Negative Effects Of Social Media

Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are huge contributors to cyberbullying. These social network sites grant their members the privilege to engage in the actions of the attacker which is a menace. A majority of the cyberbullied population have committed suicide due to the abusive comments. Cyberbullying has gone into a hyper drive with new devices and faster types of social media.

As the drastic increase of social media networks has increased, so too has the cyberbullying prevalence. Merriam-Webster defines cyberbullying as the electronic posting of mean-spirited messages about a person often done anonymously. Kassandra Gahagan and her fellow colleagues studied cyberbullying among students and its outcomes. Studies show higher rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors with victims of cyberbullying, along with higher rates of depression, anxiety and paranoia (Gahagan, Vaterlaus & Frost, 2015). While cyberbullying can be both intentional or unintentional, it is a negative process which effects the victim. This includes comments, posts without consent and messages. The study conducted sought to determine the prevalence of cyberbullying among young adults and the negative outcomes through asking three questions.

When thinking about a drug, most people think to substances like heroin and cannabis; however, there is new substance that has been sweeping nations. A drug is a substance that has a phycological effect when introduced to the body. Though people don’t think of social media as a drug, it has the same addictive side effects. Upon reading article “Addicted to Distraction” by Tony Schwartz, which talks about the addiction society has to social media and its effects, I realized what a drug social media is. This generation has experienced technology like never before, and it has led to advantages and disadvantages. Although social media can be fun, there is a developing addiction that has causes, effects, and solutions.

With fresh technology entering this world, there is no telling how dreadful harassment can develop. Harassment on social media is already a terrible thing and it is going to get worse before it will get better. Cyber-bullying, another to phrase social media bullying, has become a worldwide trend. Many incidents have already happened to innocent children who get ridiculed and mocked via internet and technology. Their safety gets destroyed and crushed because the cyber-bullies tease and mock them. The average man would want his personal life private not public. The average man wants his safety from demons like these bullies. The average man who has access to technology already has freedom, just not their

Technology is rapidly advancing at a dizzying rate which has seen many amazing feats but has also introduced and increased the act of Cyberbullying. Cyber bullying can be defined as targeting someone using any form of technology (this includes social media) to tease, stalk or humiliate someone online (Dictionary.com, 2016). Cyberbullying is so detrimental because it encourages the targeting of an individual; It is often done in secret with the bully hiding who they are by creating false profiles or names, or sending anonymous messages. It is difficult to remove as it is shared online so it can be recorded and saved in different places. Cyberbullying has such a negative impact that research shows that there is a correlation between the violent

A person “can just post something nasty… instead of risking an unpleasant confrontation face to face” (Banks 14-15). Different psychological studies show that when there is a conflict and people try to fix the problem, face to face, it is often resolved. Usually when the person being demeaning or harsh sees the other person becoming emotional, they back down; with communicating online, a person’s reactions are not seen, so there is no mental filter. They do not see or hear that what they are saying can be hurtful so they continue with it (Kang 58-61). To make matters worse, apps and social media sites are being created that are completely anonymous. These apps create an atmosphere in which people can say anything they want to another person and not receive any punishment. Because of technology, more people are becoming victims of cyberbullying by not only people they know, but people they do not know. About “nine of ten teen users said they have witnessed ‘mean or cruel’ actions aimed at peers online” and very few people were reprimanded for their behavior (Kang 49-50). There are no set restrictions as to what can be posted. Although some sites and apps claim to have age restrictions, or places where one could ‘report’ or ‘flag’ posts, these are hardly ever enforced or used (Kang 46-47, 67-68). Technology has taken away the human filter and the online ones; without these, bullies will just continue to bully.

The technology of today has provided a new way for our voices to be heard. Whether it be an opinion on the color of pants a celebrity is wearing, or who you feel makes the strongest case in the democratic debate, anonymity on the internet has legitimized every opinion and made a way for them to be voiced. With the voicing of opinions comes the voicing of opposition. It is likely that if you have ever been involved with a social media platform, you have been a victim, or a witness, of internet trolling. Maybe you’ve even been the troll. The question is, when does anonymity stop benefitting the diverse culture of online conversation and step foot over the line into cyberbullying and harassment? There are many differing opinions on this matter,

“I wanted to say bye… for, like, ever” (Abigail Pesta). Those were the last words Rebecca Sedwick texted to her two middle school friends before jumping to her death. This is one of many cases where bullying has been a common cause of death especially for young adolescents. A statistic from bullyingstastics.org states that 1 in 3 adolescents have experienced cyber threats online. Based on the research, now with advanced technology and social media sites, cyberbullying is a growing concern today. There is no federal anti-bullying law, but every state has their own laws. With each cyberbullying case being unique, defining this recent phenomenon can be challenging. This paper will look to address the issues behind cyberbullying, ways it can be stopped, and a universal definition that can be applied to these hateful acts.

