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Social Media Advantages and Disadvantages Essay

Social Media Advantages and Disadvantages Essay PDF. Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media Essay IELTS. Benefits of Social Media Essay. Disadvantages of Social Media Essay.

Social Media

Social media are website and application-based networking tools that allow people to share real-time information on them. It has been accepted as the most innovative invention by science in the digital era to ease the human communication system. There are various types of social media globally, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, WeChat, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, Pinterest, Zoom, and Google Meets. People use social networking sites to share opinions, educate others, disseminate mainstream media content, shape political opinions, and entertain each other. Apart from that, People use them for crime reporting.

Social Media Advantages and Disadvantages Essay

The essay on social media advantages and disadvantages describes social media platforms' positive and adverse impacts. The most significant parts of an ideal essay are the introduction, body, and conclusion, and the additional elements are thesis statements, transitional verbs, and examples.

The essay on the advantages and disadvantages of social media includes the introduction, thesis statement, advantages, disadvantages, and conclusion. Nowadays, social media have become a widespread phenomenon. Therefore, the advantages and disadvantages of social media essays have become a crucial topic for students, educators, and academicians. Many students focus on social media essays to obtain excellent results in the IELTS exam. The school, college, and university lecturers also set this topic for the assignment and exam questions. The author demonstrates examples of social media's advantages and disadvantages essay.

Social Media Advantages and Disadvantages Essay

Introduction

Social media are the most significant blessing of technology in the modern era. Social media are mainly Internet-based tools and applications that people use for communicating, entertaining, and sharing information. The most common social media platforms are Facebook, TikTok, WhatsApp, Viber, Instagram, WeChat, Pinterest, Linked In, VK, etc. The total number of social media users is around 3.0 billion worldwide. Facebook has become one of the most famous social media, gaining 2.96 billion monthly active users. It becomes a double-edged sword due to its positive and negative impact on society. The author discusses the advantages and disadvantages of social media platforms in the community.

Advantages of Social Media

The advantages of social media are maintaining communication, sharing knowledge, and enhancing business.

Firstly, social media eases the communication process that contributes to building relationships. Nowadays, more than 90 percent of teenagers are using smartphones, and in the meantime, 45 percent of them surf the internet every day. For example, students utilize social media networking sites to conduct virtual meetings and classes. So, social networking sites benefit people in maintaining communication globally.

Additionally, Social media have become the most convenient tool for imparting and sharing knowledge. People can easily perceive how difficult educational life would be without using social networking platforms. Every student acknowledges that Google has become the best lecturer for asking questions and seeking knowledge from the Google search engine. For example, educators adopt Google Meet and webinar meeting platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Zoom meetings, Google Meet, etc. So, social media are the best grace of technologies from the perspective of sharing knowledge and expertise.

Furthermore, social media have a tremendous positive impact on the company from the viewpoint of marketing policy. Social media help organizations communicate with potential customers virtually. For example, the organization utilizes its official social media pages for corporate branding, product branding, social media marketing, paid marketing, website traffic enhancement, promotion, etc. In sum, selling products and services online has been more straightforward for the blessing of social media.

People benefit from several viewpoints on social media, such as education, communication, workplace, marketing, entertainment, etc.

Disadvantages of Social Media

On the other hand, the most critical disadvantages of social media are using them for cyberbullying, hacking, and addiction.

Firstly, teenagers utilize social media platforms to bully others, also known as cyberbullying. Cyberbullying refers to harassing someone by sharing personal information on social networking sites. A study shows that around 50% of teenagers were bullied in Bangladesh until 2016. In 2016, an American teenager named Megan Taylor Meier died by suicide of cyberbullying. For example, most teenagers get bullied on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube.

Hacking is another negative consequence of using social media in society. Many people preserve their personal information on social networking sites, including photos, ID cards, and passports. Hackers can hack this personal information and share it on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Sometimes, they demand money from victims committing to not disclosing their private photos. After all, it traumatizes the victim mentally; hence, it is another negative consequence of social media platforms.

