Speech Draft: Benefits of Social Media Hi everyone. I’d like to start my presentation with one of the documentaries released by Netflix last year, the ‘Social Dilemma’ . By interviewing several ex-workers from social media dominators like Google and Facebook uncovered many dark sides of those apps, including manipulating users by using algorithms that encourage addition to their platforms, harvesting personal data to target users with ads, and even attempting to affect national elections. So, should we join the herd and ditch social media because we are monitored and manipulated? My personal view is we should not avoid social media but embrace it, because it has improved our lives in many aspects. As we all know, social media was born for communication. Think about QQ in China and Facebook in America. Social media has revolutionised the way we connect with each other. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are now used by one in four people in Europe. It is a convenient way to build and maintain interpersonal relationships. It makes us stay connected when we share personal life or make video calls with others, and keep us in touch with what others are doing. You know it, we do it every day. Click the talk button and the responses will come in the next second! So, can you imagine living in a life without those communications? Secondly, social media also serves as a major economic drive. Have you ever bought anything thing through social media during the lockdown period? It makes shopping easier. It provides consumers with more options while saving a great amount of time. In this sense, it booms worldwide consumption! On the other hand, by probing into user consumption data, sellers are able to make precision marketing through social apps and producers are guided to upgrade their products. Manufacturing industry enters into a virtuous cycle. So, what is so bad about it? Next, Social media can bridge the information gap so we now have an instant access to participate in important events. Those who need help can reach social support simply by posting a message on Twitter, or Weibo, and those who are able to provide help can either donate money directly or help spread messages further. That’s what we have seen during the outbreak of COVID-19. Influential celebrities led netizens to make huge donations to epidemic-stricken cities like Wuhan in Chin . Shawn Mendes, a popular singer from Canada, donated $175,000 to the foundation and its associated hospital in Toronto Since every coin has two sides, I am also quite aware of the downsides of social media. For example, while social media makes us connected, we are easily get addicted to it with an increasing fear of missing out. While social media makes shopping easier, we are also exposed to fake goods market as well. While we get more access to voice our opinions, we can easily lose our direction as we swim in the sea of information. I hear you. But what I wanna say is, there is nothing wrong with social media itself. It is the improper way we use it that leads to those side effects. The problem is to educate the users and have proper regulations. Above all, social media has been a part of our life. With the rapid technological development of big data, VR and AR, social media will also be upgraded to provide better user experience. I can even say there is no way we can live without social media in the future. Therefore, don’t blame it. Hug it and use it in a proper way. Thanks for your listening! Bibliography: https://www.rsph.org.uk/static/uploaded/d125b27c-0b62-41c5-a2c0155a8887cd01.pdf https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/other/celebrities-whove-donated-to-thoseaffected-by-covid-19/ss-BB11oThN https://www.insider.com/celebrities-coronavirus-donations-pandemic-relief-efforts-20203 https://www.sohu.com/a/369104730_100099177 https://www.forbes.com/sites/ajagrawal/2016/03/18/its-not-all-bad-the-social-good-ofsocial-media/?sh=5f00b352756f https://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/using-social-media-to-build-authority.html Statement of Intention: Name: Jennie The issue I will explore is “Is social media does more good than harm?”. My contention is that social media does more positive impact on people than negative. My premise for this assertion is that the recent documentary “The Social Dilemma” focuses on how big social media such as Facebook, Google and Twitter manipulate users by using algorithms that encourage addition to their platforms. It also shows, fairly accurately, how platforms harvest personal data to target users with ads - and have so far gone largely unregulated. My main argument for this assertion is that social media makes people stay connected. It changes people’s way of communication and takes in convenience. And I also argue that along with the rapid advance of science and technology, social media also benefits on finance. Costumers are allowed to buy goods in an easier way, sellers are no longer need to the shop rents, they can get their own profits totally. Finally, social media also can do a favour for those in need. In the epidemic period of time, it helps to spread the information and set a donation online, which can effectively get the foundation for those who in need. To rebut the concern that social media leads a loss of self-controlling, people’s fear of missing out, and the spread of fake luxury goods and information. I will argue that it’s a basic require for the communicators to control themselves on avoiding addiction, and for online shoppers and information receivers, they need to cultivate the ability to identify the authenticity of the good and the information. My audience consists of member of the general public who uses social media. My overall purpose is that my listeners will trust social media, they can use it in a proper way and do something positive. I will draw on various pieces of audience that I found in the RSPH (Royal Society for Public Health) and local internet websites. I will also use persuasive language techniques, such as inclusive language “we”, words with positive meanings, in order to establish a credibility of the positive impact of social media, it can highly comfort them from the “Social Dilemma” and uses it in a better way. With an reasonable and enthusiastic tone, I create an appeal to common sense and an appeal to modern and up-to-date in order to convince my audience that with the rapid technological development of big data, VR and AR, using social media will be a future trend and everyone must be able to get to use to it.
