subject: How People Use And Abuse Social Media [print this page] It is not only individuals that do not practice net etiquette that ruin the social media experience for everyone, companies and cyber criminals are also abusing social media. Abuse of social media is just something that cannot be avoided.
According to a report by Blue Coat, the use of social networks accounts for one quarter of all web activities last year. The same report claims that social networking use has skyrocketed 500 percent from 2008 to 2008. The growth in social media use has attracted different types of people to the social networks. Even the bad guys have moved to using social networks. The only reason people, even those that tend to abuse social media are really moving to social networks is because social networks are where the people are. Phishing attacks, the process of getting people's passwords and other sensitive information through scrupulous means, have really gone up in the past year. Scams online are also becoming even more prevalent.
Aside from scams and security threats, individuals and companies are also abusing social media in different ways. Individuals that are posting negative comments, blogs and misleading information online have also grown in numbers. Many people do not realize that they can use social media for the power of good and instead use social networks for negative purposes.
There are companies that abuse social media to sell and end up ruining the whole social media experience for people. They use social media to sell and talk but not to listen and engage. Using social media this way can also be abusive to the networks.
Whether you are a company or an individual using social media, you need to make sure you are contributing positively to the networks for the networks to really be useful for everyone. You must also keep your eyes open for scams and other abuses on social networks so that you don't fall prey to the scams. Scammers definitely don't run out of scams to perpetuate online. Sometimes the anonymity that the internet offers can even make scammers bolder.
Companies should make sure that they are not abusing the features if the social networks to the point that people develop a mistrust of their brands. They should also contribute positively to the network so that they can establish a positive image online that can help them build strong connections with the public. This can then help the companies become strong, successful companies in the long run.
