Social media : how do you use yours?

Social media is growing and growing in popularity

The phenomenon that is social networking is spreading like wildfire, and the mobile generation is adding fuel to an already raging inferno.

There are now more than 200 million mobile users on facebook alone, but twitter is also taking off massively. Many businesses are now using social networking as a form of advertising. 

People from all walks of life now use sites such as twitter and facebook, and although many sing the praises of such sites, there are also those who have their issues with them.

Adam Thompson, 19 is a student and can see both the good and the bad sides of the social networking coin: “I think it has lots of advantages, but also lots of disadvantages. It's fun for sharing pictures, and keeping in contact with people who you otherwise would have difficulty keeping up with day-to-day

“It's potentially very insecure, 'stalking' is an example of that. I think it degenerates the use of language i.e. proper English language but then again, texting does that too.”

Psychology student Hannah Broadhurst believes social interaction is a positive that arises from the use of sites such as facebook. The 19-year-old said: “I feel for those with few friends; it provides them a social lifeline for interaction, even if it is through a computer. From a psychological perspective, the human need to belong would be fulfilled through social networking groups, however, I find social networking has reduced face to face contact and personal socialising.’

Jamie Feltham, 20, also sees the downside to committing our social lives ton an online world: “I think it's made us lazy and bland as a generation; it's yet another reason to just sit on laptops all day, not really moving, instead of developing social skills we sit behind the comfort of a keyboard when we should be out.

“That said it's great for business networking and media, so it's definitely got its upsides.”

Its ability to promote to large groups of people has been utilised by Jonathon Wall, who works as a sub promoter for SOAP club nights. Their facebook page has over 4000 followers that can be communicated with in an instant. He said: "As a freelance nightclub promoter I rely almost entirely on Facebook to make contact and to communicate with potential customers.

"I personally use Facebook to invite all 1371 of my “friends” to the events that I host; I have even gone as far to install a special add-on that allows me to do so with the click of one button. It saves me the pain staking hours it would take to individually txt each of these people.

"Without a doubt Facebook is the quickest and most efficient way possible to spread the word of one of my clubbing nights.

"Nights such as SOAP had their foundations built upon Facebook and would not be considered in such high regard without it. I for one believe that the pros of using Facebook as a promotional tool GREATLY outweigh the cons."

Check out the figures driving the social media revolution on the video below:

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