Running Head: FACEBOOK AS A MODERN COMMUNICATION TOOL Facebook as A Modern Communication Tool Student’s Name Instructor Institutional Affiliation Date 1 FACEBOOK AS A MODERN COMMUNICATION TOOL Table of Contents Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….. 3 Facebook Use Among Millennials and Businesses……………………………………… 5 Negative and Positive Effects of Facebook as a Communication Tool………………… 7 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………. 9 2 FACEBOOK AS A MODERN COMMUNICATION TOOL 3 Introduction Facebook is the most convenient online platform for interpersonal communication ever made. Facebook's predominance has grown exponentially in the past few years. Within a brief timeframe, the online social platform has reached and surpassed the more than one billion customer milestone (Asur and Huberman, 2010). Nowadays, Facebook has transformed into an imperative part of day to day existence for most tech-savvy people. It is helping most individuals from various perspectives and furthermore harming us in multiple ways (Karoly and Panis, 2004). In the present internet age, the ability to communicate over long distances is a stand-out amongst most communication channels. Individuals all around the world use this site to share pictures and videos, personal messages, in addition to other things. Without a doubt, the online social networking platform dramatically affects the population of today, especially the millennials (Asur and Huberman, 2010). However, the effects felt from communicating with various individuals through the online platform can be both helpful and harmful. The social networking tool was established by Mark Zuckerberg and his friends at Harvard. In the beginning, he developed a site called "FaceMash" which was exclusively meant for millennials at Harvard. Since the site attracted many users, he was inspired to come up with the name 'Facebook' (Karoly and Panis, 2004). At first, the usage of this site was meant for use by millennials at Harvard. After a brief period, and after seeing the excitement generated by the website, it was eventually made accessible to individuals from various universities. In 2009, the use of and access to this site was made possible to anyone above the age of 13. FACEBOOK AS A MODERN COMMUNICATION TOOL 4 Facebook's primary objective is to enable people to share and make the world more connected and open. Individuals use Facebook to speak with friends and family, remain up to date with what's going on in their general surroundings, and furthermore express and share their opinions or feelings on various topics. The organization has hired more than 15,00 workers. A significant number of them are situated in California where the company's main offices are (Asur and Huberman, 2010). Facebook's board of directors includes Mark Zuckerberg who is the founder, Marc Andreessen, the co-founder, the CEO of the Bill Gates Foundation, Susan Desmond-Hellmann, Chairman and CEO of Netflix, Reed Hastings, Sheryl Sandberg, Peter Thiel and Erskine Bowles. Facebook was not the first online social platform to make talking on the phone and writing letters a thing of the past, however, it is the most prominent. With more than 66% of grown-ups online making use of the platform, as indicated by the Pew Research Center, and a Facebook "Like" or "Sign in" at every turn, Facebook has turned into an ever-present communication tool for modern times. Its pervasiveness makes it one of the simplest communication platforms that connects both new and old friends and companions. Most internet users are increasingly likely to utilize Facebook. Both people and businesses the world over use it to build new networks and effectively communicate. As an online social networking platform, Facebook enables interactions through conversations and also facilitates the building of relationships and connections among its many users. This paper aims to determine Facebook's effectiveness as a cutting edge promotion and information channel, while also looking into the advantages and disadvantages that accompany the adoption of this online service. FACEBOOK AS A MODERN COMMUNICATION TOOL 5 Body To date, the majority of research has been centered around the utilization of the social media giant to initiate and maintain connections. Facebook has taken the world by storm in the last few years and has turned into a critical component in the field of communication. Research involving 364 millennials was conducted by Golder et al. (2007) who found that one of the youngsters' frequently used Facebook to write messages. Users of Facebook can keep in touch with one another through wall posts, comments, chat, and private messages in order to communicate. Research has found that the online social media platform is utilized mostly to know people better and to keep in touch with them (Wiese & Farrugia, 2009). Facebook Use Among Millennials and Businesses Stern and Taylor (2007) conducted a study among 364 millennials and found that just a few users attempt making new friends or endeavor to start a relationship through Facebook and that a large number of them use it to maintain existing connections. The platform was likewise found to be mostly used to maintain relationships that are long distance, as it permits prompt correspondence between friends and acquaintances who are far (Golder et al., 