingway app will make you a better, more engaging writer. It flags over-complicated words and phrases, long sentences, unnecessary adverbs, passive voice, and so much more. It also gives you a readability score.
Pro tip: On the Hootsuite editorial team, we always aim for grade 6 readability. Some topics are simply a bit complicated, so stay flexible and don’t beat yourself up if you’re not always able to reach this benchmark — but it’s a good score to shoot for.
Here’s how it works:
- Write your copy.
- Paste it into Hemingway’s online editor .
- Visually see what works and what doesn’t.
- Make your changes.
- Watch your score improve!
Good for: Distraction-free writing.
Cost: Free.

There’s plenty of clutter in life. ZenPen is one small corner of the distraction-free-universe to help you write without outside interference.
- Go to zenpen.io .
- Start writing posts for social.
- Enjoy the noise-free editor until you’re done.
4. Lately + Hootsuite
Good for: Automatically generating social captions from other text (e.g. blog posts).
Cost: Plans start at $14.99
Lately is an AI content creation tool for social media marketers. When integrated with Hootsuite, it learns which key words and phrases drive the most engagement with your audience and automatically creates content based on those insights.
Lately can also take existing long-form content, like blog posts, and break it down into multiple headlines and short content pieces for social, all designed to maximize response.
As you review and edit the content, the AI continues to learn, so your automatically generated content will get better and better over time.
Compose, schedule, and publish your expertly written posts to all the major social media channels from one dashboard using Hootsuite. Try it free today.
Get Started
Boost engagement and save time with a hashtag generator, post templates, Canva, and Grammarly Pro in Hootsuite.
Related Articles

7 AI-Powered Content Creation Tools for Social Media Managers
AI-powered content creation tools can't replace great writers — but they help writers and marketers save time and use their skills for more strategic aspects of content creation.

Your 2023 Guide to Social Media Content Creation
Find out how to build an effective social media content creation process and learn about the tools that will make creating content easier.

How to Create a Social Media Marketing Strategy in 9 Easy Steps (Free Template)
Creating your social media marketing strategy doesn’t need to be painful. Create an effective plan for your business in 9 simple steps.

How To Create a Social Media Calendar [2023 Guide]
Social media content calendars are the best way to plan and organize your content. Build one in 4 easy steps or use our free template.

Well this is awkward.
We could have SWORN you were someone who wanted to grow on social media and beat your competitors. Our bad. We’ll just leave this 60-day free trial here for someone else then…

Free 60-Day Trial
- Skip to primary navigation
- Skip to content
FreelanceWriting
Established Since 1997
Freelance Writing Jobs
Writing contests, make money writing, hottest topics, we have 8 articles in social media writing.

Why Social Media is the Most Convenient Way to Market Brands
In social media marketing, communication and collaboration with the Internet users plays a vital role in marketing ones brand. Some important tools of...

5 Types of Companies to Approach for SEO Writing Jobs
Any good SEO company will need to be involved with content writing at some point if they are going to get high rankings for their clients. In many ways...

4 Guidelines to Power Social Brand Building
Public relations specialists were among the first few to understand the power of social media, making them leaders in the social space. Along with handling...

Freelance Writers: How to Add Social Media to Your Freelance Writing Business
A personal account of how one freelance writer added Social Media Writing to their business, and how you can too.

Social Media: How to Use Geographic Targeting to Attract Clients
From location-based tweets, to Facebook geotagging, Google Places and Four Square: read about how to use Social Media geo targets to attract clients.

Mastering Social Media in Today's Freelance Writing Marketplace
Today's writing marketplace is a minefield of yesterday's query space debris and tomorrow's tech savvy go-getter. Staying one to two steps ahead of the game...

7 Ways to Increase Your Writing Range and Raise Your Income
Here are seven strategies you can use to increase your writing range and boost your income potential in the process.

Eleven Unusual Cures for Writer's Block That Actually Worked
Take a cue from famous and uncelebrated writers alike in adopting one of these unusual cures for writer's block that do actually work.
Submit New Contest
You can pick more than one
How can people enter your contest? Choose the best option.
Thanks for your submission!
FreelanceWriting.com hosts some of the most talented freelance writers on the web, so you’ve come to the right place to find contestants. We are proud to post your contest here, free of charge. Please come back and submit a new contest anytime!
Submit New Job
Choose the best option.
We only accept jobs that pay. When posting a job ad, you MUST include a salary, payment terms, or rate, otherwise we will reject your ad.
If you want make a change or wish to remove your job ad in the future, please email [email protected]
We strive to be the best source of freelance writing jobs on the web, and we maintain our quality thanks to employers like you. Please continue to submit jobs early and often!
Don't miss tomorrow's social media industry news
Let Social Media Today's free newsletter keep you informed, straight from your inbox.

How to Write Articles That Go Viral

1. Understand Market Trends in Social Media
You should always check out what topics are hot on social media. You might be writing an article about a product, service, fiction or nonfiction. Regardless of what it is, it will need to be relevant today, or on the verge of being important tomorrow. Most people do not want to read about something they already know about. Quite frankly, people try to avoid this type of content because they feel it is simply rehashed in order to tell them the same thing already done before to game some search engine traffic. There are excellent tools available like Twitter Trends and Google Trends that will help you understand market buzz, and by using these resources - you can try to write relevant information based on what is popular today, or likely to be tomorrow. Also learn when is the best time to publish a blog post based on your target market.
2. Write Longer In-depth Content

3. Choose an Effective Title and Keywords
Based on the information you've discovered in your market trends and tools like Google Keywords , you'll want to choose effective keywords that will help people find the articles you write. These keywords will guide targeted relevant traffic to those articles. By choosing the right type of keywords, you will effectively bring people to your articles that are willing to share them on their social networks. Also having a killer title is important to bait users into clicking on your article. This is extremely effective if you are writing about social subjects which people simply love to search for and share.
4. Understand Keyword Density
Do not try to overcrowd your articles with keywords simply because you want to draw in traffic. If you practice this method, you may find out that you will have the reverse effect. Most search engines and people on social networks will do everything possible to avoid this type of content. Your content must read naturally, with feeling, and give the person reading it a reason to share it with their friends on their respective social media network (sort of taking ownership of your articles views publicly).
5. Make Your Content Interesting and Emotional

