Is Social Media Taking Over Teens?

Social Media is Taking Over Teens

Before social media was ever invented, people had many more face-to-face conversations than they do now. Sometimes many people can find themselves asking questions similar to, how did people send information before the advancement of technology? What did they do on their free time? Social media is changing the world everyday; there are multiple effects that it has on the younger generation. Most of the effects it has on teens are a lack of communication with society, inability to go out and do activities as often, and forming unhealthy lazy habits that consist of cohabiting. Most teens are on social media everyday, for most of their day. The younger generation is now exposed to cyber abuse, cyber bullying,

Teens have began to use social media for wrong reasons such as: sexual purposes, accessing drugs and information, and decreasing a students focus on their academic career. Sexual behaviors through social media can be through sexting, online dating, and vulgar images. Teens are affected by this because social media increases how fast an image or video can be shared to other teens throughout the world. Teens can be harassed while an embarrassing picture or video is sent to others that was not intended. Online gaming has affected teens because the online video games may expose them to inappropriate content and sexual violence. Many teens use online sources to evoke sexual thoughts; when a teen exemplifies they do not want sexual communication with that person he/she then becomes a victim of sexual harassment which is often unreported (Fairbairn, Bivens, Dawson 17). Many parents have asked how do you prevent your teen to encounter or bully teens online? There are several different ways to prevent sexual violence through social media. Fairbairn, Bivens, and Dawson all believe there are three types of prevention; one which is primary prevention which means talking to your teens about sexual violence through social media before it ever happens. Secondary prevention focuses on when sexual violence does occur and stopping any further advancement. The third is tertiary prevention, which focuses on long-terms effects of sexual violence. Even though it is very important to try and stop sexual violence through social media before it ever happens, it is still hard to prevent it. (Fairbairn, Bivens, Dawson