2007). Albeit private messages enable users to share confidential information, Facebook communication is by all accounts seen as low-effort and 'cheap,' consequently not sufficient enough to maintain genuine connections with individuals except if they are miles apart. Stern and Taylor additionally found similar results: millennials, for the most part, use Facebook to stay in touch and create connections, however, they do not utilize it to start romantic relationships. As FACEBOOK AS A MODERN COMMUNICATION TOOL 6 an elucidation of this discovery, they express that "young adults do not want their dating history to be publicly known" (Stern & Taylor, 2007). For entrepreneurs and business owners, Facebook is about bringing customers and businesses together. Its effect on the communication field between organizations and prospective clients implies that many have abandoned from conventional tools of communication such as traditional direct mail or newspaper advertising and have established Facebook storefronts. A few organizations are finding that the online platform may even replace their business' sites. Access to a massive number of potential clients has a lot of significant effect on communications in the 21st century. The online social networking platform can give businesses instant client commitment. Organizations can connect with customers and potential clients by opening Page to advertise their products. The online platform provides an avenue to display multi-media data to their clients, for example, the latest updates and trends, videos, and photos. In this manner, Facebook users who follow the organization's page can know about the services and products' details straight from the source. In addition to this, organizations can give Fan authorization to give individuals a chance to post some relevant videos or pictures of the different items on offer. Also, organizations can communicate important information to members of the community by taking advantage of social capital inside Facebook groups. In this manner, organizations can respond to remarks made by satisfied or disgruntled customers, and this can give the businesses an upper hand when it comes to customer relations. This option enables business owners to modify business and marketing services to cater to clients' needs and also better their service and product offerings. When potential clients 'Like' pages which belong to FACEBOOK AS A MODERN COMMUNICATION TOOL 7 particular companies, they get updates on the company through such pages almost instantly. Subsequently, customers are kept up to date with any updates which affect the business by clicking on the posts. Negative and Positive Effects of Facebook as a Communication Tool Facebook is one of the best advancements in modern communication since it is a beneficial and incredible asset for people in business all around the globe. Most organizations put stock in their Facebook accounts to advance their activities, help boost their brand, and ultimately gain benefits. Their strategies have included offering products, coupons, and special discounts through their respective Facebook accounts. In order to communicate with a larger customer base, small businesses are encouraged to create a page on the online platform. As indicated by Lon Safko, some companies like Starbucks, Dell, Coca-Cola, and Adobe use Facebook to help boost their gains and communicate with clients so that they are aware of their latest products. There is no shortage of examples of how modern communication has changed because of Facebook. However, the fact that this online tool for interpersonal communications has changed how we communicate could have adverse effects on its avid users. Today, sentences which used to express complete thoughts have reverted into obscure sound bites filled with a cluster of abbreviations and sentence fragments. We have additionally seen ‘emojis’ substitute words when it comes to expressing feelings. In particular, we are seeing how web-based social platforms such as Facebook are cultivating a public that devalues meaningful communication and instead promotes constant correspondence. FACEBOOK AS A MODERN COMMUNICATION TOOL 8 Another curious development found in modern times is the re-appropriation of phrases, a process by which a clique claims words that were at first utilized with a particular goal in mind and gives them another meaning entirely. Along these lines, the general population who communicate on Facebook today are giving old words new definitions and creating new words as well. 'Unfriended' and 'Friended' are two instances of words that have been given another meaning because of their use on this social networking platform. Additionally, we are communicating far more personal information. We unreservedly dislike or like everything without exception, give a variety of pictures and details about our private lives, and overshare private information that was once unthinkable for public knowledge. Lately, the people at Facebook have even enabled us to share information on our organ donors. In the same spirit in which we consume any new food product on the menu at McDonald's, with little knowledge of what we are eating, we will also share any data as long as Facebook gives us a novel and new approach to convey the information no matter how personal. The net effect of these changes