the difference between mixed blessing and double-edged sword

[alpacinou]

What is the difference between "mixed blessing" and "double-edged sword"?

What is the difference between the meaning of these two sentences?

1. I think social media platforms are a mixed blessing. They can have both advantages and disadvantages.

2. I think social media platforms are a double-edged sword. They can have both advantages and disadvantages.

 

[GoesStation]

I'd tend to reserve the sword metaphor for things that can more clearly be thought of as tools. Ubiquitous computer typography is a mixed blessing/double-edged sword: our documents can look better than we could have imagined a few years ago, but fussing with their appearance can dramatically reduce our productivity.

You can only use the sword metaphor when discussing two possibilities. Mixed blessings have no such limitation.

 

[Tdol]

And a double-edged sword is usually more dramatic- for more serious good/bad options.