Social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In have gained a widespread audience across the world. Although the original intentions of these social sites were positive, these mediums of social interaction now have negative effects.
Young adults aged 14 – 26 are the demographic which make up the vast majority of social media users and thus are the most effected by social media. Social media has negative effects on young adults. The use of social media by young adults has harmful psychological effects, creates antisocial effects, and negatively consumes time.
Social media has harmful psychological effects on young adults. Social websites generate cyber bullying, depression, and a lack of independence. Cyber bullying is extremely prevalent among young adult users of social media. Many young adults claim they “have seen more bullying over the internet than in real life” [6]. The prevalence of online bullying is attributed to the lack of consequences that follow. Cyber bullies tend to think that they will get away with their crime without any consequences and “81% of youth agree that bullying online is easier to get away with than bullying in person” [2]. Victims of cyber bullying have a lowered sense of self worth. This lowered sense of self worth has devastating effects:
According to psychologist Anthony Pellegrini, Bullying is a specific form of aggression and one that is used deliberately to secure resources like friends, self-esteem, and self worth. Sites like Facebook and MySpace make this easy through public posts and retaliations that encourage other mutual “friends” to join in. In fact, peer to peer harassment and bullying is the most common disadvantage to these sites. “This is where students are finding their identity and terrorizing each other. Cyber bullying is contributing to a generation of socially maladjusted adults and social networking sites are paving the way. The hostile environments on these sites have helped cause this generation of girls to become superficial and cutthroat by behaving more like or worse than boys." This electronic meanness can lead to depression and more serious, suicide. [3]
Bullying has been made widespread through social media and has been the root of many suicides in young adults. Suicide as a result of bullying is so widespread that “every ½ hour a youth who has been bullied will complete suic...
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... adults become aware of these hazardous effects and take action to combat them.
Works Cited
1. Cherry, Kendra. "What Is the Social Comparison Process?" About.com Psychology. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.
2. "Cyberbullying Statistics." InternetSafety101.org: Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.
3. Gilliam, Natalie. "The Potential Dangers of Social Networking." The Potential Dangers of Social Networking. N.p., 30 Mar. 2011. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.
4. Kulbarsh, Pamela. "Bullycide: Suicide as a Result of Bullying." Officer.com. N.p., 11 Jan. 2012. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.
5. Lauritsen, John. "Is There A Link Between Social Networking And Depression?" CBS Minnesota. N.p., 17 Feb. 2011. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.
6. Nelson, Cordelia. "Free Executive Summary." Negative Effects of Social Networking. N.p., 1 Apr. 2013. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.
7. Pagliarini, Robert. "Is Social Networking Bad for You?" CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 2009. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.
8. "The Effects of Social Media on Teenagers." SociallyActive. N.p., 22 Nov. 2012. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.
9. Turkle, Sherry. "The Flight From Conversation." The New York Times. The New York Times, 22 Apr. 2012. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.
Suicide due to bullying has been given the name of bullycide. One example of bullycide would be Jon Carmichael from Texas who was bullied so harshly that “one day they stripped him naked, tied him up, and stuck him in a trash can, and they taped it with their cell phones and put it all on You Tube” per his mother’s account (Texas Monthly, Hollandsworth). A few days later Jon was found hanging by a rafter from their barn after committing suicide. The perpetrators of this abuse were his fellow classmates and it is reported that “60% of boys who bullied others in middle school had at least one criminal conviction by the age of 24; 40% had three or more convictions” (van der Valk, 41). Bullying behavior not only negatively affects the victims that are singled out and tormented, but from a legal perspective can lead to long term criminal
Gender roles are undeniably a fundamental topic of critique in literature, particularly since expected gender roles have evolved in recent years. More importantly, the transcendence of these gender expectations indicates the possibility for transformation and increasing liberation in society. History explores many different stages for the sexes and their respective roles, from traditional anti-feminist times in which certain roles were strictly enforced, to more modern beliefs entailing free will and a lack of restrictions. In spite of this progress, there are always those who expedite the process while there are others that hinder development from occurring, even when it is necessary. Literary works in particular serve as a showcase for the progression of gender roles, but nonetheless reveal that through time certain elements remain consistent. Two authors who wrote in radically different time periods, William Shakespeare and Lorraine Hansberry, wrote plays that pose a threat to expected and traditional gender roles. The Taming of the Shrew (1623) is an example of an earlier work, which involves characters that manage to defeat their expected roles by acting out of the ordinary. A shrew, which is literally defined as either a small rodent-like animal or a woman with a harsh and nagging temperament (American Heritage Dictionary 1285), is used in reference to Katherine, the daughter of Baptista, who counters the expectation of women to act submissive by being loud and outspoken. In the end, even though Katherine seems to have submitted herself to society’s expectation of women, she is really only conforming in order to benefit her social role, since she realizes that accepting her role in society will be easier than counteri...