6. Allow Your Content to be Easily Skimmed
According to Nielson , users have time to read at most 28% of the words during an average web page visit; where 20% is more likely. Use a thumb image at the top of your articles to make the opening passage easier to digest and encouraging your readers to continue reading further.
7. Don't Stuff Your Content With Keywords
Keyword stuffing and keyword density is almost considered the same thing. However, it's not. Keyword density is when the keyword is found too close to another. Keyword stuffing is when you have the same keyword mentioned over and over again in the same article. Most intelligent readers do not want to read articles that contain the same word over and over again. Pay attention to what you're writing so you can build interest which translates into your article going viral. Virality happens in an instant by sparking interest on social media, not from gaming search engines which lead to a slower accumulation of traffic anyways over a longer period of time.
8. Under Promise and Over Deliver on What You're Writing About

9. Share That @#$&
Get your post out there to as many relevant social networks and communities as possible. Recently we took a look at creating multiple entry points into your content by sharing on the major social networks and importantly niche communities like Social Media Today to help build buzz around your great content. You also need to make sure your articles have optimal sharing buttons and cool images attached making it easy for people to share your work.
10. Ask For Feedback
Lastly, you'll want to test your article to make sure it is worthy content. You can do this by sending your article to several individuals that you trust for a little constructive criticism. This helps to ensure that you aren't writing something that is completely boring for other people to read or with errors. Also ask your audience for feedback. One of the greatest ways to build traction and engagement with your content is to get your audience involved. You now have 10 tips to create articles that go viral on social media. By utilizing these strategies on a consistent basis, you will find that your content will not only go viral, but may even be picked up by some larger news outlets only adding fuel to your fire.
Based on rule #10, I have to end this with a question or I'd be breaking my own set of rules :) However, I'd be really interested to hear about what type of strategies you might be using to successfully go viral on social media?
Social Media Today news delivered to your inbox
Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts
- Select user consent: By signing up to receive our newsletter, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . You can unsubscribe at anytime.

Editors' pick

The Complete Elon Musk–Twitter Saga
For months, we’ve been tracking Elon Musk’s $44 billion deal with Twitter. Now that the deal is done, we watch as the Musk-Twitter era begins.
Company Announcements

Want to share a company announcement with your peers?
Get started ➔


Essay on Social Media: Effects, Importance, Advantages, Disadvantages

Social media means any human communication or sharing of information on the internet that occurs through a computer, tablet, or mobile medium. Numerous websites and apps make it possible. Social media is now becoming one of the largest means of communication and rapidly gaining popularity. Social media enables you to share ideas, content, information, news, etc., faster. Essay on Social Media.
Social media has grown tremendously quickly in the last few years and has captured millions of users worldwide. Here are essays on social media of varying word lengths to help you with the same in your exam. You can select any social media essay as per your need:
Register to Get Free Mock Test and Study Material
Verify OTP Code (required)
I agree to the terms and conditions and privacy policy .
Fill complete details
Target Exam ---
Long and Short Essay on Social Media in English
- We have provided below short and long essays on social media in English.
- These social media essays will improve your knowledge of the subject and make you aware of its pros and cons.
- After reading the essays, you will be able to explain the meaning of social media and its various constituents, its advantages and disadvantages, etc.
- You can use these social media essays in your school’s and the college’s several essay writing, speech and debate competitions, etc.
Essay on Social Media and its Impact – Essay 1 (200 Words)
We live in an age where information is just a button press away. Although we are swayed by information all around us. We millennials want to know, read, understand and then speak our minds about it. That is where social media comes into play. Social media is one of the most significant elements we live with, and we cannot ignore it.
It is a collection of websites, applications, and other platforms that enable us to share or create content and also help us to participate in social networking. Social media is not limited to blogging and sharing pictures; there are a lot of solid tools also that social media provides. That is because the impact of social media is very high and far-reaching. It can make or break images.
But social media is a topic of controversy today, many feel it’s a boon, but a majority think it is a curse. Most believe social media has rapidly destroyed human interaction and modified modern human relationships. But others feel it is a blessing connecting us to every part of the world; we can meet our loved ones far, spread awareness, send security warnings, etc. There is a lot that social media can do. But it is an unarguable fact that social media has made our lives convenient, easier, and much faster.
Essay on Positive and Negative Effects of Social Media – Essay 2 (300 Words)
Introduction.
Social media plays a significant role in our lives today. We have access to any information at just a button push away. Anything that is so vastly expanded has both positives and negatives. The power of social media is very high and affects each individual. It isn’t easy to imagine our lives with social media today, and we pay the price for excessive use. There is a lot of debate about the effects of social media on society as a whole. Some feel it’s a boon, while others think it is a curse.
Positive Effects of Social Media
Social media allows the social growth of society and also helps many businesses. It provides tools like social media marketing to reach millions of potential clients. We can easily access information and get news through social media. Social media is an excellent tool for creating awareness about any social cause. Employers can reach out to potential job seekers. It can help many individuals grow socially and interact with the world without a hitch. Many people use social media to make themselves heard by the higher authorities. It can also help you meet like-minded people.

