The social economy: Unlocking value through social technologies

Social technologies

It can be defined as applying the use of technologies for specific purpose especially social one like to ease social procedures via social software and social hardware, which include the use of computers and information technology for governmental procedures etc.

There are many benefits and risks associated with using digital media, depending on who uses it , how it is used and what it is used for. South African often use social technologies such as Facebook, instar gram and whatsApp to hear latest news about celebrities, communicate with others and post pictures of their whereabouts. Recently people end to post personal information like their locations and their phone and that makes it easy for criminals to target them .putting private information on internet can cause fraud and illegal activity.

On the other hand social technologies have changed the way we live for the better .we now able to communicate with friends, family and business partners over social media platforms like whatsApp and Facebook. We are able to access the latest news from around the world and access internet to do our assignments and POE from our mobile device. Our generations don’t send letters anymore or use smoke signals to get the attention they need. More and more people are now able to access social media in South Africa, as the number of Instagram users has increased from 680 000 in 013 to 3.68 million in 015(7n24tech, 015)

Benefits of social technologies:

• Worldwide connection

-With social technology you can search anything from anywhere in the world .you can make friends from different parts of the world.

• Commonality of interest

-In social networking you can pick and choose individuals who have the same interest as you and you can interact with them by sharing tips or ideas

• Real-time information sharing

-Social networking incorporate an instant messaging feature which lets people exchange information in real time via a chat.

• Targeted advertising

-Business that needs to get a word out about a new product or service, there is no better way than social media to get your message in front of millions of people all day and night.

• Increased news cycle speed

-Social networking has revolutionized the speed of the news cycle .most news organization now rely social media site to collect and information.

Risks of social technology:

1. Cyber-bullying and Crimes against Children

Use of social networks may expose individuals to other forms of harassment or even inappropriate contact. This can be especially true for teens and younger children. Unless parents diligently filter the Web content their family views, children could be exposed to pornography or other inappropriate content.

2. Risks of Fraud or Identity Theft

Whether you like it or not, the information you post on the Internet is available to almost anyone who is clever enough to access it. Most thieves need just a few vital pieces of personal information to make your life a nightmare. If they successfully steal your identity, it could cost you dearly.

3. Time Waster

Business Insider reports that social media is the most popular use of the Internet - surpassing email - and smartphones and other mobile devices seem to be the driving force behind this trend since 60 percent of the traffic is from a mobile source. The GlobalWebIndex poll shows that 28 percent of the time spent online is on social networks.

4. Corporate Invasion of Privacy

Social networking invites major corporations to invade your privacy and sell your personal information. Have you ever posted a comment on Facebook, only to notice an advertisement appear with content related to your post? Last year, Facebook earned an estimated $16 billion in ad revenue. That's not bad for a free site.