Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Essay

Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) - Essay Example The usages of these social media sites have proved to be both fruitful and dangerous. Adolescents and children have been engaging on social media platforms in a frequent manner, which have shown enhanced communication, technical skills as well as social connection. Popular social media sites such as, MySpace and Facebook, provide multiple opportunities for their users to connect with classmates, friends and other groups with similar interest, on a daily basis. A recent poll has revealed that almost 22 percent of teenagers use their favourite media sites almost 10 times daily. Nearly 50 percent of the teenagers use their mobiles for social media purposes and the number is continuously increasing (Schurgin & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). Therefore, it can be said that a significant part of the current generation’s emotional and social development is influenced by these social media websites (Roper & Shah, 2007). Various downsides have been observed because of large influence of these media sites. Limited self-regulation and peer pressure among adolescents and children have been posing some risk while these users are experimenting and navigating with multiple social media sites (Thomson, MacInnis & Park, 2005). Research has indicated that online expressions result in negative offline behaviours, including clique-forming, bullying as well as sexual experimentation, subsequently leading to privacy issues and cyber bullying. Other issues influencing children related to high usage of social media are sleep deprivation and internet addiction (Karahanna, Agarwal & Angst, 2006). A new phenomenon has been proposed by researchers, which is known as ‘Facebook Depression.’ It is a condition seen to develop in teens and preteens who are spending immense amount of time on numerous social media sites such as, Facebook, Twitter and MySpace and then developing classic depression symptoms. In an adolescent’s life, contact and acceptance by peers and friends is