Adverse Effects of Social Media
Many physiatrists believe that social media is a single factor causing depression and anxiety. It is also a cause of poor mental growth in children. Increased use of social media can lead to poor sleeping patterns. Many other adverse effects include cyberbullying, body image issues, etc. There is an increased ‘Fear of Missing out (FOMO) at an all-time high in youth because of social media.
Conclusion :
One must carefully weigh the positives and the negatives before engaging excessively in social media. If used correctly, social media can be a boon for humanity.
Essay on Social Media Impact on Youth – Essay 3 (400 Words)
We cannot ignore that social media is one of the biggest elements present in our lives today. We can quickly get information and talk to anyone in any corner of the world. The youth is the future of our nation; they can make or break the economy. Social media is one of the most engaging elements in their lives today. It has a far-reaching impact on the youth, as they are the most active on social networking sites. Social media has a far-reaching impact on the youth, as they are the most active on social networking sites.
Social Network Impact on Youth
It’s a fad these days to be on social networking sites. If you do not have a digital presence, then for some people, you do not exist. The ever-rising pressure of being on social networking sites and having an impressive profile affects the youth in a big way. According to statistics, the average number of hours a teenager spends online is 72 hours per week.
This is very high considering that they have to give time to study, physical activities, and other beneficial activities like reading. It leaves little time for other things; hence, serious issues arise, like lack of attention span, minimum focus, anxiety, and complex issues. We now have more virtual friends than real ones, and we lose human-to-human connections daily. Other dangers include leaking personal information to strangers, sex offenders, etc. There are some positive effects.
Are you looking for JEE Study Material 2023 ? Infinity Learn offers comprehensive study material for your JEE preparation.
Positive Impacts of Social Media-
- It is a good tool for education.
- It can create awareness for many social issues.
- There is a fast transfer of information online, so the users can stay well informed.
- It can also be used as a news medium.
- There are a few social benefits like communication with long-distance friends and relatives.
- It can provide great employment opportunities online.
We agree that social networks have positive impacts, but like everything else, it also has cons.
There are many negative impacts also:
Negative Impacts of Social Media-
- Enables cheating in exams
- Dropping of grades and performance of students
- Lack of privacy
- Users are vulnerable to cyber crimes like hacking, identity theft, phishing crimes, etc.
There are undoubtedly positive and negative aspects, but users should use their discretion in social networking. As a student, you must balance everything, like studies, sports, and social media, to live a fuller life.
Essay on the Importance of Social Media in Education – Essay 4 (500 Words)
This is the age of smartphones and microblogging. Everything that we need to know is just a click away. Social media is the most widely used tool by all age groups today but is more popular among the youth and students. Keeping this in mind, researchers feel that social media can play a very important part in education. It can be used to reach out to many students and be highly effective.
Many academic thinkers feel social media is a deteriorating agent for students, but it can be highly effective if used wisely. Instead of arguing that social media is good or bad, we must find ways to use it for our benefit. How can social media be used to our advantage in education? Let’s try and answer this.
Importance of Social Media in Education
Today platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., are most widely used by( both) teachers, professors, and students, and they have become quite popular among them. Social media plays a very important role for students as it makes it easier for them to access and share information, get answers and connect with teachers. Students and teachers can connect and share content through social media platforms, using these platforms well.
Social Media Importance are the following-
Live Lectures :
Many professors are conducting live video chats on skype, Twitter, and other places for their lectures. This makes it easy for students and teachers to learn and share while just sitting in their homes. How easy and convenient education can be with the help of social media.
Increased support :
Since we use social media at our disposal at any hour of the day, teachers can provide off-hours support and solve queries of students even after class timings. This practice also helps the teacher understand their students’ development more closely.
Easy work :
Many educators feel that social media makes work easier for students. It also helps the teacher expand and explore their own possibilities//skills// and knowledge.
More disciplined :
The classes conducted on social media platforms are more disciplined and structured, as we know that everyone is watching.
Teaching aids :
Social media can help students nourish their knowledge with many teaching aids available online. Students can watch videos, see images, check out reviews and instantly clear their doubts while watching the live processes. Students and teachers can make their lectures more interesting using these tools and teaching aids.
Teaching Blogs and write-ups:
Students can enhance their knowledge by reading blogs, articles, and write-ups by renowned teachers, professors, and thinkers. This way, good content can reach a wide audience.
It cannot be denied that social media can improve education and create smart students if used wisely.
Essay on Social Media: Importance, Advantages, Disadvantages – Essay 5 (600 Words)
Social media remains the most talked about thing these days. Many debates are going on regarding whether social media is good or bad. Many views are available to us, and it is up to us to read and understand them properly and reach a conclusion.
Importance of Social Media
Social media platforms help their users to connect, share and give information and content to millions of others. The importance of social media cannot be ignored since it plays a crucial role in our lives today.
- Building a brand: Today, quality content, products, and services are easily accessible online. You can market your product online and build a brand.
- Customer support: Customers can read reviews and feedback before buying a product or service and make a smart choice.
- Social media is a great educational tool.
- Through social media platforms, you can connect with your target audience.
- It is also a great way to access quality information.
- Social media can help you get the news and happenings in just a click.
- Social media also helps you connect with friends and relatives and make new friends.
Prepare for NEET 2023 Exam with the Result-Oriented Learning Program at Infinity Learn
Advantages of Social Media :
Social media comes with a lot of advantages. We can owe a substantial part of our society’s growth to social media. We have witnessed a blast of information and content in the last few years and cannot deny the power of social media in our lives.
Social media is widely used to create awareness for important causes in society. It can also help many noble causes run by NGOs and other social welfare societies. Social media can also aid the government in other agencies to spread awareness and fight crime. It is a strong tool for business promotion and marketing for many businesses. Many communities are built through social media platforms essential for our society’s growth.
Disadvantages of Social Media :
Social media is considered one of the most harmful in our lives. Wrong use can lead to bad conclusions. There are many disadvantages of social media:
- Cyberbullying: many children have become the victims of cyberbullying that has caused them a lot of harm.
- Hacking: The loss of personal data can lead to security issues. Some crimes like identity theft and bank details theft can harm any individual.
- Addiction: Prolonged use of social media can lead to addiction in youth. Addiction causes one to lose focus on other important things like studying etc. People get so absorbed that they get cut off from society and harm their personal lives.
- Scams: Many predators are looking for vulnerable users that they can scam and make a profit off.
- Relationship frauds: Honeytraps and MMS porn are the most caused fraud online. People are lured into relationships and love schemes and then cheated on.
- Health issues: The excessive use of social media can affect your physical and mental health in a big way. People often complain of becoming lazy, fat, having itchy eyes, loss of vision, and stress issues after excessive use.
- Loss of social and family life: Everyone being busy on the phone is one of the most common sites in a family gathering nowadays.
We have millions of users worldwide that use social media daily. There is a mixed bag of reactions regarding it. It has a lot of importance and advantages but also brings some hazards.
Related Information:
- Essay on Social Media Addiction
- Essay on Technology
- Essay on Newspaper
Download NCERT Solutions for Class 11 for free on Infinity Learn
Related content

