Facebook and social media

Résumé du document

Nowadays, who doesn't use Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Youtube, Linkedin or other kind of social media? Even parents and grand parents use ti nowadays. Social media are omnipresent in our lives. But before going further, let's define what social media is. Social media include forms of electronic communication (as web sites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content as pictures, videos, links and so on. As for traditional media, they deliver content but don't allow readers, viewers and listeners to participate in the creation or development of the content.

More and more people are attracted by this kind of communication, especially by Facebook, because it is simple, free, and it is a way to keep in touch with family and friends. Furthermore, a lot of firms use them to spread adverts, and to make their own business.

However, do Facebook and social media mean an opportunity or a threat for users?
It is indeed at the beginning of the 21st century that users were beginning to see the appeal of social networking and blogging sites like Friendster, Linkedin, and MySpace. The last one (MySpace), had grown to be the most popular social network in the world. Users could create their own profile, and then post music from artists or videos from others websites.

Extraits

[...] Then social networking become a threat for users. The main point is the life's privacy. Being enrolled in a social media demands to give a certain number of personal information ; name, birth date, address to create you an account, so your friends can find you and know more about your life. Although you think it's normal to give such details, your account is, from this moment, public. That means everyone who is on the social network can see most of your information. [...]

[...] Withal, you are trapped because Facebook can do everything it want with your information, even selling them to firms or to newspaper if they pay for it. In 2008, Kelvin Colvin was fired because of a picture he post on Facebook, saying he was at a Halloween party, in Worcester, whereas he said few days earlier to his boss he had to go to New York for a family problem. Someone this young guy had in friend on Facebook sent the picture to all the employees who worked in the same firm as him. [...]

[...] Then if you are a musician, an actor, or someone who wants to become a star, you just have to create your own page on a social network, so you can keep fans informed about everything from your latest single to the next time you'll perform. Last but not least, a lot of applications are available on Facebook or MySpace, to have fun with friends on line, and everywhere. Finally, social networking is very practical professionally. A firm can spread its advert on the on the social network, so customers can see it. Then, they may be able to by the product or the service of the firm. And if you are a company, you can use social media to recruit new talents. [...]

[...] That's why, in 2008, Facebook became the most popular social networking site, surpassing MySpace, and continues to grow. Currently, the number of Facebook users has reached more than 700 millions. It can be said that social media, and especially Facebook started a trend. you have Facebook?” became a famous sentence in the young generation conversation. Most of teenagers and young use social media to talk about their own life. Why? Let's talk about the main reasons, which have made social media so famous. [...]

[...] More and more people are attracted by this kind of communication, especially by Facebook, because it is simple, free, and it is a way to keep always in touch family and friends. Furthermore, a lot of firms use them to spread adverts, and to make their own business. However, do Facebook and social media mean an opportunity or a threat for users? It is indeed at the beginning of the 21st century that users were beginning to see the appeal of social networking and blogging sites like Friendster, Linkedin, and MySpace. The last one (MySpace), had grown to be the most popular social network in the world. [...]