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ScienceDirect
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
Procedia Computer Science 109C (2017) 1005–1009
1877-0509 © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Peer-review under responsibility of the Conference Program Chairs.
10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.446
10.1016/j.procs.2017.05.446
1877-0509 © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Peer-review under responsibility of the Conference Program Chairs.
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
ScienceDirect
Procedia Computer Science 00 (2016) 000–000
www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia
1877-0509 © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Peer-review under responsibility of the Conference Program Chairs.
The 7th International Symposium on Frontiers in Ambient and Mobile Systems (FAMS 2017)
The analysis of advantages and disadvantages of use of social media
in European Union
Martina Drahošováa*, Peter Balcob
aFaculty of Management, Comenius University in Bratislava
bFaculty of Management, Comenius University in Bratislava
Abstract
Social media is a platform that we use every day and spend much time on them. Therefore, it is necessary to know the
basic information about the advantages and disadvantages of using social media. Our research deals with social media
and their perception of the general public. We examined by the survey which social media people use, for what purpose
they are used and how they perceive the positive and negative aspects of using social media. After analyzing the
survey results, we've identified the three most used social media in the European Union and the opinion of social
media users on the advantages and disadvantages associated with their use.
© 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Peer-review under responsibility of the Conference Program Chairs.
Keywords: Social media; advantages of social media ; disadvantages of social media ; analysis of social media
1. Introduction
Social media are very often lately dissolving theme and also have great popularity among users. Therefore, it is
interesting to address the issue of the perception of their social media users. Our research is focused on the specific
use of social media and the perception of the advantages and disadvantages of their use by respondents.
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +421250117505.
E-mail address: martina.drahosova@fm.uniba.sk
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
ScienceDirect
Procedia Computer Science 00 (2016) 000–000
www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia
1877-0509 © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Peer-review under responsibility of the Conference Program Chairs.
The 7th International Symposium on Frontiers in Ambient and Mobile Systems (FAMS 2017)
The analysis of advantages and disadvantages of use of social media
in European Union
Martina Drahošováa*, Peter Balcob
aFaculty of Management, Comenius University in Bratislava
bFaculty of Management, Comenius University in Bratislava
Abstract
Social media is a platform that we use every day and spend much time on them. Therefore, it is necessary to know the
basic information about the advantages and disadvantages of using social media. Our research deals with social media
and their perception of the general public. We examined by the survey which social media people use, for what purpose
they are used and how they perceive the positive and negative aspects of using social media. After analyzing the
survey results, we've identified the three most used social media in the European Union and the opinion of social
media users on the advantages and disadvantages associated with their use.
© 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Peer-review under responsibility of the Conference Program Chairs.
Keywords: Social media; advantages of social media ; disadvantages of social media ; analysis of social media
1. Introduction
Social media are very often lately dissolving theme and also have great popularity among users. Therefore, it is
interesting to address the issue of the perception of their social media users. Our research is focused on the specific
use of social media and the perception of the advantages and disadvantages of their use by respondents.
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +421250117505.
E-mail address: martina.drahosova@fm.uniba.sk
1006 Martina Drahošová et al. / Procedia Computer Science 109C (2017) 1005–1009
2 Author name / Procedia Computer Science 00 (2015) 000–000
In our paper, we are presenting the results of data surveyed from 275 respondents from European Union including:
structure of utilization of social media, for what purpose they are used and how they perceive the positive and negative
aspects of using social media.
1.1. Web 2.0 and Social Media
The term Web 2.0 describes trends and ways in which the web will probably take. However, someone argue that
Web 2.0 is just a bubble - marketing term created how to amaze and gain customers with something that does not
exist. The second on the other hand see new quality and others say that Web 2.0 = social media. 1
Social media have revolutionized the use of Internet as a tool to propagate products and promote their sale. Opens
the possibility of less expensive and more effective online marketing and also offer new approaches to direct contact
with potential customers, inspire in developing business and communication strategy.
Every day millions of users publish their articles, photos and videos with the help of services such as YouTube,
Flickr, Wordpress and share them with others. The phenomenon of user-generated content got into the center stage
approximately in 2005 with the arrival of so-called waves of Web 2.0. Many experts led by Tim O'Reilly pointed to
the rising trend of involving the user directly to the creation of the site. Thus formed web has become more targeted
and more useful. As best seen on sites that are now symbols of social media: Facebook (* 2004), YouTube (* 2005)
and Twitter (* 2006). Probably with the best definition came Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein who identified
social media as "a group of Internet applications built on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0
that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content." 2
Social media allow people to exchange ideas and opinions, discuss together the content of pages and make contacts
online. 3 Social media is different from traditional mainstream media in that their content can create everybody as well
contribute into it or comment on it. 4 They may have a text format, may be an audio, video or photographs and other
visual forms that bring together communities, and assist people who want to associate together. 5
To make it easier to understand them, it is important to note that there are two terms that sound similar, and many
people are confused about them, they are: social media and social networks. The term social media is superior to the
social networks and includes various media that people use for online communication and collaboration and also to
develop social interaction (sociability). Social media include blogs, wikis, video or photo sharing sites and more other
things.
