Online Sexual Predator

1121 Words3 Pages

One out of every five youths online is approached by an online sexual predator, with the integration of social networking; these numbers are alarmingly on the rise (Guo). In present day, it is nearly impossible to find someone who doesn’t at the very least know of social networks, so it is crucial that the general public know about the many negative effects these networks bring. It’s even more imperative that the public know that any existing or rising social networks are not to be trusted. Social networking could be considered negative for society as it provides sexual predators with opportunities, is a source for unhealthy addiction, and disconnects users from the real world. Generally, social networking provides online sexual predators with an easy gateway to youths. Users of online social media services tend to share copious amounts of personal information on online profiles, these same users control who can or cannot see their information by utilizing privacy settings. The problem with these “privacy settings” is that they are often hard to manipulate, leaving a multitude of online profiles vulnerable to often explicit offers from online sexual predators. Lacking the ability to protect their information properly, users are in jeopardy of being contacted by sexual predators. In fact, “[d]uring the years prior to the explosive expansion of social networks, most online sexual predators attempted to contact youths through chat rooms and message boards. In recent years, however, predators are increasingly targeting minors over social networking services”, showing that social networking directly puts youths in peril (Guo, 626). This sheds light on the fact that social networking is basically a way to herd youths and display them ... ... middle of paper ... ...fluence on society. Social media must be stopped before its disastrous effects reach a critical point, making social networking an actual threat to society as we know it. And much like a tapeworm, without proper elimination, social networking will continue to drain society until only a lifeless, anti-social husk remains. Next time you are online, be wary of the hazards social networking merrily offers. Works Cited Foulgers, Teresa. “Moral Spaces in MySpace: Preservice Teachers’ Perspectives about Ethical Issues in Social Networking.” Journal of Research on Technology in Education 2009: 16. Guo, Richard.”Stranger Danger and the Online Social Network.” Berkeley Technology Law Journal 2008, ed: 23:617. 626. Kuss, Daria. “Online Social Networking and Addiction- A Review of the Psychological Literature.” International Journal of Environmental Research 2011. 3535.

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