- About Project
- Testimonials
Business Management Ideas

Essay on Social Media
List of essays on social media in english, essay on social media – essay 1 (100 words), essay on social media: benefits and drawbacks – essay 2 (250 words), essay on social media – essay 3 (250 words), essay on social media – advantages and disadvantages – essay 4 (500 words), essay on social media: effects, pros, cons and importance of social media – essay 5 (1000 words).
For this very purpose, we have prepared short essays for students as well as long essays in order to throw light on this very important topic. The students shall definitely find them useful in their studies as well.
Selected Essays on Social Media: Introduction, Advantages, Disadvantages and Effects of Social Media.
Social media is a very controversial topic of discussion today as it can be argued to be both a blessing and a curse to our generation. Most people are of the opinion that the social media has brought down and destroyed every iota of physical human interaction at a very alarming rate and has changed how we view human relationships in this modern time. There are a lot of others with the opinion that social media has help improve and given us better options and ways of staying connected to those we love wherever they are in the world and we can disseminate news and information quicker through social media.
The biggest revolution in the history of communication is Social Media and this started a completely new era altogether. Every platform that enables us to communicate and socialize locally and globally is a Social media platform. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram and Whatsapp are its many avatars.
Social media allows us to fellowship with people from all corners of the world. It gives us a sense of a global community where we are no more divided by political powers but united by our thoughts and interests. We can always keep in touch with people from all walks of our life – a boon that seemed impossible until social media showed up.
It gives the common man a platform to voice with complete freedom of expression, be it for supporting a cause or for addressing a national or international issue of any sensitivity. Business prospects and job opportunities gear up as social media is a stage with global audience to showcase our talents.
The biggest drawback of Social media is that it is highly addictive to almost every person using it. It has altered our sense of reality such that in priding the global connectivity it offers, we forget to connect with the people around us and grow emotionally distant. This obsession of being glued to our gadget screens all day brings with it an array of health disorders and is the main cause of stress, depression, anxiety and sleeplessness.
Social Media has expanded the horizons of communication more than ever and has changed the pace of life forever. While eliminating Social media from our lives is out of question, its usage can be moderated by limiting our time on it.
Introduction:
The term ‘ Social Media’ generated a great buzz in the world of internet users upon its arrival and soon became a huge thunder that was heard in every nook and corner of the world. Social Media is considered a technological marvel and a boon to mankind.
Lots and lots are heard about social media every day. So what is it and what makes it so important?
Simply put, ‘Social Medias are web-based platforms that allow users to interact with each other’. Social media websites enable users to create and share information. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Reddit, Instagram, Pinterest are few examples of leading social media websites.
Every technological invention has its own merits and de-merits; Social media is no exception.
Let’s look at some of the positives and negatives of using social media:-
Social Media has become the first and foremost medium for creating awareness among people for any social cause. This is an excellent medium for networking.
Social Media Websites has the ability to reach millions of people across nations in an unimaginable time frame.
Social Media Marketing is currently the most widely used strategies by many companies to improve their business.
Disadvantages
Addictive use of social media is found to be the main cause of depression among many people. It disrupts the sleeping patterns in adults and may also lessen the mental growth of children.
Social Media hacks are a great threat to one’s personal information .
Social media started off as a fashion trend among youth but today it has emerged as a medium that influences Presidential elections.
If used in the right way, Social Media has the ability to make our lives easier and convenient.
How many followers do you have on Instagram? Did you check her WhatsApp status? Why does he not like my pictures on Facebook? Well, these are some conversations friends usually have. Social Media is nothing for them, but still, it is everything for them. 21st generation is growing with Good mornings in social media and Goodnight through social media. Social Media has created a significant impact on people irrespective of gender and age difference.
Is Social Media making you fast-forward?
There are times when people think that youngsters or someone who is not accessing any social media are usually renegades in their thoughts and opinions. But, is that really true? Does, being on social media decide our views and opinions? It simply makes people think a lot more than what they should actually think about anyone. Based on that note, Social media has a bunch of advantages as well.
Advantages of Social Media
I. You can always keep connected to your loved ones. In today’s world, one cannot imagine meeting their loved ones every single day. Social media has made this process a lot easier by Video Callings and much more stuff.
II. Showcase your extraordinary talent. People usually search for platforms to showcase their talent. After, social media has come into existence there are a lot of people who have grabbed fame by their talent and hard work. It is literally not possible on any other platform.
III. Catching people with identical interests. Many people have the same thoughts, opinions and thinking. But, they seem to be disconnected because they don’t have a common medium to interact. Social media is a place where you can find someone who is of your type and have think pattern of your same wavelength. Finding such people often make our lives happier and much more comfortable.
IV. Who thought that earning money can be so easy? Social media has this one big advantage that people can make money by selling clothes, pieces of jewelry and many more things, beyond our imagination. Social media is not limited to buying and selling. There are bloggers, scholars who earn handsome money only through social media. Isn’t that great?
Disadvantages of Social Media
I. Not every information may be correct here. Social media is a platform which holds all news about almost everyone. However, it is not important that every single information which has conveyed through social media should be accurate. There are times when people receive wrong information only through this medium and spread like wildfire.
II. You meet new people, but they are majorly not real ones. Being on social media platform looks very cool and surprising to people. But, the inside reality is always behind the curtain every time. It is one place which makes you meet so many fake people. Not everyone you bond with is a genuine person. Many relationships have the signature of social media contribution and more than that major heartbreaks are also happening on social media.
III. It is good until you become addicted to social media. The social media addiction or sedation is real. People, especially youngsters go crazy on this platform. Their day usually begins with Social Media and ends by 2, or 3 am on social media, which is pathetic and life spoiling.
No doubt, Social Media is a great link to connect with people and maintain healthy relationships. However, social media comes along with some disadvantages as well which are beyond your control. So, with that, one must always be careful while connecting with people on social media. Try to be minimal in social media and share less of your personal information on any account. By keeping a calculated approach and maintaining your sensitive information, you can enjoy social media to the fullest.
One of the most common terms we come across these days is social media. Somehow, it has become an integral part of our daily lives and in fact many people in the world today as just obsessed with it. A combination of two words, “social” referring to the sharing of information and data with others and “media” refers to the medium of communication, the internet being the most preferred nowadays, the social media is something which has affected almost everyone today. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Wikipedia, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Reddit happen to the most popular social media platforms today.
Effects of Social Media:
Every tool has its own share of effects on the society. Social media is also not far behind and has, in fact, affected our society to a larger extent, both in positive as well as in a negative manner. Additionally, though it may sound weird, social media has affected the health of the people as well. There are various ways that social media can have an effect on your wellbeing. For instance, Individuals who are dependent via web-based networking media may encounter negative symptoms, for example, eye strain, social withdrawal or absence of rest. Also, in the event that you invest your energy on social media for exploring issues or contending with individuals, you may encounter pressure, which can negatively affect your wellbeing.
Pros / Advantages of Social Media:
It is not only the ill effect on health which the social media has had on us. There some advantages to its credit as well.
Availability – The first and fundamental preferred standpoint of social media is the network. Individuals from anyplace can associate with anybody. No matter which religion or area you belong to, the magnificence of social media based life is that you can interface with anybody to learn and share your thoughts.
Education – Social media has a considerable measure of advantages for the students and instructors. It is anything but difficult to teach from other people who are specialists and experts by means of online life. You can follow anybody to gain from him/her and improve your insight into any field. Despite your area or education, you can teach yourself, and that too without paying for it.
Help – You can impart your issues to the network to get help and energy. Regardless of whether it is helping in term of cash or in term of counsel, you can get it from the network you are associated with.
Information and Updates – The fundamental preferred standpoint of the social media-based life is that you refresh yourself from the most recent happenings around on the planet. More often than not, Television and print media nowadays is one-sided and does not pass on the genuine message. With the assistance of web-based life, you can get the certainties and genuine data by doing some research.
Brand Promotion – Whether you have a disconnected business or on the web, you can elevate your business to the biggest gathering of people. You have the access to the whole world and you can reach out to anyone you feel fit. This makes the organizations gainful and more affordable, on the grounds that the greater part of the costs made over a business is for publicizing and advancement.
Noble Cause – Social media can likewise be utilized for honourable motivations. For instance, to advance an NGO, social welfare exercises and gifts for the penniless individuals can be boosted using social media. Individuals are utilizing online life for a gift for destitute individuals and it very well may be a speedy method to encourage such individuals.
Awareness – Social media additionally make mindfulness and develop the manner in which individuals live. It is the web-based life which has helped individuals find new and inventive stuff that can upgrade individual lives. From ranchers to educators, understudies to legal advisors each person of the general public can profit by the web-based life and its mindfulness factor.
Cons / Disadvantages of Social Media:
Social media has a good share in negatively impacting us as well on various grounds. The most affected of the lot is considered to the teens who are also considered as the most vulnerable ones.
Cyberbullying – it is considered that a large portion of the youngsters has progressed toward becoming casualties of the cyberbullying due to the excessive due to the excessive use of social media. Since anybody can make a phoney record and do anything without being followed, it has turned out to be very simple for anybody to menace on the Internet. Dangers, terrorizing messages and bits of gossip can be sent to the majority to make uneasiness and mayhem in the general public.
Hacking – Personal information and security, which is so readily available on social media platforms can without much of a stretch be hacked and shared on the internet. On previous occasions as well, some facebook, as well as twitter accounts, have been hacked allowing the hacker to post information and data that have influenced the lives of many people. This is one of the risky impediments of the web-based life and each client is encouraged to guard their own information and records to evade such mishaps.
Other negative impacts of social media are an addiction, Social security issues and frauds.
Importance of Social Media
Despite there a being a host of negative issues of social media, it still is very important for society as a whole due to a large number of benefits it is associated with.
Social media is effortlessly available and it’s additionally the gathering purpose of the present web intelligent group of onlookers. Social media also opens potential outcomes of direct access to customers with no outsider intercession. Moreover, promoting through social media is pretty inexpensive when contrasted with expenses caused by print, TV or other customary media.
Whether social media is a boon or a curse, is a matter of debate. However, one thing which cannot be denied is that it too difficult to abstain from it. The advantages of being connected to people and keeping yourself updated have undoubtedly made our lives faster, happier and convenient at the same time. The challenges which come along with social media can somehow be kept aside and we can definitely move forward with the advancement it has provided in our daily lives.
Social Media
Get FREE Work-at-Home Job Leads Delivered Weekly!