From personal experience with witnessing rude comments on the internet, cyberbullying isn’t an easy thing to get rid of. In the radio interview about the dangers of cyberbullying with Brett Warnke, Brett states, “But with a surge in the popularity of new technology among children and teens, bullying has become a problem that doesn’t always stop at the end of the school day.” In this statement, he tells us that cyberbullying is not just a problem that halts, cyberbullying does not stop because people are on technology constantly and they could be anywhere in the world but still be able to

“The Loud, Ugly World of Online Commenting” by Benjamin West talks about the newest form of exploiting freedom of speech – online commenting. This mode of expression of speech was meant to voice opinions and critic pieces but, users have been using this mode to make nasty and rude comments. And what encourages this behavior is the anonymity, like Mike Krahulik suggests that “Normal person plus anonymity plus audience equals total dickward” when people are aware that their identities are hidden, they feel they are not responsible for the consequences of their words and feel free to be hateful. These hateful comments that individuals post in fact can have very serious consequences to the person it is addressed to and is a form of cyber bullying.

As social media gets popular and provides an easier access to the Internet, the more difficult it gets to control people’s outburst. Many people wonder, “What is the difference between traditional bullying and cyber bullying?” “What is cyber bullying?” Traditional bullying is when a person is bullying another person face to face. However, with cyber bullying is different. Cyber bullying occurs through out social media and on the Internet. Once in a while I overhear a person questioning about how teens and young kids use social media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and etc. Social media has its pros and cons, pro because it gives us an easier to access to sources when we need it right away. Social media also has its cons because social media is very powerful tools, which can be taken advantage of like for example, making shanky comments on pictures or post inappropriate information about another person. Therefore, how fast is cyberbullying expending? How can we use the Internet in a positive way? Two great essays by Jesse Fleck, Leigh Johnson-Migalski, Jemica Carter, and Feleta Wilson explain these reasoning’s.

For the past decade or so there has been a considerable shift in the way we communicate with each other; instead of speaking face-to-face, we prefer to stay in touch by way of a Facebook post or Tweet. Social media dominates our life whether we’re using it, or not. However, not all online dissonance has been healthy and civil. The internet has seen a rise in the number of trolls and predators that lurk the dark corners of the Internet. Threats, and heinous insults flood media networks like Reddit and Snapchat. Online predators who fling insults are enamored by the internet’s alluring anonymity and can’t give it up. Like Christine Rosen says in her article called, “In the Beginning Was the Word,” “technology has introduced new words, changed the meaning of others, and has even introduced new forms of language and communication” (230). The evolutionary trend and prevalence of people intentionally offending others online has led to a

Online abuse has become a serious issue within the past 2 years. Various media reports have targeted on cyberharassment, notably toward women. The matter was mentioned at a congressional hearing in April and a United Nations panel in September. Politicians have called for better law enforcement solutions whereas net platforms like Google, Facebook and Twitter have taken steps to curb abuse. The article discusses the impact of online harassment and identifies some innovations that can affect the social issue which includes creating awareness as well as the solutions.

Social media. We have all heard of it. We have all raved about it at some point in our lives. There is no doubt; it plays an imperative part of people’s lives today – users are reliant on social media. It is great that Mark Zuckerberg reminds us to say, “Happy Birthday” to our friends. Yet, we have all seen the dangers it can cause. From identity fraud to cyberbullying - we become exposed to the dangers of the internet. Not only is it hackers and frauds that cause destruction, but social networking posts. Every day, you scroll through Facebook, or Instagram - liking, sharing and commenting on posts. What people don’t see is how words on a ‘status’ or ‘tweet’ can hurt someone. They can’t see that a person’s feelings behind the screens on a computer have been destroyed, because they can’t see what they don’t want to see.

Our lives seem to be more and more consumed by technology as great advances in this area have continue to be made, especially when it comes to social media. Many researchers have begun to notice that depending on how much time individuals spend on these social media sites, they can negatively affect their daily lifestyle in very significant ways.  For example, social networking has become a huge distraction for students and it can affect their grades depending on how often they check their various accounts while doing class work.  Researchers have also come to find out that social media can contribute to the development of psychological symptoms