in the way we communicate today is yet to be seen. For content makers and communicators, however, they have at least proclaimed a shift in strategy. For instance, our correspondences today should be more frequent and shorter because individuals increasingly value fast hits that enable them to gather vital data and after that rapidly proceed onward to the next piece of information. In addition to this, our communications should be more visual to catch our attention spans which are shrinking by the day, a reality that is running its course as viral recordings, infographics, and picture-oriented sites on social media, for example, Instagram. The information FACEBOOK AS A MODERN COMMUNICATION TOOL 9 we provide likewise should be increasingly personal to interest the new generation of tech-savvy individuals who feel entitled to unlimited access to intimate details. Conclusion As web-based social networking platforms like Facebook keep on adjusting the manner in which we communicate, the ramifications in the long-run, especially for those young enough to never have known anything other than the platform, could be huge. Possibly similar to fast food, moderation is key. Facebook is an extremely essential and crucial modern tool for communication for businesses and people today. Business people and individuals can utilize the online platform to find new companions and maintain contact with old friends and furthermore create connections for new business openings. Facebook likewise allows people to share information quickly. Thus new ideas and concepts are acted on promptly. The platform has given individuals the chance to learn new things by reading or watching information shared onto the site. Individuals could likewise sell stuff on the online stage openly which could decrease the expense of using advertisements on other channels. There are more advantages to utilizing Facebook as a modern tool for communication. However, there is always a downside to most technological developments, and Facebook is not immune. As online social networking is advantageous for individuals, the vast majority of them do not see the need actually to speak with individuals. Subsequently, a significant number of people will more than likely lose their skills to communicate on a personal level. FACEBOOK AS A MODERN COMMUNICATION TOOL 10 An increasingly substantial issue is that numerous individuals use Facebook in evil ways to bully other individuals. The impact that Facebook has with regards to breaking or building a person's level of confidence is likewise the same as the one in real life. A segment of Facebook users additionally uses the site to carry out deceitful deals and hoodwink others. Facebook should be used responsibly. Disdainful remarks should never find their way into spots that were made to be fun side interests and valuable wellsprings of information (Asur and Huberman, 2010). If used responsibly and appropriately, Facebook can offer a couple of advantages for individuals and businesses as well. There is no comprehensive rulebook on the don'ts and do's on the most appropriate strategy to responsibly use web-based networking sites without making yourself powerless. Protection of privacy has been transformed into a rising issue in systems administration and online social networking with the development of satellite tracking (Shih, 2009). The online communication tool is quickly drawing in vast numbers of users every month instigating a shift in the way people are communicating today. This change thus shows that people are choosing the prominent Facebook culture for different reasons, for example, its perceived ability to allow individuals to stay in contact with current groups of friends, reuniting long lost friends and family, and widening prospects of creating new relationships. Facebook gets rid of a portion of the obstructions that may confine our consistency of correspondence with individuals, maintaining the busy lifestyles, social class, and financial elements that may more often than not demoralize us from regular contact. FACEBOOK AS A MODERN COMMUNICATION TOOL 11 FACEBOOK AS A MODERN COMMUNICATION TOOL 12 References 35 Major Corporations Engaged In Social Media. (2019). Retrieved from https://lonsafko.com/35major-corporations-engaged-in-social-media/ Asur, S., & Huberman, B. A. (2010, August). Predicting the future with social media. In Proceedings of the 2010 IEEE/WIC/ACM International Conference on Web Intelligence and Intelligent Agent Technology-Volume 01 (pp. 492-499). IEEE Computer Society. Golder, S. A., Wilkinson, D. M., & Huberman, B. A. (2007). Rhythms of social interaction: Messaging within a massive online network. In Communities and technologies 2007 (pp. 41-66). Springer, London. Karoly, L. A., & Panis, C. W. (2004). The 21st century at work: Forces shaping the future workforce and workplace in the United States (Vol. 164). Rand Corporation. Stern, L. A., & Taylor, K. (2007). Social networking on Facebook. Journal of the Communication, Speech & Theatre Association of North Dakota, 20(2007), 9-20. Wiese, D., & Farrugia, R. (2009). Coordinating communication on Facebook: an analysis of meaning development through close relationships. In annual meeting of the NCA 95th Annual Convention, Chicago Hilton & Towers, Chicago, IL. ...
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