Join more than 50,000 subscribers receiving regular updates! Plus, get a FREE copy of How to Make Money Blogging!
Message from Sophia!

Like this post? Don’t forget to share it!
Here are a few recommended articles for you to read next:
- Essay on Success
- Essay on My Best Friend
- Essay on Solar Energy
- Essay on Christmas
No comments yet.
Leave a reply click here to cancel reply..
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Billionaires
- Donald Trump
- Warren Buffett
- Email Address
- Free Stock Photos
- Keyword Research Tools
- URL Shortener Tools
- WordPress Theme
Book Summaries
- How To Win Friends
- Rich Dad Poor Dad
- The Code of the Extraordinary Mind
- The Luck Factor
- The Millionaire Fastlane
- The ONE Thing
- Think and Grow Rich
- 100 Million Dollar Business
- Business Ideas
Digital Marketing
- Mobile Addiction
- Social Media Addiction
- Computer Addiction
- Drug Addiction
- Internet Addiction
- TV Addiction
- Healthy Habits
- Morning Rituals
- Wake up Early
- Cholesterol
- Reducing Cholesterol
- Fat Loss Diet Plan
- Reducing Hair Fall
- Sleep Apnea
- Weight Loss
Internet Marketing
- Email Marketing
Law of Attraction
- Subconscious Mind
- Vision Board
- Visualization
Law of Vibration
- Professional Life
Motivational Speakers
- Bob Proctor
- Robert Kiyosaki
- Vivek Bindra
- Inner Peace
Productivity
- Not To-do List
- Project Management Software
- Negative Energies
Relationship
- Getting Back Your Ex
Self-help 21 and 14 Days Course
Self-improvement.
- Body Language
- Complainers
- Emotional Intelligence
- Personality
- Project Management
- Anik Singal
- Baba Ramdev
- Dwayne Johnson
- Jackie Chan
- Leonardo DiCaprio
- Narendra Modi
- Nikola Tesla
- Sachin Tendulkar
- Sandeep Maheshwari
- Shaqir Hussyin
Website Development
Wisdom post, worlds most.
- Expensive Cars
Our Portals: Gulf Canada USA Italy Gulf UK
Privacy Overview
B.A. in Digital Marketing
Writing for Social Media: Tips, Best Practices, and More

