Essay On Social Media And Social Capital

Do you think that social media increases or decreases social capital at a societal level? If so, what types of social capital are created? (pg. 164) I would say that social media increases social capital at a societal level. As the book says, social networking is essentially a “spiderweb of connections” and social capital is simply the strength of social connectivity. Social media allows for interpersonal relationships to be initiated and developed. Connections are used to exchange information and social media is helping to extend it. It has been shown that people who use social media do have more social connections than people who do not use social media and social network provides a framework for social capital. Instead of relying on tight connections such as a small number of close friends, people can “fulfill their social, emotional, and economical needs” by going on these networks with a diverse range of …show more content…
With all the technology advancements nowadays, it has made it easier to target an audience. Companies can promote their products to certain people based on what they like, share, post, and click on based on social media. Advertisers will use association as a technique to persuade people to buy their products. They will link whatever they are trying to sell to that target audience because they know it appeals to them. Emotion is definitely a huge aspect of advertising; a persuasion strategy for many advertisers is appeal to emotion. Appealing to emotion is more dependent on the feelings of the audience in order to provoke action. Another thing companies will do to try to persuade someone is by trying to establish trust. Companies will use celebrities to establish a presence or use some sort of “expert” that has knowledge in relation to their