Whether by invitation only for professionals or open to all, social networks and blogs are becoming more important in our lives. With millions of followers - Facebook would count more than 800 million - they are needed as tools for communication and change. Of course, social networks offer advantages to those who register, but also some disadvantages. We list a few here.
Advantages
Communication tools
Social networks have quickly become a promotional tool for business enterprises and service providers. They are also agents of change, mobilization. By communicating via these actors that the Arab Spring has toppled three governments in 2011 (Tunisia, Egypt, Libya).
Information tools
It is also through social networks that news organizations and organs of communication inform their members (followers) of the latest developments in the news. Forget the special bulletins, tweets (twits) quickly joined Twitter followers. And their distribution is free.
Reconciliation tools
These social networks are used to find lost relations, former romantic partners, buddies once popular class, even distant relatives. They remain effective tools for news of loved ones. Some have even learned of births and deaths in their own families.
Sharing tools
Many social networks, YouTube, Facebook and Dailymotion, among others, allow the dissemination of images that can change the world or lead to interventions in some hot spots. Short videos of reprisals from protesters Syrian and Yemeni are fine examples of their effectiveness.
Meaningful tools
These social networks also help, for many, to strengthen their ego. They spread their success stories, their successes, their failures are minimized. In short, fans can show himself in a favorable light, even narcissistic in addition to enhance the sense of belonging to a defined group.
Relational tools
Each social network has the potential to increase relations, to develop new, fantasizing about individuals who accept our friend requests. Some find love. Others will unearth distant friends who one day could accommodate while traveling, as long as the relationship is developed.
A cure for loneliness
Evil of the century, loneliness undermines the well-being of many people. However, social networks fill some of that empty relational and sometimes hinder depressive thoughts.
Disadvantages
But if they bring many benefits, social networks, like the Internet, are capable of the best and the worst.
Bullying
Hot topic both in North America and with our French cousins​​, bullying its place in social networks. Malicious people use it to harass workers, colleagues or sisters class. Young and old write insulting or hateful messages and are having a field day without censorship.
Revenge
For some people, these networks are sometimes used as a tool for revenge. You might remember this man who spurned for revenge, has released intimate photos of his ex-girlfriend, or that teenager who unveiled the double life of a school board employee, in his spare time , evolved in films for adults.
Pedophilia
Horror stories abound. Many pedophiles are using social networks to find and seduce girls and adolescents and then attack them. Do we need to elaborate?
Professional life
For many employers, these networks are a gold mine of information to recruit or dismiss staff. Some pictures of a drinking binge, daring or intimate images are sometimes enough to rule out a candidate. In the same vein, a disparaging reflection on your work can earn you a reprimand or dismissal.Privacy
Tell your "friends" of certain aspects of your private life can cause problems. How many Facebook followers were victims of burglary after announcing with great fanfare, a trip to the Caribbean? Or this other woman who was stripped of his unemployment insurance benefits after publishing pictures of her sketched while traveling in the South.
Cybercrime
Hackers are masters identity theft via social networks. Some use it to access your personal information. Others enter into your computer to steal passwords and important numbers: social security, credit card, credit cards and more.
Finally, some people spend so much time in a day that they harm their careers (flight time / work delivered late) and personal (emotional relationships). Is this you?
In conclusion
In a world increasingly individualistic, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google Plus (by invitation), Linked In or blogs, to name a few, used to bring people, professionals, to find suppliers or But some customers are revealed ... so they end up almost naked on the web. On second thought, do you really need 200, 500 or 5,000 friends? Because friendship is much more than a face on a computer.