Moreover, social media's most alarming negative impact on society is addiction. A statistic revealed that around 220 million people are now addicted to social media directly or indirectly. For example, many teenagers play games on social media instead of doing their daily tasks properly.

Conclusions

In short, Social media positively and negatively impacts individuals and companies. People benefit from social media to maintain communication, share knowledge, and enhance business. In contrast, some crimes happen due to social media, such as cyberbullying and hacking. Many teenagers are addicted to social media, which bars them from maintaining a healthy life. However, people can make social media a blessing tool by preventing negative societal impacts.

Advantages of Social Media Essay

Social media advantages essay discusses the benefits of social media sites in human life. It also includes the introduction, body, and conclusion. An example of a social media essay has been outlined.

Introduction

Have you ever wondered why half the 7.7 billion people worldwide use social media platforms? Social media refers to the internet-based networking system that facilitates human communication through computers, smartphones, and tablets. Around 3.8 billion people use social media, yet Facebook achieved about 2.74 billion monthly users worldwide in 2021. Today I would like to talk to you about the positive role of social media in society. Nevertheless, social media have both positive and negative impacts on society. Regardless of the critics, the advantages of social media are practicing citizen journalism, maintaining emergency communication, and conducting a virtual education system.

Advantages of Social Media

Firstly, citizen journalism plays a significant role in creating social awareness and shaping public opinion. Citizen journalism means collecting, generating, and publishing information on social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc. Social media allow citizen journalists to spread information quickly compared to traditional media. A study shows that around 45% of Americans consume news and information from social media platforms. For example, citizen journalists play a crucial role in sharing social awareness content on Facebook daily.

Secondly, social media platforms have become the most convenient networking sites for emergency communication. The disaster management authority utilizes social media pages to conduct agency-to-community communication. Social media can spread any news quickly among many people in the community. For example, according to CNN, A Russian court has placed Forbes journalist Sergey Mingazov under house arrest after he was detained for allegedly spreading fake news on Telegram channel about the Russian armed forces. Mass media utilize social media sites to promote programs and content through media convergence. Social media sites are undoubtedly effective tools for quick communication in emergency periods.

Finally, educators, students, and academicians currently utilize social networking sites to conduct virtual classes. Nowadays, many educational institutes conduct and regulate online courses through virtual meeting minutes, including Google Meet, Zoom meetings, and WhatsApp. As a result, students organize virtual meetings to complete group discussions and submit online meeting minutes. A study shows that social media enhances students' communication skills; therefore, they perform better than average students who are inactive on social networking platforms. So, it is another crucial benefit of social media in conducting a virtual education system.

Conclusion

In sum, social media are a blessing invention of technology in the 21st century, contributing significantly to information and communication technology (ICT). The three significant advantages of social media are practicing citizen journalism on social media, maintaining emergency communication, and conducting a virtual education system. Based on these positive social media roles, it is safe to say that social media benefits people immensely.

Disadvantages of Social Media Essay

The Social Media Disadvantages essay discusses the adverse consequences of social media sites in human life. The article on social media's disadvantages includes the introduction, thesis statement, body, and conclusion.

Introduction

Social media have brought a significant change in the communication sector. Social media, also known as the new media, have become indispensable to the modern lifestyle. According to the statistics report, more than 800 social media platforms globally. Nowadays, people can not imagine a day without using social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and TikTok. However, it has both positive and adverse impacts on society. Apart from the positive consequences, social media's most typical adverse effects on society are spreading fake news, negative reviews on businesses, and addictions.

Firstly, People opt-in to social media sites to spread fake and fabricated information for its availability. Many citizen journalists utilize these sites to disseminate misleading political issues. For example, Twitter banned President Donald Trump’s account due to posting misleading information.

Secondly, social media can destroy the business due to negative reviews from customers on social media. It also creates high customer expectations and a reduction in employee productivity. A study shows a negative social media review can diminish hundreds of positive comments.

