Social media sites are infinitely diverse, ranging from Wikipedia, the crowdsourced online encyclopedia, to Dig, the bookmarking site social media that allows users to “like” or tag websites as well as sort other users’ tags. The common denominator among these is the ability for users to interact with the application. Social media uses range widely, from finding a funny music video to finding a product to reuniting with a long-lost friend, and using each of these social media apps involves unique implications. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay This article will examine the pros and cons of using social media in our society. Specifically, it will examine the effects on the commercial, private and political sectors, both nationally and globally. The use of social media has become a relevant issue today in almost every economic area imaginable. From multinational corporations to people working from home, employers and employees can use social media to their advantage or detriment. The benefits are clearly evident in areas such as marketing, productivity and communication, both internally and between business and consumers. Conversely, the disadvantages include: loss of productivity, negative impact on the company's image and the ever-present danger of widespread dissemination of false information. Social media has revolutionized marketing. Businesses can advertise for free, target specific niche markets, and remain in constant open communication with consumers. By creating a profile on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or even posting a video on YouTube, private companies, non-profit organizations and even small businesses and individuals can spread their products, ideas and services around the world. This has proven to be an effective marketing model, for large multinational corporations, such as Walmart, as well as work-from-home businesses and everyone in between. An added benefit of using social media is enhanced communication platforms. These sites enable communication beyond traditional linear channels; businesses can receive feedback from consumers and respond quickly and en masse. The final area where businesses have benefited from social media is productivity. Social media platforms have been shown to improve worker productivity through better employee engagement. A wide variety of organizations and businesses benefit from the ease of information sharing and collaboration provided by social media platforms. Two great examples of these benefits are reducing the time it takes to resolve issues and increasing transparency within an organization. Social media platforms have also become a way for employee “voices” to transcend traditional hierarchical boundaries within an organization. This increased influence translates into increased efficiency. Engaged employees are more motivated because they feel that they and their opinions matter. As students, we must realize that our future can be made or broken by something we consider insignificant. For everyone who cares about their reputation.