Writing Question:
In today’s society, the use of social media is getting increasing unavoidable.

* Write a short article for your English teacher.
* Explain some of the benefits and harms social media brings to Hong Kong society.
* Include a title for your article.

Advantages and Disadvantages of social media

Nowadays you can sign on the internet and find any information that you want, from the weather, to the news, to your favorite video. Many people have started to rely on the internet for research for school, but with anyone being able to post anything, how do you know what you find is reliable?

There are many advantages of easily obtainable information on the internet, such as services, searching things, and being able to download things. The internet offers many companies ways to help service customers today. Now instead of mailing in your bills, you are able to sign onto the web and make a payment with one click, or even do some shopping without even leaving your home.

Moving on to social media, which has become a smashing success in today’s economy, there are many ups and downs that people see. Some of the advantages of social media is being able to make connections with other people that share the same interests, staying in contact with friends and family members in other areas of the world, flexibility, and free.

With social media, you have opportunities to meet people where you live, or even in other areas that share the same goals, beliefs, or interest that you may not have met before. It’s the same almost as keeping in touch with people around you. For instance, military people have to move a lot, so now with social Medias, it is easier to still be a part of their life and know what is going on, instead of waiting for a phone call or letter.

Another great thing about social media is that is free! You can join about any site and not have to pay out of pocket. That can be very beneficial for small businesses that are trying to get their name out there, and don’t have the funds to advertise on the radio or television.

While the advantages seem great, there are also some disadvantages that come with easily obtainable information. Some of those disadvantages are theft of personal information, accuracy, and viruses. Sometimes when you are searching for things, or finding things online, they will ask for personal information, such as I.D. card number, credit card number, or even little things like full name and address. When you enter that information in, it opens an opportunity for hackers to get a hold of your information and use it.

With social media everything is online so you don’t really have an opportunity to get to talk to a person either face to face or on the phone. It makes it easy for someone to fake something.  Many people have pretended to be someone else in order to gain your trust, and then turn on you.

Making sure you know both the advantages and disadvantages of social media can help you take the necessary steps to enjoy the social media, yet be safe and avoid anything negative. The internet has become such a huge part of everyday life, that knowing what you are doing is a great step into the right direction.

4A SO MAN CHUN