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Hello friends, welcome to my blog, it's been quite a while. Happy new year to you all. It is such a beautiful thing participating in this week's challenge. And this week we are talking about the power of social media, kindly read through and enjoy my article below.

Social media is now a part of almost everyone's life; ranging from whatsapp, meta(facebook), instagram, twitter, tiktok etc.

Before I proceed further, I would like to give a little definition of social media.
Social media according to Investopedia refers to a computer based technology that facilitates the sharing of ideas, thoughts and information through virtual network and communities. Social media was built for the purpose of interactions with friends and family; but on the long run, it was adopted by businesses who also wants to take advantage of a new method of communication to reach a wider range of audience and customers.

Hints And Answers:

• How old are you when you start engaging in social media and how was your experience so far?
  I started getting used to the social media at age 19. This is because social media the use of social media then wasn't rampant in Nigeria and most parents see it as corruption to allow their kids to waste their lives on social media and my parents happen to fall into that category. So I had to finish my seconds school get a skill and work raise money to get an android phone from my salary. So I joined the social media officially in my 19th year of age when I bought my first phone.

• In your opinion, what is the right age for people to have access to social media?
  In my opinion, once a child can read, write and can communicate effectively, he/she should be allowed to use the social media. Atleast at age 8 years, a child should be allowed to have access to the social media, but they should be monitored on the kinds of things they are involved in on social media.

• What can you say to people who are no longer responsible for managing their social media accounts?
  To people who are no longer responsible for managing their social media accounts, they should find a way to monitor what happens with the account. This is because the person managing it can use it for fraud or any other act of impersonation.

• Share your ideas on how to properly manage a social media account.
  1. Time Management:
  If anyone must effectively manage their social media accounts, that person must learn and understand time management. This is because the social media if not properly managed can be a time waster. Someone can be on the social media for hours wasting time chatting and watching things that might not profit him at that moment. So if it means creating time table do it, that is even the best strategy.
  2. Discipline:
  Another way of effectively managing one's social media is through discipline. It's not every quote or chat that one should engage in. It is not every pop up link that one should click on and visit. Once you want to do anything on the social media, be focused and get it done. Then have a time for chatting and gaming and socializing.
  3. Avoid Distractions:
  There are a lot of distractions on social media. Although the social media was built to make life easier for people, it can also serve as a medium of distraction to people if not properly managed. Once you get into social media to carry out any task, be focused, avoid engaging in worthless conversations. Select the things you read and the profitable sites you visit for information.

• What do you think our future will be with this social media power?
  Ten years ago, we probably would have never imagined what social media would become; ranging from shopping, gaming, live streaming etc. There are basically a lot that one can do now on social media that was once for a mere texting and calling.
  1. Virtual Reality Communication:
  Presently using social media, people can chat, call, video call without feeling the next party. But in the future of social media which has started already, social media has started introducing humans to a virtual world using a headset which would make the individual feel like he is in the same room with the next part.
  2. Augmented Reality Shopping:
  This is all about bringing virtual objects into real time videos and pictures. Most social media platforms are working seriously on buying and selling of virtual products and properties (eg Virtual lands) and e-commerce alike. That is the phase we are entering now, where virtual products and properties are valued and traded just like physical products and properties.
  3. Advancement In Algorithm:
  Now there are more advanced algorithms that monitors the day to day activities of everyone on social and their interest, by so doing the social media will always keep you busy with your various interests. A time will come in the history of the social media that before one search for anything, it will just pop up on it's own without a search. The advancement in the algorithms will get to the point get to a point where it will be able to read through the mind of people and give them what they are searching for.

• Give the advantages and disadvantages of social media in your life.
  I will say I have enjoyed more advantage of the social media than the disadvantages.

Advantages Of Social Media In My Life:

1. The social media has given me access to information and realities around the world from the comfort of my room.
2. Social media helps me in shopping and receipt of my goods from the comfort of my home, bills payment etc.
3. The social media has exposed me to relationships with far and near strangers who turned into friends and business partners.
4. Social media has exposed me to lots of businesses band opportunities I might not necessarily have done offline.
5. Social media has given me a platform to learn skills from the comfort of my room without physical appearance.
6. Social media gave me a market place to sell my goods and services to a large number of audience without having a physical office and without stepping out of my home.

Disadvantages Of Social Media In My Life:

1. FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out):
I have taken prompt business actions which I eventually got to lost my money due to FOMO which was caused by the social media effect.
2. Social Media is addicting:
I was almost addicted to my social media handles at some points in my life. It was not a good experience. It affected my performance in my business and personal activities.
3. Time Waster:
Social media can be so much distracting and at the same time it's a time waster. Once one is not disciplined he will always be carried away by the distractions on social media, waste his time and at the end of the day there will be no effectiveness in what you do. I experienced it.

• What are the commonly used social media in your country? And categorize it.
  The commonly used social media in my country are whatsapp, facebook, tiktok, instagram, twitter, youtube etc.
  These social media handles has changed the lives of so many persons in my country. It has enhanced from just communication and information to business, learning, contents, money making, adventures etc. I'm the area of money making, lots of persons who cannot easily afford to pay for offices physically has successfully built online offices and has built massive audience of customers more than the average offline business man.
  These social medias has given a lot of youths jobs in my country, judging from the deteriorated state of the Nigerian economy. But social media has given a lot of youths in my country jobs and enable them to earn massively from the comfort of their homes with just their smartphone and laptops.

Category of Social Media In My Country:

1. Whatsapp:
This is commonly used for communication. But right now it is used for webinars, seminars and sales on status.

2. Meta (Facebook):
Meta is also used for communication, information, sales and customers base building.

3. Instagram:
Instagram enables people in my country just like meta in bringing their business to lime light and introduce it to larger audience of customers.

4. Tiktok:
Tiktok has made a lot of people in my country millionaires via content creation and automatically made them influencers l, which is another means of making money.

5. Youtube:
The youtube is one of the most useful social media in my country, due to the free learnings of skills and courses which is accessible for all. Youtube has also made many persons in my country millionaires via their content and large followership on youtube which made youtube to pay them in return.

Twitter:
Twitter was one of the most commonly used social media in my country before the government banned it. But now it is resurrecting back, because people have started driving means on how to use it despite the ban.

Linkedin:
Linkin is one of the social media platforms that most persons in my country especially professionals and online service providers engage in. Linkedin has given lots of persons jobs within and outside Nigeria from the comfort of their homes.

Conclusion

In conclusion the effect, usefulness and impact of the social media cannot be over emphasized. The power of social media is the ability it gives users to connect and share information to large audience from any part of the world from the comfort of their homes.

Hello @steemitphcurator, here is my entry to contest. It's nice participating in your contest for the first time. I look forward to participate in more activities in your community.

I invite @udyliciouz, @goodybest and @simonnwigwe to come participate in this challenge.

Thanks guys for visiting my contest post.
Best regards