In the constantly changing world of digital marketing, it can be difficult to keep pace with the latest best practices and techniques, especially when it comes to social media. Trends emerge and disappear quickly, and it is challenging to keep readers engaged in content. Now more than ever, writing for social media is a vital part of a successful marketing strategy.
Though not all marketers feel confident in their written communication skills , crafting meaningful, effective content is possible with a strong set of guidelines. These techniques will help ensure maximum social media engagement, regardless of channel. While there are various limitations and best practices unique to each social media platform, certain general strategies apply to all channels when writing for social media.
Why Social Media Writing Matters
In short, everything your business posts on social media becomes part of your brand. Because of this, badly written or non-optimized content reflects poorly on your business as a whole. Having a solid social media presence is key for marketing success. For these reasons and more, writing effectively for social media should be the goal of every marketing team.
Writing for Social Media
The following are some basic ways to improve your team’s social media writing and create a more effective strategy moving forward.
Create and Apply Brand Standards
One of the most important first steps in writing for social media is creating brand standards and applying them to the content you create. A social media checklist like the one Buffer put together can be helpful as well. To ensure that your social media presence is consistent with your brand’s image as a whole, develop a simple style guide (a manual or template to ensure that multiple communications consistently enact the brand’s characteristics). According to CoSchedule , it should include key elements such as:
- Mission statement: This should outline what you hope to accomplish through your social media strategy. Why is social media part of your overall marketing plan?
- Audience: Pinpoint who your core audience members are and what they are looking for from social media content. Answer the question, “Who are you writing for?”
- Brand voice: Describe your social media voice. Will your posts be casual? Professional?
- Tone: This will help you determine what types of content to post. Do you aim to be helpful, authoritative, humorous?
- Branding: Determine any important brand elements, such as spellings, abbreviations, proprietary information, and more.
- Message: Put together guidelines concerning which types of messaging you will post on specific platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
Maintain Consistency Between Posts and Web Content
An often-overlooked element in writing for social media is maintaining consistency across content. Your social media posts and destination pages should follow the same branding. CoSchedule says, “If your post is linking to an external page, then your post messaging needs to match your landing page messaging. In short, your social media content needs to follow through on the promises your posts make.”
Create Shareable Posts
The best writing in the world is irrelevant if what you post is not shareable. Social Media Today states that “Even if your content is amazing, if you do not make the posts easy to read, clean, and organized, you will lose out on many potential social shares.” The article suggests writing short, inviting content, using a variety of formatting, and incorporating visuals where appropriate. Arguably the most important way to increase shareability is being mobile friendly. Your content has to be easily viewed and shared on either mobile or web. In addition, write headlines that grab users’ attention so that they want to pass along what they read to others, but be careful not to generate clickbait, which could ruin trust and credibility with your audience.
Another way to make your content shareable is to utilize “share” button options and links. Most social media platforms have share buttons built in, but this tactic is particularly crucial for longer content that you hope will be shared on social media. At the bottom of all your blog posts and webpages, include buttons to easily share the content on various social media platforms.
Adding hashtags and images is helpful as well. Images are the “No. 1 most important factor in optimal social media content,” according to Buffer , and hashtags can help make your content visible and searchable for both your followers and other social media users.
Put the Audience First
Finally, make sure you understand your target audience members. What terminology do they use? Are you speaking their language? If you struggle with questions like these, it is helpful to create a survey so that you have a clear idea of who you are writing for. CoSchedule suggests putting together a social media persona, which involves “creating a character description of your average target audience member.”
Once you understand your typical audience, you can identify what types of content work best. For example, does your audience respond well to humorous videos, or are they more interested in links to longer blog posts and polls? The more detailed your social media persona is, the more likely it is that you will be able to craft optimized content.
Getting Started
Modern social media strategy is complex, but it boils down to a simple formula: understand your audience members, and write for them. If you can apply best practices like the ones covered here to your social media writing, you can craft meaningful content that connects with your audience.
Creating optimized social media content is one of the foundations of modern marketing strategy. If you are interested in topics like these that are relevant to the marketing industry, consider Concordia University, St. Paul’s online marketing degree program.
Recommended Articles
Successful online learning strategies: the importance of time management for students, how to be successful as an online student, is an online college degree worth it, marketing vs. communications, differences between a b.a. in business and an mba.
Talk to our experts
1800-120-456-456
- Social Media Essay

Essay on Social Media
Social media is the communal interaction among people in which they create, share or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities. It has become the basic need and quality of human beings to be social. The spectacular developments in communications and innovative and astonishing entertainment have given access to information and the ability to provide a voice for people who would never have been heard. The current generation is fortunate enough to witness some of the most amazing technological developments ever in history. It has become the rage of this age.
What are Some of the Most Widely used Social Media Platforms?
Simply put, let us understand the factors that have contributed to the popularity and widespread use of social media platforms in recent years. Many observers believe that the number of "active users" has something to do with the situation. This factor has a significant impact on the growth of the organization, its attractiveness, and its participation.
These applications serve as the building blocks for a large number of other applications as well. Currently, Facebook is the most popular social networking site on the planet, with more than 2.7 billion active monthly members worldwide. Each social media platform owned by the same company, including Facebook (the company's most popular forum), WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram, has more than 1 billion monthly active users.
In addition, as the number of people who use social media continues to grow, it becomes increasingly clear how important social media has become in today's society.
Monograph on Social Media Use - An Introduction
People always want to connect themselves with society in some or another way. In earlier days, the modes of communication were limited. People socialized with others in their tracks. Earlier, socializing was narrowed to visiting each other’s places, having big gatherings, meetings in clubs, parks, and other public areas.
Now the time has changed. People have minimized their social life because of hectic life and increase in geographical distance and economic concerns. With the arrival of technology, social networking websites and applications have heralded a revolution in the world. It has indeed brought people from all over the globe closer by creating, sharing, or exchanging information and ideas in virtual communities and networks. These social networking sites are based on web-based technologies and create highly interactive platforms. It has gained momentum globally because of its better features, access, frequency, immediacy, usability, and permanence. It has been recognized so widely, and its usage has increased so incredibly today that it has moved from desktop computers to laptops to mobile phones. The platform is undoubtedly easily obtainable and accessible.
Today, every person is addicted to social media, and that too at a glaring speed. Some important social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc., have provided us with the prospect to connect with people and foster better relationships with friends and acquaintances with whom we cannot meet personally and share the happenings of our lives. Some tools like YouTube, Instagram, Whatsapp, etc., have provided the platform to share pictures and videos with friends and relatives living in distant places.
B2B social, reviews, and travel sites in social media have made it easy and exciting for people to shop and discuss with friends and others about what they are buying. Some sites offer collective buying offers to give consumers a fun-filled shopping experience.
Social Media and Its Significance
Every person's daily routine involves some kind of social media interaction. Anyone, anywhere, at any time, can connect with you through social media as long as you have access to the internet.
While everyone was confined to their homes, unable to speak with anybody other than family and friends, it is critical to communicate with friends and family during Covid-19 to avoid being isolated. The outbreak resulted in social media being an essential tool for individuals to make entertaining videos and engage in social media challenges and activities, which helped keep people busy during these challenging circumstances.
As a result of the quick rise and extension of digital marketing, social media has played an essential part in this expansion. It's also a fantastic resource for finding information on a wide variety of topics. People may learn a great deal and stay up to date with the newest news worldwide by utilizing this. But there is always a drawback to every good that comes with it, no matter how beneficial. As a consequence, the following are some of the most significant advantages and disadvantages of social media in today's fast-paced society.
Benefits of Social Media
Social media sites are erasing differences in age and class. It has assumed a different dimension altogether through interactive sharing. It has now become a medium of mass reach at a minimum cost. Today, one can benefit from social sharing to build a reputation and bring in career opportunities.
They target a broad audience, making it a valuable and effective tool for society.
It reaches people even in remote areas, and the information is spread like fire.
Distance is no more a limitation because of social media. You are constantly updated with the latest news and happenings in the society and environment through social media websites.
Sites and blogs like Orkut, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and many more have become tools for people to connect across the globe. People can attend live talks or live sessions, or lectures happening anywhere in the world while staying at home.
Teachers and professors can teach on different topics from remote places.
You can now identify great possibilities for a job through multiple social media sites like LinkedIn, Google, Naukri, and job search.
Social media enables companies to use these sites as a network to generate awareness about their product, promote their brand, and increase their sales. It saves the cost of marketing and advertising.
These networking sites on social media provide a comprehensive platform for young aspiring artists to showcase their passion and skills.
Political leaders use the platform of social media for spreading social communication to mass. These days, the political candidates are also communicating with the voters through social media.
Nowadays, a person’s fame or popularity is determined by the number of links he has created with these social media sites.
It is an excellent educational tool.
It has the potential to increase public awareness of a range of societal issues.
Due to the speed with which data is transmitted over the internet, consumers can stay current on the latest developments.
Social media can be used to disseminate information to the media.
Additionally, there are some social benefits, such as communicating with long-distance family and friends.
It has the potential to open up incredible career opportunities online.
We believe that social media has a lot of positive effects, but we also recognize that, like anything else, it has some negative ones. Keep reading to gather an idea on the same.
Disadvantages of Social Media
However, social media has caused addiction to users. Despite huge benefits, it has some unfavorable consequences.
Users of social media are becoming victims of fraudulent and online scams that seem to be genuine.
It opens up a possibility for hackers to commit fraud and launch virus attacks.
The productivity of people is getting hampered due to extreme usage and indulgence in these social media sites.
Harmful and disrespectful comments and reviews from employees about the company hamper its image tremendously.
Students, too, are exceedingly active on social media sites these days, limiting them from outdoor activities.
Students indulge in disputes because of these social media, and sometimes school has to resolve the conflicts.
Some sites are used to express personal anger or dispute, due to which a lot of chaos and confusion is created.
Investigate whether it is possible to cheat on tests.
As a result, students' grades and performance have suffered.
Users are more vulnerable to cybersecurity threats such as hacking, data theft, spamming, and other similar crimes due to a lack of privacy.
Social media has both benefits and drawbacks. Using it productively can be a tool of immense help, but over usage can become a silent enemy. Thus, we as users have to learn to balance and not control ourselves by this technology.

