Londyn's Blog: Facebook and Google+

Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook is now the world’s largest social network. Facebook requires a registration, and one may create a personal profile. Facebook allows one to add friends, exchange messages, receive automatic notifications, and may join common-interest groups. Google+, a great tool for many things including communication, has gradually been moving towards being one of the most active social networks since its launch in 2011. Google+ brings people together within the context of numerous Google services.

Facebook and Google+ can be used in business. Facebook has many features that can be used by businesses, including the reach generator, cover photo, and pinning and highlighting. The reach generator is a premium application that allows one to reach and engage up to 75% of one’s friends and fans. On the positive side, businesses can connect with many different people and advertise their business and products. On the negative side, businesses have to pay in order to get their marketing messages to their target audiences now. A cover photo allows a business to show off their brand image. On the positive side, it provides an opportunity for businesses to make a good first impression with prospects and visitors. On the negative side, a business is not allowed to include price or purchase information, contact details or any calls to action. Pinning and highlighting is another feature that is both negative and positive in business. On the positive side, it allows businesses to draw the visitor’s attention toward important marketing messages and allows businesses to create visual ads for pinned posts and pixel ads for highlighted posts. On the negative side, you can only pin one point and cannot combine pinning and highlighting. Google+ allows businesses to get found across Google. When customers search certain things on Google, the results may include posts, photos, and videos from a business’s Google+ page. This can also be negative because a business’s competitors may also be shown in search. Google+ allows businesses to get face-to-face with customers. A business can talk with its customers on Google+ and get feedback.

Facebook and Google+ can be used socially and recreationally. Facebook is the world’s largest social networking site. Facebook allows one to create a personal profile, add friends, exchange messages, update statuses, receive automatic notifications, and join common-interest groups. This can be both positive and negative. On the positive side, Facebook allows one to connect and communicate with family and friends, not only locally, but internationally. Facebook also allows one to meet people with common interests. On the negative side, Facebook allows one to be bullied. This could lead to depression, anxiety, and in some cases, suicide. Facebook also decreases face to face interaction since many people spend excessive amounts of time on Facebook. Facebook can also be used recreationally. When a person is bored, Facebook allows them to update their status about it, see what their friends are up to, listen to music, play games such as FarmVille, and check up on their favorite TV shows. This is positive because it entertains the person. It is negative because it makes one rely on the Internet to have fun. Google+ can also be used socially. Google+ has been gradually moving toward being one of the most active social networks. On the positive side, it allows one to share ideas and personal news, post photos and videos, stay in touch, play games, plan things, send birthday wishes, do homework with friends, communicate with relatives and friends, review books, recommend restaurants, and support causes. On the negative side, embarrassing or damaging information can be posted, cyberbullying, inappropriate contact with adults and social aggression is a risk, and one can become caught up in the drama of the site. This can be harmful to other activities in the lives of people. Google+ can also be used recreationally. Google+ allows one to play games, such as Bug Village and CityVille, and listen to music. Like Facebook, it is positive because it entertains a person, but negative because it makes one rely on the Internet to have fun.

Facebook and Google+ can be used for news and entertainment. The home page of Facebook provides the user with important news about things occurring in our society. Also, news networks, such as CNN and Fox News, have Facebook pages. These news pages update Facebook users on the latest news. This is positive because it allows one to be connected to the news. There is nothing negative about this. Facebook can also be used for entertainment. The home page of Facebook provides the user with ads for different TV shows, games, music and so on. Certain TV shows, including Pretty Little Liars and Awkward, have Facebook pages that update Facebook users on special showings, sneak peeks, interesting facts, and many other things. This is positive. On the negative side, it could reveal spoilers. Google+ can be used for news and entertainment. One is able to use the search bar to search for different TV shows and find the latest news. This is negative and positive for the same reasons as Facebook.

Facebook and Google+ have become huge parts of life in society. These social networking sites have many negative and positive uses in many different areas. Facebook, in my opinion, is better than Google+. Google+ allows many others to search certain things and find a person, which is not very safe. Facebook includes all the features of Google+, but it is safer in my eyes.