What is social networking, and what are its benefits and risks?
Describe social networking and online collaboration, and evaluate their benefits and risks for individuals and organisations.
A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE Digital Technology content on social networking, covering what it is, online collaboration, and the benefits and risks for individuals and organisations, including privacy and a digital footprint.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
Have a quick question? Jump to the Q&A page
Jump to a section
What this dot point is asking
WJEC asks you to describe social networking and online collaboration and to weigh up their benefits and risks for both individuals and organisations. The exam form is a balanced "discuss the benefits and risks" question, and it often draws in privacy and the idea of a digital footprint, so you need explained points on both sides.
What social networking is
Social networking is communication built around connections between people.
Benefits for individuals
For people, social networks offer connection and sharing.
Risks for individuals
The same openness creates real risks.
Benefits and risks for organisations
Businesses use social networks as a powerful but double-edged tool.
Evaluating a use
The exam rewards a balanced judgement applied to the case.
Protecting yourself on social networks
Because the risks are real, the specification expects you to know how to reduce them. Use privacy settings to control who can see your posts and personal details, so information is not shared with the whole world. Think before you post, remembering that content can be copied, shared and kept, and may be seen by employers or colleges later. Protect your accounts with a strong, unique password and, where available, two-step (two-factor) verification, so they cannot easily be hacked. Be cautious with strangers and with links or requests that may be scams. Knowing these practical steps, and linking each to the risk it addresses (privacy, digital footprint, account security), turns awareness of the dangers into the kind of useful, applied answer markers reward.
Why this matters
Social networking shapes how individuals communicate and how organisations market and engage, so understanding its trade-offs is directly relevant to modern life and work. It pulls together the rest of this topic: social networks are a communication method, they are a major channel for unreliable information, and they create the privacy and digital-footprint concerns that the ethical and security topics return to. Being able to evaluate both sides, rather than praising or condemning it, is the balanced thinking WJEC rewards.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
WJEC-style4 marksDiscuss the benefits and risks of a business using social networking to communicate with its customers.Show worked answer →
Benefits: the business can reach a very large audience quickly and cheaply, promote products and respond to customer questions directly, and build a community and brand through regular posts and feedback.
Risks: negative comments or complaints are public and can spread quickly and damage reputation; posts can be misunderstood; and accounts can be hacked or used to spread false information, so the business must manage its presence carefully and protect its accounts.
Markers award one mark for each valid benefit and each valid risk, up to four marks. Strong answers explain the consequence, for example linking wide reach to cheap marketing and a public complaint to reputational damage.
WJEC-style2 marksExplain what is meant by a digital footprint and why individuals should be careful about what they post on social networks.Show worked answer →
A digital footprint is the trail of data a person leaves online through their posts, comments, photos and activity, which can remain accessible for a long time.
Individuals should be careful because what they post may be seen by others such as future employers or colleges, can be copied or shared beyond their control, and may be difficult to remove, so it can affect their reputation in the future.
Markers give one mark for defining a digital footprint (the trail of online data/activity) and one mark for why care is needed (lasting, seen by others, hard to remove, affects reputation).
Related dot points
- Describe the main methods of digital communication (email, messaging, VoIP, video conferencing, social media) and select an appropriate method for a given situation.
A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE Digital Technology content on digital communication methods, covering email, instant messaging, VoIP, video conferencing and social media, with how to choose the right method and their benefits and drawbacks.
- Explain how to evaluate the reliability of online sources and information, considering authority, accuracy, bias, currency and corroboration.
A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE Digital Technology content on the reliability of online sources, covering how to judge authority, accuracy, bias, currency and corroboration, and the risks of misinformation.
- Describe how digital technology has changed the way people work and how organisations trade and make money, including new business and monetisation models.
A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE Digital Technology content on the digital shift, covering how technology has changed work patterns, how businesses trade online, and new monetisation models such as subscriptions and advertising.
- Describe the ethical, social and environmental impacts of digital technology, including privacy, the digital divide, e-waste and energy use.
A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE Digital Technology content on the ethical, social and environmental impacts of digital technology, covering privacy, the digital divide, health and society, electronic waste and energy consumption.
- Describe the main cyber threats (malware, phishing, social engineering, hacking, denial-of-service) and the vulnerabilities that attackers exploit.
A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE Digital Technology content on cyber threats, covering malware, phishing, social engineering, hacking and denial-of-service attacks, and the vulnerabilities that attackers exploit.
Sources & how we know this
- WJEC GCSE Digital Technology specification — WJEC (2021)
- WJEC GCSE Digital Technology Unit 1 guide — WJEC (2020)