Disadvantages of Using Social Networks

The use of social network sites has increased exponentially and is a global phenomenon. Online social network sites provide several benefits. For example, people can interact with others, as if they were close friends. In addition, social network sites help people connect with others who have the same interests; people can share news, photographs, and videos with other online members. According to a Nielsen Online report, by the end of 2008, 66.8 percent of Internet users around the world had visited social network sites that year, whereas, only 65.1 percent had gone online to access email. (Gale) Social networks provide the opportunity for an advanced level of communication and functionality. However, social networks also have serious disadvantages, such as violation of confidentiality and privacy, unforeseen consequences, and potential threat to personal safety. Today, communication on the Internet has become increasingly popular. Millions of people around the world use websites, such as Myspace, Facebook, and LinkedIn. People now have benefits of these websites, including significantly advanced communication and functionality which have never been seen or imagined before. For instance, one advantage is that today’s doctors are communicating with their patients by using social media. Before social media became a vital form of communication, doctors and patients only could connect to each other by using telephone, otherwise, patients had to visit the doctor’s office which takes time and money as well. “About 20 percent of patients already use social media to glean healthcare information, according to an April survey by the National Research Corporation, a healthcare research firm based in Lincoln, Neb”. (Haupt) However, there are also some weak points of communicating through using social media between patients and physicians. Sometimes, the information that gets passed along is not always accurate because anyone can post. Moreover, since some doctors answer