Reference no: EM132158275

For this Individual Project, you will use the research you conducted for your Unit 3 discussion on advantages and disadvantages of social media, focusing on written communication.

Using your research to support your claims, you will compose an essay that argues whether social media improves or damages communication.

Your essay must contain the following:

Introduction: In the first paragraph, state your thesis and provide a summary of your main topics discussing how social media impacts communication. You should consider both the potential positive and negative impact social media engagement can have professionally.

Body: In 3-4 paragraphs, discuss your main topics on how social media impacts communication and how its use can positively or negatively impact you professionally.

You should include both perspectives in your essay, and support your claims with research (using the information from the 3 articles you chose for Unit 3, ensuring that there is at least one APA style in-text citation for each of those 3 articles throughout your essay).

Conclusion: In the final paragraph, conclude your essay by summarizing your main topics.

References page: Create a references page following APA formatting to list all references used in this essay. You should have a minimum of 3 references, at least 2 of which must have come from the CTU Library. For help with formatting your references page, check out the Introductory APA Writing Style Guide.

Social Media and Written Communication

Social media can be defined as a collection of online platforms and tools that enable people to share content, profiles, opinions, insight, experiences, perspectives and media thus facilitating consequential conversations and interactions between groups of people around the world (Bala, 2014).

For instance, Facebook is a social media platform for mass marketing, Twitter for a broadcast system, LinkedIn provides professional connections which result in lead generation and drives sales, Google+ keeps marketers attention and YouTube has remained to be the videos home. Others include Instagram and slide share.

Accordingly, written communication, on the other hand, can be defined as the process of conveying a message through printed symbols. It is the most important and effective mode of business communication. Examples of written communication include memos, reports, email, letters, telegrams, advertisements, and brochures.

Generally, social media can be a useful tool for business thus bringing advantages such as indirect engagement with the audience and boosting website traffic. Nevertheless, Social media can have disadvantages in the business including the resources required and the negative feedback.

One of the main advantages of social media is it enhances connectivity in regardless of geographic location and religion. People around the world can connect with each other to learn, share thoughts, experiences, and skills (Baruah, 2012). In contrast, written communication is only limited to specific target group like workers in a company.

Equally, Social media has great benefits for students and teachers at all levels of education. Professionals are using a social media platform to educate others in regardless of their location similarly to written communication.

In addition, it helps in sharing issues within communities and one can get instant advice and solution which is different from written communication. Social media platforms give information and updates of whatever is happening globally with facts unlike written communication which is biased and does not convey true information.

Furthermore, these platforms can be used for promotion in business whether offline or online. It makes businesses more profitable and reduces advertising and promotion expenses. Contrary to written communication, advertising and promotion expenses are relatively costly for small businesses.

Conversely to written communication, social media can be used for noble causes, for instance, promoting an NGO, welfare activities and donating programs for less fortune in the society (Chopra, 2013). It also creates awareness and has helped people discover new and innovative items that can enhance their ways of life.

Again, Social media platforms can improve business reputation and sales when people share positive comments about the company unlike in written communication where there is no intermediate reply or comment about the company profile. Contrary to written communication, social media helps in building communities by connecting people from different regions of the world.

Despite the above-mentioned advantages, social media still has many disadvantages. For example, it has increased cases of cyber bullying with many of the victims receiving threats, intimidation messages, and rumors which create anxiety and anarchy in the society contrary to written communication where there are no such cases.

Comparatively, there are increased cases of fraud, scams, and hacking of personal data and privacy for individuals using social media platforms. Cases of Facebook and Twitter accounts hacked have been reported recently where hackers have posted offensive materials that in turn affected the individual's lives thus making it differ from written communication.

Moreover, individuals using social media can be affected by addiction and it also glamorizes drugs and alcohol abuse. Individuals using social media platforms such as Instagram tend to follow celebrities and prosperous people or drug addicts from the videos and pictures they post.

This makes social media differ from written communications since there is little information about the lives of celebrities which can adversely change the lifestyle of the audience.

Reference and Summary

Article 1

Bala, K. (2014). Social media and changing communication patterns. Global Media Journal: Indian Edition, 5(1), 1-6.

The author argues how new media has brought changes in intrapersonal, group and mass communication processes and content globally. Users can now stay connected and share ideas, experiences, and skills using written communication.

Article 2

Baruah, T. D. (2012). Effectiveness of Social Media as a tool of communication and its potential for technology-enabled connections: A micro-level study. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 2(5), 1-10.

According to the author, one of the most significant advantages of using social media is the sharing of knowledge and information online among different groups in the world regardless of the location. The above-mentioned advantage makes it unique from written communication.

Article 3

Chopra, K. (2013). The effects of social media on how we speak and write. Socialmediatoday. com, September, 17.

According to the author, social media sites such as Twitter have imposed a character limit that forces users to condense their thoughts. The results being improved communications and thinking potential of users.