Social Media Research Paper

Submitted By Beoribeads9
Words: 972
Pages: 4

Social Media
University Of Phoenix HUM/186
Virginia Mayer
October 2012

The Internet has grown to be a normal function of everyday life. It is not a wonder to people anymore, and it is in just about everybody’s house, workplace, and school. One can even get the Internet as one is sitting in a diner while eating lunch or dinner. Throughout the years it has grown with technology to the point that Internet is available to use on one’s cell phone. There is so much information that can be found by simply typing a few keys on a keyboard. There is no need to go to the library and search through books, newspapers, and magazines. The Internet has help shape the world and is helping people stay connected to one another, but at what costs? There are thousands of different websites one can visit. This availability of endless information has helped people do research and answer questions quickly. There is not much need for one to visit the library or to buy a newspaper. With the Internet readily available, all one has to do is type in a few keywords into a search engine, such as Google, and they can be supplied with many options to choose from to do the reading and research needed. This has proven to be helpful in the days of busy lives and schedules. Many people have little time available to sit for hours researching for a school paper, or digging through hundreds of news articles. With the Internet one can find the same information in a matter of minutes. While doing this search, one will also be supplied with other articles that could be helpful information too. Although it is a great advancement in the world to have this information so easily obtainable, it can also cause harm to others or give them false information.
Anyone can post different things on the Internet, but the information posted may not be true and accurate. In 2009, there was a user who posted information about Senator Ted Kennedy as having died immediately after his well-publicized seizure (Campbell, Martin, & Fabos, 2012). The information was inaccurate and was corrected by Wikipedia (the site in which it was posted) but there was still the possibility that others read this information before it was removed, therefore giving misleading information. One could also try to look up information and be led into the wrong direction. According to Campbell, Martin, and Fabos (2012, p. 45),”Search results were corrupted by Websites that tried to trick search engines in order to get ranked higher on the results list. One common trick was to embed a popular search term in the page, often typed over and over again in the tiniest font possible and in the same color as the site’s background. Although users did not see the word, the search engine did, and they ranked the page higher even if the page had little or nothing to do with the search term.” There are other possibilities of one looking up information for a school paper and using false information. Another person could perhaps try to look up information for health reasons and could take the advice found that may perhaps lead to him or her to become sick or perhaps even die. One must be careful while searching on the Internet. One must still do research while using the Internet and follow the source of which one is reading. Checking the credibility of the writer is important.
Just as in doing research on the Internet, one also can be connected to friends and family around the world in a matter of seconds. The world has grown to depend on the Internet to stay connected. The thought of pens, pencils, paper, and a postage stamp have become extinct. Social Media has become the new “postal service.” With anything on the Internet, there are different choices in how one can stay