The Taming of a Shrew displays the significant dilemma of whether or not a female should be seen as her husband’s property or whether she can be perceived as an important social figure without the aid of one’s partner. In this play, the audience is able to depict the obvious frustrations of power struggle between Petruchio and his newly wedded, Kate. Kate is a very dominant figure in ways females aren’t usually perceived in this time period. She is in a constant battle with Petruchio to see who will quiver first in their never-ending game.
Bullying can effect both bullies and victims, causing them depression and anxiety (Schneider, O'Donnell, Stueve & Coulter, 2012). This psychological distress from bullying can lead to self-harm, including suicide attempts or ideation (Schneider, O'Donnell, Stueve & Coulter, 2012) and homicide (Robers, Zhang, Truman, Department of Justice, & National Center for Education Statistics 2012). Furthermore, lower academic performance and risk of drop out have been associated with bullying (Nansel, Overpeck, Ruan, S...
Bullying is the leading cause of suicide. Suicide is the third leading cause of deaths among young people. Bullying results in about 4,400 deaths per year (“Bullying and Suicide”). Bullying someone doesn’t just have to be making fun of the person. There is all different kind of bullying, there is cyber bullying, physical bullying, emotional bullying, etc. 43% of kids have been bullied online that has led to suicide (“11 Facts about Suicide”). So many people are being bullied, but do not want to say anything thing or tell anyone, but they need to get help. Some people do not think what they say to others is hurting or damaging, but to others it can be destroying them and making them feel like suicide will end the hurt that being bullied constantly is causing. A few words can either make or break a person, even if they say they are okay. “In 70% of all teen suicides, another teen knew about it and did nothing” (Portner). Emotinal...
It has been forty three years since the first email was delivered; since then, our ways of communication have changed. We are now living in a society in which almost everybody is provided with a piece of communicating technology to keep in touch with each other. Social networking service, a platform for people who want to share interests, activities, backgrounds or real-life connections over the Internet, has deeply affected our life in many ways. The debate as to whether the influences are positive or negative has been a controversial issue since 72 percent of all internet users are now active on social media (22 Social Media Facts and Statistics You Should Know in 2014). So, how does social media affect our lives? Speaking for myself, I think social networking is slowly damaging our everyday life by crawling into our personal life, turning into a deadly weapon, and becoming a dangerous addiction and distraction.
