How to make use of social media !

''Don't believe everything you read on the Internet just because there’s a picture with a quote next to it’’- Abraham Lincoln. Like everything else, social media has its benefits and drawbacks. Every individual has to observe on what is being posted on social media. These are some questions that they should ask. Is this source reliable? Is the writer saying the truth? Is there any agenda behind this article? These questions are vital to always keep in mind when seeing and reading anything on social media.

Social media is an outstanding opportunity for a person to grow his own business. ‘’It is another source of information and opportunity to share information responsibly’’ (Mario Micallef). It is the most admired platform for anything that’s happening momentarily. It seems out of the question for journalists to live off of social media, especially on the global stage. Another advantage about social media is; ‘’it has also made way for new forms of journalism such as video and podcasts’’, Karl Azzopardi said. One should also not ignore that there are many weaknesses, when it comes to this particular subject. Personally, I think social media can give people a license to be hurtful. I do think it has gotten to an extreme point where you can say things you can’t say or get away with the person. According to Francesco Catania; ‘’you may also encounter fake or false news- or just plain opinions from any Tom, Dick and Harry- opinions which might be considered as the truth, which ultimately is not’’.

Social media does affect in day-to-day life, especially in the career of journalism. Before the internet was invented, people were using letters or postcards to make a relationship with their friends and families. Nowadays it has also made it possible to correspond and make friends from different countries and progress relationships. Being a student myself, I use social media both for my own free time and to do research for school projects. How the internet has changed, have been described by Zayn Dentzel who is the founder and CEO of Tuenti, a Spanish tech company centered on mobile communications as; ‘’ the internet has become embedded in every aspect of our day-to-day lives, changing the way we interact with others’’. Sociologist William Dutton at the Oxford Internet Institute (OII) claims that people are witnessing the emerge of powerful new news platforms and networks. They act independently and out of control of the traditional mainstream media. Karl Azzopardi, who is a newspaper journalist of Malta Today stated that social media does affect especially in the role of journalist. He mentioned that nowadays social media has become an essential tool in journalism. Twitter and Facebook are helping in networking, both locally and internationally.

Every human being passes from an experience, where social media affected in a good or bad way. There are many negative effects of social media on people and users. These include; depression and anxiety, cyberbullying, unrealistic expectations, negative body images and addiction. In 2014, researchers in Austria found that participant reported lower moods after using Facebook for twenty minutes compared to those who just browsed the Internet. A study conducted in 2016 involving 1700 people found a threefold risk of depression and anxiety among people who used the most social media platform. Francesco Catania, who is a radio journalist stated how social media affected him. He is really careful on what to publish and do not publish on social media. He also mentioned the fact that he doesn’t give that much attention to silly comments after he publishes any article. To add with this for him having more insults make him realize that the article is written right.

Every individual in the society use social media incongruously. It has become a fundamental part of news gathering and journalism with experts, citizens and members of the media using network to advertise the news, report on braking news and find information. Journalists maintain a professional presence on social media, including; Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Tumblr, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, etc. The newspaper journalist Karl Azzopardi mentioned that he uses all social media platforms, apart from Instagram. Twitter and LinkedIn are considered as restricted from journalistic work. The television broadcasting journalist Mario Micallef said that he uses Facebook to share his stories and in getting stories. He also mentioned that Twitter can be used for discussions. Facebook and Instagram are the most two platforms used by the radio journalist Francesco Catania.

Social media aim attention on building online society of people who contribute any different interests. ‘’The future belongs to the social media. It is egalitarian and inclusive. Social media is not about any country, any language, any colour, any community but it is about human values and that is the underlying link binding humanity’’- Narendra Modi