Finally, Netizens are incredibly keen on social media and spend most of their time here instead of traditional media. People are highly addicted to social media and experience physical and mental illnesses.

Conclusion

Social media have both positive and negative consequences on society. Nobody can deny the blessing of social media to make our civil life more accessible from communication with each other beyond the country's boundaries. The adverse consequences of social media are spreading fake news, negative reviews on businesses, and addictions. The government and policymakers should come up with a solution to the problem.

Essay on Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media

The essay on the advantages and disadvantages of social media outlines how to write a body paragraph of an essay with APA citation. The essay's thesis statement and body paragraph on social media's advantages and disadvantages have been illustrated here.

Thesis Statement

Social media help us communicate with each other, but it is also beneficial for education & marketing purposes.

Body Paragraphs

First of all, social media have a tremendous positive impact on the educational sector, and it assists students in nourishing their knowledge with the teaching aids that are available online. Faizi, Afia, and Chiheb (2013) mentioned that students who are actively involved in social media could earn more knowledge easily in a better way. They also stated that social media had become a great platform that allows students to conduct small group communication on projects and also enhance their knowledge capacity. In addition, social media allows everyone to access vast knowledge through various educational websites, knowledge-sharing portals, and online classes.

Greenhow and Lewin (2016) proposed that social media tools have several educational advantages for students and teachers. They also said that it provides opportunities for further learning for people from all walks of life who can access the Internet. In essence, it is clear that social media positively impacts the educational sector.

Secondly, social media are the biggest platforms for different brands and organizations to use for marketing. Many recognized brands use social media to promote their products and services to their targeted audiences. Barefoot and Szabo (2010) explain that social media marketing can be defined as using different platforms to promote an organization and its products to the targeted audience. Furthermore, celebrities worldwide use social media to connect with their fans and followers, and they also used to do publicity work. Wright (2015) claimed that celebrities also use social media channels to keep a good reputation and online presence. Additionally, the main intention behind this is to increase the number of fans and followers. In short, social media plays a significant role in the corporate and personal branding sectors.

References:

Barefoot, D., & Szabo, J. (2009). Friends with benefits: A social media marketing handbook. No Starch Press.

Faizi, R., El Afia, A., & Chiheb, R. (2013). Exploring the potential benefits of using social media in education. International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy (iJEP), 3(4), 50-53.

Greenhow, C., & Lewin, C. (2016). Social media and education: Reconceptualizing the boundaries of formal and informal learning. Learning, media, and technology, 41(1), 6-30.

Wright, K. (2015). Social Media and Celebrities: The Benefits of a Social Media Presence.

Five Dimensions of Service Quality- Servqual Model

5 Dimensions of Service Quality- SERVQUAL Model. Servqual Model of Service Quality Questionnaires

Five Dimensions of Service Quality

In 1985, three American marketing scholars, A Parsu Parasuraman, Valarie A. Zeithaml, and Leonard L Berry, established ten service quality dimensions based on customer evaluation. The customers evaluate the services received from organizations. Initially, the authors proposed 10 dimensions to assess service quality. Later, the authors condensed ten dimensions into five and introduced a refined SERVQUAL Model in 1988.

The ten dimensions include Reliability, Tangibles, Responsiveness, Competence, Access, Courtesy, Communication, Credibility, Security, and Understanding.

The five dimensions of service quality refer to the SERVQUAL Model of 5 key service dimensions: Reliability, Assurance, Tangibles, Empathy, and Responsiveness. The Servqual model or five service quality dimensions is also known as the Service Quality Model. The SERV-QUAL is the short form of service and quality. SERVQUAL Model is a multi-dimensional research process intended to measure the gap scores between expected and perceptions of service quality of the customers based on five dimensions.

Therefore, the five-service quality dimension model was introduced in 1988 by A Parsu Parasuraman, Valarie A. Zeithaml, and Leonard L Berry. The researchers and practitioners use the latest servqual model.

