Pardoning the obvious metaphor, society often tends to benefit from technology and changes in technology. As we became more advanced, or rather, personal computers did, the internet came along. First quietly and then more and more devices connected, showing that we have the ability to communicate in mere seconds and even less at times. During the 2000s, there was an influx of social media sites, some of which are to this day relevant. Are they beneficial or just plain old time wasters? We tend to think that they are beneficial and here is how.

Connecting People – With a Purpose

Some people spend lots of time on social media, reading posts endlessly, talking with one another and getting hit after hit of dopamine when they get those likes and notifications. Others, well, they use it the right way, to connect to other people. This is the best way to use social media, for socializing. Whether meeting people from new cultures or simply talking with your friends, social media is best used for socializing. Share art, music and day to day stuff and enjoy having friends, even halfway around the world.

An Advertising Platform

Social media connects people but not everybody wants to socialize. Some people are there for business only. Even social media sites themselves are business platforms. You pay for the advertisements, they get the money and advertise your products. You get new customers and you profit, but so do they. As a business model, it works for most people, especially if their brand starts to trend and they get organic visitors, not just the ones through paid advertisements. Most brands use social media marketing, whether paid or on their own, to make the best of their online presence.

Learning about People – Social Media Studying

Social media and its presence in most people’s daily lives has taught us that we are often addicted to dopamine and more often than not, short term goals and instant gratification. These things have been studied earlier, yet social media sites allowed scientists to start looking at another platform, one which can easily produce lots of data.

AI Learning

With so much data being processed by social media sites, artificial intelligences have lots of things to learn. With lots of data and good code, these AIs can learn a lot about society and are to a degree integrated in various social media sites, getting us better search results and providing us with advertisements tuned towards our preferences.

Social media does not have to be the devil many see it as, just because people are overindulging and others misusing it for their own purposes. Sometimes, the benefits are there, clear as day, as long as one is bothered to notice them.