Since the invention of social media, many people have been better able to connect with each other and also to keep up to date with the lives of their friends, families, co-workers and even celebrities, to such a degree which was previously impossible.
However, social media has its risks. As people of all ages have access to social media, children can be exposed to adult content, and are themselves vulnerable to be approached by strangers with unknown intentions. Even if children are sure of who they’re talking to on social media, social media’s issues are not completely eliminated. Cyber bullying is frequently reported in the news, and occurs on social media between children and schoolchildren. This is problematic, as it means even when children are at home, remote from their bullies they can still be bullied when they’re inside their own homes.
Social media can be problematic for adults, too. People often feel comfortable posting things on social media that they wouldn’t say in real life. This can indirectly cause a bad impression on other people, and if employers judge the nature of the content prospective employees post on social media to be inappropriate, it can affect their chances of attaining or keeping jobs.
As long as people are aware of the risks of using social media, and are careful to post only respectful and respectable content, then the advantages of social media far outweigh the disadvantages, and children and adults alike should be allowed to benefit from such technology.