SERVQUAL Model

The Servqual model refers to the five dimensions of service quality that measure the customer's expectations. The Servqual model classifies the elements or components of service quality known as the five critical service quality dimensions. Although the model developers initially proposed ten service quality dimensions, many experts later finalized only five dimensions of service quality: Reliability, Assurance, Tangibles, Empathy, and Responsiveness. The marketing students formed an acronym RATER from the first capital letter of every dimension or component. However, after measuring the gaps, this model recommends the most common causes of service quality problems.

Servqual Model 10 Dimensions

However, Initially, the authors of the Servqual model presented ten dimensions of service quality that are as follows: Reliability, Responsiveness, Competence, Access, Courtesy, Communication, Credibility, Security, Knowing the Customer, also, Tangibles.

Dimensions of Service Quality

The 5 Dimensions of Service Quality are

Reliability
Assurance
Tangibles
Empathy
Responsiveness.

1. Reliability in the Servqual Model

Reliability is an essential dimension of the Servqual model that confirms the capacity to provide services exactly, on time, and credibly. It means the ability of a service provider to deliver services consistently and accurately, meeting customers' expectations every time. Consistency is critical for providing assistance or products to customers on time with error-free conditions. You have to respect the commitment to give your service on time accurately as you promised to them.

For example, Hotel Global Assistant prides itself on reliable and consistent service to its guests. One aspect of reliability is the hotel's commitment to ensuring that rooms are ready for check-in at the designated time, without any delays or errors.

Guests arriving at Hotel Global Assistant expect to be able to check into their rooms promptly upon arrival, based on their reservation. The hotel's front desk staff ensures that rooms are prepared well in advance, following a standardized process for cleaning, maintenance, and inspection.

Upon arrival, guests are greeted warmly by the front desk staff, who efficiently handle the check-in process. The staff members verify the guests' reservations, assign rooms according to their preferences, and provide them with keys promptly.

Throughout their stay, guests experience consistent and reliable service from the hotel staff. Housekeeping maintains the cleanliness and orderliness of the rooms, ensuring that amenities are replenished and any issues are promptly addressed. The hotel's facilities, such as restaurants, fitness centers, and business centers, operate smoothly and reliably, meeting guests' needs and expectations.

2. Assurance in Servqual Model

Assurance means creating trust and credibility for the customers. It depends on the employee's technical knowledge, practical communication skills, courtesy, credibility, competency, and professionalism. Therefore, these skills will help the organization gain customer trust and credibility.

The assurance dimension combines four factors: Competence, Courtesy, Credibility, and Security. Firstly, competence means having the requisite skills and knowledge. Secondly, courtesy refers to contact staff's politeness, respect, consideration, and friendliness. Thirdly, credibility is the staff's trustworthiness, believability, and honesty. Finally, security means freedom from danger, risk, or doubt.

Example of Assurance Dimension in Servqual Model

The employee shows competence, courtesy, credibility, and security to the customers while servicing them.

Assurance Example in Retail Banking Services

In the context of retail banking services, the Assurance dimension of the SERVQUAL model plays a crucial role in building customer trust and confidence. Let's consider a scenario where a customer visits a bank branch to inquire about opening a new savings account:

Competence:

The customer approaches a bank representative and expresses interest in opening a savings account. The representative demonstrates competence by thoroughly explaining the different types of accounts available, their features, and the associated benefits. They are knowledgeable about the bank's products and services, providing accurate information to help the customer make an informed decision.

Courtesy:

The bank representative maintains a courteous and respectful demeanor throughout the interaction. They greet the customer warmly, listen attentively to their needs and preferences, and address any questions or concerns with patience and empathy. The customer feels valued and respected, contributing to a positive service experience.

Credibility:

The bank has established a reputation for reliability and integrity in the community. The representative reinforces this credibility by providing transparent information about account fees, interest rates, and terms and conditions. They assure the customer that the bank is committed to upholding ethical standards and safeguarding their financial interests, thereby earning their trust and confidence.