They are branded by the fear and the intimidation inflicted upon them has reduced them to a fractured spirit lacking determination. There is only a short amount of time before the victim begins to believe and consider the words, threats, and accusations of their tormentor and decide that a life of torment isn’t worth living. Bullying and suicide have become a common association in recent years as bullying has become prevalent among adolescents. “According to the 2005–2006 national Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) Survey, 34.4 % of U.S. students in Grades 6 through 10 reported bullying others in the past 30 days (Ha, 2015). However, rates of verbal bullying perpetration were higher (i.e., 37.4 %), while rates of relational bullying were slightly lower (i.e., 27.2 %; Wang, Iannotti, & Nansel, 2009). About 27.8 % of youth reported bullying victimization (School Crime Supplement; Robers, Kemp, & Truman, 2013), however rates of specific forms of victimization are higher (e.g., 41.0 % reported relational bullying victimization and 36.5 % reported verbal bullying victimization; Wang et al. 2009). Further, bullying is an international problem and in a sample of 202,056 youth from 40 countries, 26.9 % reported involvement in the bullying dynamic (Craig et al., 2009)” (Evans 365-375). Bullying is a widespread issue, causing harm to the social dynamic of today’s youth and impacting the way victims maintain
Social media is so popular that according to a recent article published by forbes.com, “72% of American adults are currently using social media sites; that figure has gone up 800% in just 8 years”(Olenski). Social networking was originally created to simply reconnect people with old high school pals, but in recent years it has evolved into a completely different operation. When social media first originated it was also intended for adult usage, which has in recent years expanded into the usage of all ages. Social media can create a negative affect on lives because it has been proven to be a dangerous addiction, for it takes away interpersonal relationships that are essential in life, and it has been proven to prevent people from being productive in life.
Protalinski, E. (2011, August 9). Facebook overuse can lead to psychological disorders in youth. Retrieved from http://www.zdnet.com/blog/facebook/facebook-overuse-can-lead-to-psychological-disorders-in-youth/2389
...ile Steven Pinker believes that social networking is improving society and Sherry Turkle finds it to be harmful to individuals, the real answer lies in-between the two positions. “It is a well-known fact that the web is a valuable asset for research and learning,” stated Sue Scheff in her article “Social Networking Sites Can Limit Interpersonal Skills and Physical Activity,” “…[but] it can also be a very dangerous place” (1). While the Internet is beneficial in gaining knowledge and connecting with others, it will always come with downsides as well because it can become addictive and an easy source for predators and bullies to prey on those who are vulnerable. Ultimately, “it is in our collective interest to ensure that the Internet lives up to its potential as a revolutionary connective medium” (Pariser 11) while being aware of the risks and practicing self-control.
This research is unique because it will give light to the individuals who are against social networking that will not take to consideration that it has any positive outcomes at all and to those who believe that social networking has no downfalls and are too blinded by the social networking to even notice the affects it has on their own lives.
Strickland, Jonathan. "What Are the Pros and Cons of Social Networking Sites?" HowStuffWorks. 10 July 2009. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
The cons of social media can be very risky, especially when the youth of this society is partaking in it. Children and adolescents are now known for inappropriate content on social media sites or just simply not understanding the concepts of privacy. A nationwide issue that has been addressed is the action of cyberbullying. This action often leads to harmful circumstances such as suicide attempts, with some being successful. In just one state in the U.S., 1,491 high school students that were the “cyber bullies” were related to suicide attempts and about 4,693 students were rel...
The correlation between the development of youth and social media has become blatant. Although few of the consequences are favorable, the majority have displayed a negative impact. The drive social media can implement on youth is exceptional. The pressure and strain social media can place on our youth is an enduring force which leads individuals to question themselves as a person and feel inclined to fit a norm expressed in media and social media of our society. The underlying force social media can play in the lives of the youth is astonishing and is a force that must be dealt with and controlled, for it not only holds the power to give an individual strength, but also to break them down.
Bullying occurs in many different ways including cyberbullying, verbal, physical, and social bullying (Steel, Ann). Cyberbullying is the act of picking on an individual online, usually on social media or over text; verbal bullying is when a bully uses his or her words to hurt an individual; physical bullying is when a bully hurts someone through physical abuse; lastly, social bullying is when a bully uses social isolation to harm an individual, social isolation is leaving a peer out of activities to intentionally hurt them. Due to the easy access to technology today, the most prominent form of bullying is thought to be cyber bullying. However, all types of bullying are a risk at contributing to suicide and self- harm