20 veljače 2015

Why social media networks affect media freedom and freedom of expression?

Majority of people are witnessing how social networks are changing the way humans communicate and interact. Nowadays, social media are the most popular way for sharing various information and news among individuals and organizations. Also, it has huge impact on how traditional mass media works and how humans have more options and responsibility when they express themselves on Facebook, Twitter, VKontakte, etc.

This essay will discuss why social networks have huge influence on the media freedom, freedom of expression of each individual on social networks.

There are almost 2 billion of social networks users in the world, and number is growing everyday. The main reasons of such popularity are easy to use way of sharing information globally and locally, huge popularity on Internet among youth and affordable various devices for access. For example, sharing ideas and information among students have never been easier. Tablets and smartphones are affordable in less development countries, so most of people could use social networks in rural areas, and where average income is low. The most of people can even log in to their favorite social network without PC. Starting from the 20th century people travel more and more, especially young, searching for better life opportunities. Social networks play vital role in their lives, because it keeps them informed, connects them with their families, friends and they can communicate and share their thoughts and ideas wherever they are.

Social media networks gives individuals and organisations more opportunities for their voices and ideas to be heard. Although mass media houses are important source of information for public, they can easily fall under the influence of group or even a government. Social networks gives additional speed and quantity to the information whereas influence is difficult to achieve. Far to many individuals as potential sources of news and organisations are more independent of mass media because they could establish communication with their audience directly using social network channels. Media houses have more options to choose from and gives extra power to every individual to act as a broadcast media. Some communicators would say that social media is a final stage of freedom of media.

Individual users are sharing ideas globally whereas law makers are facing new challenges to protect freedom of expression and to fight hate crimes. Users are facing new opportunities and communication freedoms, but also have responsibilities when they express themselves. Nowadays everyone is able to comment on any event in the world and even to be a source of information. Could posted comment or information encourage someone o commit the crime? Law makers are facing on how to prevent such a crimes, and in the same time, not to interfere with the freedom of speech.

Social media networks improve the ways how people, organizations and businesses communicate and interact. With millions of social media users mass media houses nowadays have more challenging media competition. Also, people have more freedom and methods to express themselves. It is critical that people recognize the power of freedom of speech and the responsibility that goes with it.

It is important for all users and for social media networks to develop farther, in order to gives people more opportunities to create better life conditions and to have healthier society.

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