Security:

As the customer considers opening a new account, they express concerns about the security of their funds and personal information. The bank representative assures the customer that the bank employs robust security measures to protect against fraud, identity theft, and unauthorized access to accounts. They explain the various security features, such as encryption protocols, multi-factor authentication, and fraud monitoring systems, to reassure the customer of the bank's commitment to safeguarding their assets and privacy.

In this example, the Assurance dimension of the SERVQUAL model is exemplified through the bank's focus on competence, courtesy, credibility, and security in delivering retail banking services

3. Tangibles in the Servqual Model

Tangibles represent the physical facilities, employees' appearance, equipment, machines, communication materials, and information systems. It focuses on facilitating materials and physical facilities.

This dimension assesses the extent to which these tangible elements convey professionalism, competence, and attention to detail, influencing customers' perceptions of service quality. For example, the organization maintains a clean environment, and staff follows the appropriate dress code.

The example of tangibles in the SERVQUAL model

1. Physical Facilities: Physical facilities refer to the organization's environment where the service is delivered. It includes the infrastructural context of the company such as buildings, furniture, decoration, location, and amenities. For example, a meeting room, reception, office location, and well-decoration enhance tangible aspects of the service.

2. Equipment and Tools: Tangibles also encompasses using equipment and tools by the organization to deliver the service. It includes computers, PoS (Point of Sale) machines, ICT, and other resources necessary for ensuring better service. For instance, in a Bank, Electronic Payment Systems, cash Deposit Machines (CDM), Fraud Detection, High-Speed Wifi, and ATM adjacent to a bank are tangible factors that impact customer perceptions.

3. Personnel Appearance: The personal appearance of tangibles in the SERVQUAL model indicates employees' education, attire, hygiene, status, moral character, social position, and trustworthiness. It promotes corporate branding by enhancing tangible. For instance, a well-dressed waiter, cleanliness of the attire, and the behavior of the receptionist influence customers' perceptions of service quality.

4. Communication Materials: Communication materials are a crucial element of tangibles in the servqual model. It includes communication channels such as social media platforms, banners, brochures, websites, and other promotional materials. For example, a travel agency's website should be user-friendly, accessible, and concise with information about ticket and hotel costs, and travel guidelines.

Accessibility and Convenience: Tangibles also include factors of convenience and ease of access for clients. The factors are parking facilities, male and female-separated washrooms, features for disabled people, and free wifi for guests. For example, a banking company that offers ample parking, separate washrooms for females,s and wheelchair ramps enhances the tangible aspects of the customer experience.

4. Empathy in the Servqual Model

Empathy refers to the service provider's ability to understand and address the needs and concerns of customers in a caring and personalized manner. It means focusing on the customers attentively to ensure caring and distinguishing service. It is also a great process to satisfy customers psychologically and increase confidence, trust, and loyalty. The company might lose its customers due to the lack of empathy among the employees; therefore, they need to ensure compassion.

Additionally, empathy is a combination of the following factors:

Access (physical and social) - (For example, approachable and ease of contact).
Communication - (For instance, keeping customers informed in a language they understand and listening to them).
Understanding the customer - ( For example, trying to get to know customers and their specific needs).

Example of Empathy in Servqual Model

For example, a customer contacts a telecommunications company's customer service department to report an issue with their internet connection. The customer explains that they are working from home and urgently need a stable internet connection to complete an important project. The customer service representative, demonstrating empathy, responds with understanding and concern for the customer's situation.

Instead of simply acknowledging the issue and providing generic troubleshooting steps, the representative actively listens to the customer's concerns and expresses empathy for the inconvenience caused by the internet outage. They reassure the customer that they understand the importance of reliable internet access, especially for remote work, and assure them that resolving the issue is a top priority.

The representative goes a step further by offering personalized assistance tailored to the customer's needs. They provide detailed guidance on troubleshooting steps specific to the customer's internet setup and offer to escalate the issue to technical support for further investigation. Additionally, they proactively offer to follow up with the customer to ensure that the problem is fully resolved and offer compensation for any inconvenience caused.