FAQs on Social Media Essay
Q1. What do you Understand by Social Media?
Social media is the communal interaction among people in which they create, share or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities.
Q2. How has Social Media benefited Society?
Social media has incredibly benefited society. It has erased the age and class barrier. Social media sites target a wide audience. People can connect with each other from any corner of the world. Distance is no more a limitation. Teachers and students are connecting through social media tools. People find jobs, shop and share reviews and discuss with others. It is a comprehensive platform for people to showcase their talents and passion.
Q3. What are the disadvantages of Social Media?
The disadvantages of social media are that youth is getting hooked to it inappropriately. People are falling into prey to fraudulent and illegal activities. Too much indulgence in social media is hampering the productivity of people.
Q4. How has Social Media brought a Change in Human’s Lives?
In earlier days, humans did not have too many means of communication. This was the reason why they did not socialize much. Even if they did, their socialization was narrowed to meeting their own relatives or friends in a close circle. People could not explore much about what was happening around the globe. The job seekers were restricted to finding jobs through someone or a newspaper. Now, technology has brought a revolution in the lives of people. Distance is no more a constraint for communication. People can communicate with anyone from anywhere in the world. The entire information about what is happening across the globe is available at the touch of our fingertips. Job seekers have not only widened their horizon of finding jobs but also given interviews on social media platforms. Social media has made the lives of people much simpler, easier, and faster.
Q5. In what ways does social media influence our lives?
The emergence of social media has had a considerable influence on people's lives. Using social media in one's everyday life allows one to communicate, interact, and be sociable while also learning about current events, creating a variety of meals, educating oneself, traveling to any place, and taking advantage of many other perks.
Q6. Which social networking sites are the most well-known?
There are several social media platforms where you may utilize Youtube Messenger. These include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Whatsapp, and Pinterest.
Q7. Does social media have a role in our overall well-being?
Social media sites have the following roles in our overall well-being.
Social media addiction may cause physical and psychological harm to the person using it excessively, including eye strain, social disengagement, and disturbed sleep.
If you spend too much time fighting and disagreeing, this might harm your health in the long run.
In terms of emotional relationships, social media may be a great way to meet new people and keep in contact with individuals you already know. Building relationships with others is beneficial.
Social media is a veritable informational treasure trove when it comes to staying healthy. This has several benefits. Doubtful information might be just as damaging as not thoroughly investigating it.
Skip to content
Feature Article — Dissecting Social Media: What You Should Know
Published on Aug 11, 2020 in Parents PACK
Parents PACK
Have you checked your Facebook News Feed recently? Watched a YouTube video? Posted on Instagram? Sent a Tweet? If so, you are among the 3.5 billion people worldwide who actively use social media.
Social media users generate a massive amount of information, from personal posts, photos and videos, to blogs, DIY articles and much more. While some content aims to entertain or inform, other information is intentionally meant to mislead or deceive. Those who intend to mislead rely on people sharing their messages to spread misinformation. As a result, it’s important to critically evaluate any information you see before sharing it further.
So, how can you tell which information is valid and which is not?
Read on to find some simple tips for checking posts. With a quick review, not only can you learn more about the reliability of what you are seeing, you can also help decrease the amount of bad information received by those in your network.
Looking at the parts of a post
1. headline.
- Does the headline sound true or was it designed to be sensational?
- Does the headline agree with the content of the story?
- Is the headline funny or satirical?
Example: “The CDC has adjusted their COVID19 deaths from 64,000 to 37,000. What do you think about that? Still scared? Angry yet?”
This headline appeared in a Facebook post to support a conspiracy theory that the pandemic is a hoax. FactCheck.org explained that the adjustments were the result of two lists maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and why they were not in sync.
- Who wrote the post? If it is anonymous, this should raise a red flag.
- What do you know about the author? Is this an individual or someone representing an organization?
- Does the author claim to be an expert? Do the author’s credentials back up the claim?
- Does the author have an online profile? What kind of photo do they use on their profile? What is their screen name?
- Is the author selling something related to the topic?
Example: “OSHA 10&30 certified”
Several social media posts about the effectiveness of wearing face masks have misrepresented information provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In one of them, shown on Snopes , the author claimed to be “OSHA 10&30 certified,” but OSHA confirmed that while they have training courses of 10 and 30 hours, the courses do not provide “certification,” nor do they cover COVID-19. In this case, the author was presenting misleading qualifications to sound like an expert.
In many cases, information will not come from the original source; it may have been forwarded by someone else in a person’s network. Often, people assume that because the person who sent it to them is reliable, they can trust the information. But, since not everyone checks the credibility of information before sharing it, users should be wary of any post. For these reasons, you will want to try to determine the original source:
- Who originally posted the information? Information shared on social media can be traced back to an original publication source by either clicking on the post or by searching for the original source online.
- How long has the source existed? New sources that have appeared to address a controversial issue might have a hidden agenda.
- Author’s name
- Publication date
- Organization’s mission and purpose
- Contact information
- Physical address
- Current copyright date
- Accurate reporting supported by evidence
- Links to other sources that back up the claim
If you can’t find the source or are not sure if the information is credible, it is best not to share it.
Example: “And the people stayed home” poem attributed to an author who lived through the 1918 influenza pandemic
A poem that went viral during the COVID-19 pandemic was misattributed to an author who lived through the “Spanish flu pandemic of 1919.” When Snopes traced back the original source of “And the people stayed home,” it found that the author wrote the poem in 2020 about the COVID-19 pandemic, not the 1918 Spanish flu.
- When was the post originally published? Is it recent? Old information often resurfaces on social media when it appears timely, so it is useful to check the date.
- Does the author seem biased?
- What evidence is offered to support the claims being made? If the author doesn’t offer evidence or if the “evidence” is only anecdotes or opinions, seek other sources for more information before believing what is being shared.
- Can the quotes be attributed to legitimate people? Are those people informed about the topic?
- What is the quality of the writing? Often, articles with noticeable typos or grammatical errors are a sign that the post is not legitimate.
- What do other sources say about this topic? The more outlandish something seems, the more important it is to see if other sources are reporting the same thing. Even when consuming legitimate news, it is important to check the story from a few different sources because they will have different viewpoints and may cover different details, which will allow you to piece together a more complete picture of the situation.
- Has the issue been addressed by fact checkers? Sites like FactCheck.org , PolitiFact.com and Snopes.com are just a few of the websites dedicated to fact-checking.
Example: Plandemic: The Hidden Agenda Behind COVID-19 documentary
When Plandemic: The Hidden Agenda Behind COVID-19 went viral with outlandish claims about SARS-CoV-2, fact-checkers got busy scrutinizing the content. Both PolitiFact and FactCheck.org highlighted a host of false and misleading claims related to the novel coronavirus pandemic, including its origins, vaccines, treatments and more. Plandemic had more than 8 million views in the first week of its release.
Visuals are increasingly becoming an issue as more people edit images to make them align with a particular viewpoint of the story being told. This is especially true of those who intend to misinform or deceive.
- Does the photo appear shocking, particularly engaging, or simply out of place? Try using Google Images or TinEye to find the original photo. In particular, look for any signs that the image has been altered, such as people or things that were not part of the original photo.
- When and where was the original photo taken? Often old images are used to represent current topics, particularly on social media.
- Is a video or audio soundbite being used? If so, try to find the original video or recording so you can evaluate the context for which it was meant.
Example: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation building
A side-by-side comparison of an original photo of the exterior of a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation building alongside a doctored photo clearly shows alterations. A quick Google Image search brings up many original, unaltered copies of the photo.
In conclusion, as you use these tips more often, you will get faster and better at recognizing misinformation and deception. By thinking critically, looking for the small details, listening to different perspectives, and fact-checking, the spread of misinformation can stop with you.
Download a PDF version of this article.
For more information
Fact-checking websites.
- FactCheck.org
- The Washington Post Fact Checker
Additional resources
- News Literacy Project (NLP) — Provides information for educators and the public to help them become active consumers of news and information.
- Informable mobile App — A free app by the News Literacy Project aims to help players practice differentiating between good and bad information they find online.
- AllSides — Provides media bias ratings for hundreds of media outlets and writers to help the public identify different perspectives.
Categories: Parents PACK August 2020 , Feature Article
Materials in this section are updated as new information and vaccines become available. The Vaccine Education Center staff regularly reviews materials for accuracy.
You should not consider the information in this site to be specific, professional medical advice for your personal health or for your family's personal health. You should not use it to replace any relationship with a physician or other qualified healthcare professional. For medical concerns, including decisions about vaccinations, medications and other treatments, you should always consult your physician or, in serious cases, seek immediate assistance from emergency personnel.

IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Articles · #Manhunt by James Gleick · Small Change by Malcolm Gladwell · Look Out, It's Instagram Envy by Sarah Nicole Pricket · #Riot by Bill Wasik · What Defines a
7 social media writing tips for 2022 · 1. Just start writing (you'll edit later) · 2. Speak the language of social media · 3. Make your posts accessible · 4. Keep
In social media marketing, communication and collaboration with the Internet users plays a vital role in marketing ones brand. Some important tools of... 5
1. Understand Market Trends in Social Media · 2. Write Longer In-depth Content · 3. Choose an Effective Title and Keywords · 4. Understand Keyword
Social media allows the social growth of society and also helps many businesses. It provides tools like social media marketing to reach millions of potential
Essay on Social Media – Essay 3 (250 Words) ... Introduction: The term 'Social Media' generated a great buzz in the world of internet users upon its arrival and
Why Social Media Writing Matters · Writing for Social Media · Create and Apply Brand Standards · Maintain Consistency Between Posts and Web Content · Create
Social media has incredibly benefited society. It has erased the age and class barrier. Social media sites target a wide audience. People can
Social media is a tool that is becoming quite popular these days because of its user-friendly features. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
Social media users generate a massive amount of information, from personal posts, photos and videos, to blogs, DIY articles and much more.