Creating social networks belongs under the social media and the term is used when it is some way of people
interaction, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace and so on. We are talking about creating social networks when
people create personal profiles and interact with the aim of becoming part of a community of friends and people who
have "the same blood type," that are interested to communicate and exchange information.
2. Results
In our paper, we are presenting the results of data surveyed from 275 respondents from European Union including:
structure of utilization of Web 2.0, risks and their perception by respondents and general principles of security.
Subsequently, after analyzing of this data we have managed the design of specific recommendations for safety
using of social media.
Martina Drahošová et al. / Procedia Computer Science 109C (2017) 1005–1009 1007
Author name / Procedia Computer Science 00 (2015) 000–000 3
2.1. The most used platforms of Web 2.0
Fig. 1. The most used platforms of Web 2.0
From Graph 2 below it can be seen that the most widely used Web 2.0 in the EU are wiki-systems with 89.2%, the
second most widely used Web 2.0 to Web sites for sharing videos with 86.5%, followed by the search engine with
81.1 % of respondents.
Despite the fact that the results vary by region, the three most widely used Web 2.0 social networks, video sharing
sites, search engines and fourth in their follow-wiki systems.
2.2. The Use Social Media in European Union
In the first part of the questionnaire survey we investigated in the users' social media which ones are used and for
what purpose. Here we wanted to find out extent of the use of social media in this area, based on which we would like
to identify the most used social media.
Fig. 2. The Three Most Used Social Media in European Union
0,00%
10,00%
20,00%
30,00%
40,00%
50,00%
60,00%
70,00%
80,00%
90,00%
35,10%
43,20%
37,80%
27%
21,60%
29,70%
27%
78,40%
86,50%
81,10%
89,20%
2,70%2,70%
The most used platforms of Web 2.0
1008 Martina Drahošová et al. / Procedia Computer Science 109C (2017) 1005–1009
4 Author name / Procedia Computer Science 00 (2015) 000–000
The most used Web 2.0 platforms in the European Union (89.2%) is the social networking site Facebook. The
second most used Web 2.0 has become Google+, in the EU use it to 56.8% of respondents. The third most widely
used Web 2.0 application is Instagram, in the EU it is used by 48.6% of respondents.
Fig. 3. The Purpose of Using of Web 2.0 Platforms
In the next question participants were asked to what purpose they use platforms of Web 2.0. In the EU they are
most used to the contact with friends (83.3%) and the acquisition of information (80.6%) of respondents.
2.3. Advantages of social media
Fig. 4. Advantages of Social Media
On the chart, you can see the benefits of Web 2.0 platforms respondents perceive and which are most important to
them. The biggest advantage associated with the use of Web platforms 2 are not as exchange of information and
communication. This possibility is said to 97,7% of respondents from EU countries.
The second biggest advantage is the sharing of data by the respondents. In the EU said this option to 83.3% of
respondents.
0,00%
20,00%
40,00%
60,00%
80,00%
100,00% Contact with
friends; 83,30%
Obtaining of
information;
80,60%
Monitoring of
messages;
22,20%
Acquisition and
search for new
friends; 16,70%
Sale of
products;
27,80% Online
marketing; 25%
Other; 2,80%
The purpose of using of Web 2.0 platforms
0,00%
20,00%
40,00%
60,00%
80,00%
100,00%
Exchange of
information and
communication;
97,20%
Teamwork and
working from
home; 50%
Data sharing;
83,30%
Sharing hardware
and peripherals;
5,60%
Services; 44,40%
Education;
52,80%
Other; 0%
Advantages of social media
Martina Drahošová et al. / Procedia Computer Science 109C (2017) 1005–1009 1009
Author name / Procedia Computer Science 00 (2015) 000–000 5
2.4. Disadvantages of social media
Fig. 5. Disadvantages of Social Media
The biggest drawback, according to all respondents is Internet addiction. This claim 72.2% of respondents from
the EU countries.
It is followed by lack of security (61.1%), information overload (58.3%) and loss of social contacts (47.2%).
3. Conclusion
Following research in in the literature, we have identified several advantages of social media. These include
information exchange and communication, teamwork and work from home, data sharing, sharing hardware and
peripherals, services and education.
Advantages of social media, we offered respondents a choice perceived as follows. These are the most important
to them. The biggest advantage associated with the use of social media is exchange of information and communication.
This marked as a biggest advantage to 97.7% of respondents surveyed in EU countries.
The second biggest advantage by the respondents is sharing of data. In EU countries said it 83,3% of respondents.
Disadvantages or threats to which participants were asked, we have identified a survey in the literature dealing with
this issue. From the large number of disadvantages of using social media, we selected the following, we offered as a
choice for respondents. These include lack of security, internet addiction, information overload, loss of social contacts.
The biggest disadvantage by 72.2% of respondents from EU's internet addiction.
It is followed by lack of security, information overload and loss of social contacts.
Another disadvantage of using social media is as follows. For example, a major drawback is the increased
percentage of time spent on social media.
References
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[cit. 2016-20 – 03]. Dostupné na internete: <http://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/111111111/6952/1/jrc48650.pdf>.
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0,00%
20,00%
40,00%
60,00%
80,00%Lack of security;
61,10%
Internet
addiction;
72,20% Information
overload;
58,30% Loss of social
contacts;
47,20%
Other; 2,80%
Disadvantages of social media