Through their empathetic response, the customer service representative demonstrates a genuine understanding of the customer's situation, instilling trust and confidence in the company's commitment to customer satisfaction.

5. Responsiveness in the Servqual Model

Responsiveness refers to the eagerness to assist customers with respect and provide quick service to satisfy them. This dimension focuses on the two essential factors, including willingness and promptness. So, you have to ensure that the customer is getting their service quickly without delay and make the customers feel that you are very interested in helping them. Responsiveness will be defined by the length of time when customers wait for the answer or solution. In short, responsiveness solves the customer problem as soon as possible by providing expected information or replacing products. To ensure responsiveness in the service quality, the employee keeps no customer in the waiting serial and replaces the product quickly before finishing the promised period.

Example of the Responsiveness Dimension

For example, a customer visits a busy restaurant during peak hours and places an order for their meal. Despite the high volume of orders, the restaurant staff demonstrated responsiveness by promptly acknowledging the customer's order and providing an estimated wait time.

As the customer waits for their meal, they notice that their drink is running low. Before they even have a chance to flag down a server, a member of the restaurant staff proactively approaches their table to refill their drink and inquire if there's anything else they need.

Later, when the customer's meal takes longer than expected to arrive, the restaurant manager personally visits their table to apologize for the delay and assure them that their order is being expedited. The manager offers a complimentary appetizer as a gesture of goodwill for the inconvenience caused by the delay.

In this example, the restaurant staff demonstrates responsiveness by promptly addressing the customers' needs and concerns throughout their dining experience.

SERVQUAL Survey Questionnaire

The Servqual survey refers to the instruments of the Servqual model. The instrument consists of 22 perception items. The researchers utilize these instruments to evaluate consumers' thoughts and expectations regarding the quality of service. Therefore, it is also known as a servqual questionnaire for customer satisfaction. The authors of the Servqual model designed 22 perception items also 22 expectation items to set them into five dimensions of service quality. The Servqual model questionnaire assesses the gap score of the company that comes out ideally.

SERVQUAL Model Original Questionnaire

SERVQUAL Questionnaire For Customer Satisfaction

Reliability Dimension

1. Gloant-Automobile fixes faults in cars as promised.
2. They are reliable in handling faults in cars.
3. They repair cars right the first time.
4. Their employees fix car faults at the promised time.
5. The charges for services are reasonable.

Assurance Dimension

6. The apprentices of Gloant-Automobile create confidence in customers.
7. They display professionalism in handling faults in cars.
8. Their employees are always polite.
9. They have the knowledge to answer customers’ questions.

Tangibles Dimension

10. Gloant-Automobile makes use of modern equipment in repairing cars
11. They have enough parking space for their customers.
12. They provide an environment free from danger.
13. Their employees appear professional in their workplace.

Empathy Dimension

14. The apprentices of Gloant-Automobile give customers individual attention.
15. They deal with customers in a caring manner.
16. Their employees quickly apologize when they make mistakes.
17. Their employees try to understand customers’ needs.
18. Gloant-Automobile operating hours are convenient for customers.

Responsiveness Dimension

19. This company always informs customers when services will be performed.
20. They always serve customers promptly.
21. Gloant-Automobile is always willing to rectify car faults.
22. They are always ready to respond to customers.

Servqual Questionnaire Example With 22 Items

Figure 2: SERVQUAL Model Questionnaire- 22 Scales Items

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Servqual model has become popular and accepted worldwide because of improving customer service quality. It is a multi-dimensional research system representing a customer satisfaction framework to satisfy customers. Many organizations use this model to achieve goals. The private organization follows the Servqual model to ensure quality services. The 5 Gaps in Service Quality are Knowledge Gap, Policy Gap, Communication Gap, Delivery Gap, and Customer Gap.

Citation For This Article (APA 7th Edition)

Kobiruzzaman, M. M. (2024). Five Dimensions of Service Quality- Servqual Model of Service Quality. Newsmoor- Best Online Learning Platform. https://newsmoor.com/servqual-model-five-key-service-dimensions-servqual-gaps-reasons/