What are they?

These are virtual spaces where groups of people or companies connect and share content.

Each social network has a purpose and an audience and the differences can be your objectives as:

• Create personal contacts;
• Seeking and sharing personal or professional knowledge;
• Search for and share videos or information on various subjects;
• Play;
• Study;
• Selling or buying products

Social networks are already part of our lives in many ways and we know that their main purpose is to connect people.

But what are its benefits and harms?

The benefits are diverse, from establishing personal contacts, such as friendships and dating, to seeking knowledge and sharing it.

The harms are the dependencies that the individual can have and end up suffering mentally as a result.

Let's talk about its benefits first.

When we talk about social networks, what always comes to mind are contact networks and applications for friendships and love relationships, but the idea is much broader.

On the Internet, social networks occupy a great deal of space and importance, because in this "crazy" and hectic world we live in today, time and availability are very scarce, so social networks greatly facilitate various types of communication between people, both in the personal and professional spheres.

Many relationships began on social networks and many financial transactions too.

So social media, if you know how to use it, is a collaborator in our lives today.

But we mustn't overdo it, because physical contact is essential, know how to balance it.

I would now like to highlight the harm that social media can cause.

The desire to connect with other people from anywhere on the planet has led many people, companies and organizations to become more involved in social networks.

But there is a concern, because we don't always know who is on the other side of the computer screen and this lack of knowledge has caused a lot of damage to many people's lives. How?

• Financial scams;
• Virtual bullying;
• Publication of images and private information;

But there's also another negative factor that really needs to be looked at and dealt with in social networks, which is addiction - people feel hooked and end up giving up other activities in their lives to spend a huge amount of time on social networks.

This addiction to the virtual world needs to be dealt with. It's not healthy to stop living in the physical world and opt only for the virtual world.

Therefore, knowing how to weigh things up is essential.

Use social media with balance and caution, so that it will be useful to you.