Positive And Negative Effects Of Social Media

Social media is a very popular and widely used medium of entertainment in today’s society that allows people to connect and congregate from all over the world without having to leave the comfort of home. In order for many people to relieve social isolation and loneliness, social media unravels new pathways of communication and can be used to help people open up and express their opinions (Naruse). It can give people the chance to share and express their ideas to a large audience and receive feedback. Large and small businesses alike use this platform of communication in order to relay information about their products and services faster by using promotions and advertisements on social media websites. While social media has proven itself to be helpful and beneficial in today’s society, there are many studies that show how it can take quite a toll on the mental health and wellbeing of the people who constantly use it.

Suicide rates have increased in teens over the past few years. Along with suicide rates increasing, mental health of teens in general has been a widely discussed topic. A huge contributor to these issues is social media. Over the past couple of years, teens have been diagnosed with mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression at a much higher rate. These issues are prevalent for teens all over the world. The increase in diagnosis of disorders is largely due to the rise in popularity of many social media platforms.

 Detail 2: How the Internet/Social Media Has Had an Impact on Suicide in Young Adults

In their e-book, Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard, Sameer Hinduja and Justin Patchin define Cyberbullying as: “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, or other electronic devices” (36). Hinduja and Patchin are both Ph.D.’s, professors at universities, as well as primary researchers at the Cyberbullying Research Center. The research and community outreach that they are involved in could greatly reduce the number of cyberbullying cases worldwide. Cyberbullies typically operate through social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to harass, intimidate, threaten, embarrass or otherwise target an individual. Cyberbullying is awfully prevalent nowadays and it is a far bigger issue than most people realize. It is an issue that is quickly growing; as there are hundreds of thousands of people signing on to use these networks for the first time every day. According to NoBullying.com, 25% of teenagers report that they have experienced repeated bullying via their cell phone or on the Internet, while 52% report having experienced it at least

As of 2016, suicide has replaced homicide as the second-leading cause of death among U.S. teenagers because of social media bullying. Social media has taken a significant toll on our society, one that affects millions of students around the globe. Every day, online platforms are gaining in popularity. So much that study now shows that the average person spends more time each day on their phone and computer than they do sleeping! While social media offers some benefits in regards to education and relationships, the risks of cyberbullying, social anxiety and identity theft far outweigh these advantages.

Compared to the affects associated with the bully, cyberbullying has a greater impact on the victim. Victims try to withstand the online harassment, so their parents will not take away their means of socialization (Klein 21). According to the National Crime Prevention Center, more than 40 percent of all teenagers with Internet access have been reported being bullied online (99). As technology develops, the younger generation is inclined to stay connected through social media. Many students have different accounts and applications on their smartphones to socialize. Although social media can be a useful way to be in contact with peers, it also is

Social media is the ultimate platform for bullies. Using social media, perpetrators can bully their victims to the point of anxiety, fear, low self-esteem, suicidal ideations and in some cases to the committal of the suicidal act. Cyberbullying is defined as the deliberate repetition of hostility toward a group or persons with the intent to induce psychological, emotional, or physical harm through the use of digital communication (Niels, Menno, et. Al, 2013). A study conducted in 2014, stated that nearly 75% of school age youth have been the victim of cyberbullying (Giumetti, Kowalski, et al., 2014).

Bullying is a major problem that impacts many teens over generations, causing an endless cycle of bullying. With the new age of technology, this leads to new issues that are affecting teens’ lives. One of these issues is that cyberbullying is quickly becoming more common than the traditional playground bullying, as more social media are appealing to teens. Cyberbullying is a type of bullying that happens using electronic devices such as phones, laptops, and tablets. This form of bullying includes spreading rumours, sending mean and hurtful messages and sharing embarrassing videos or photos. Cyberbullying over social media has become extremely easy for bullies to victimize other teenagers affecting the victim’s mental health. Therefore,

There is a lot of bullying that goes on in this world, a majority of it being cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is a constant problem with young kids on social media. Cyberbullying is a risk for anyone, “Cyberbullying is deliberately using digital media to communicate false, embarrassing, or hostile information about another person. It is the most common online risk for all teens and is a peer-to-peer risk” (AAP). Nonetheless, bullying is always going to happen and cyberbullying allows it to happen

It has been demonstrated in a number of studies that the more time an individual spends on the computer and internet, the more likely they are to be cyber bully victims, perpetrators or both the victim and bully (Mishna, Khourg-Kassabri, Gadalla, & Daciuk, 2012; Sengupta & Chaudhuri, 2011). The most common mediums of cyber bullying are through email, instant messages, or internet social networking sites; however, the medium with the greatest impact on its victims is picture or video bullying (Beran & Li, 2005; Kowalski & Fedina, 2011; Slonje & Smoth, 2008). It has been suggested in the past that children who have access to social networking sites are more likely to be perpetrators or victims of cyber bullying, however, results from one study indicates this is not the case. Alternatively, it was suggested

Facebook and other social media platforms have brought communication across the world to a whole new level. The rise of social media has created a place for children to communicate with others in both a positive and negative manner. Although it has made a positive impact on American youth, it has also contributed and exacerbated bullying in our schools. This new form of bullying, often referred to as cyberbullying, has created an around-the-clock atmosphere where bullying can occur even when school is not in session. Many professionals have sought to address the negative aspects of social media and have worked to develop a solution to bring cyberbullying to an end.

In today 's world Social Media is playing a key role on how youth interact and mature. Just a generation ago, the average person didn’t have internet and computers were not common (Social Media Bullying, 2014). Fast forward to the present day and it has become less common for a person to not have a computerised device in their palm or pocket. With the ease of access to a social world comes upsides and downsides to the way our society has shifted and evolved. The mass use of media allows individuals to stay in easy, constant contact with loved ones or people geographically across the globe from us. It also allows for an effortless way for individuals to hide behind a computer and bully others through online profiles. This effect is called cyber bullying and has exploded in use through the occurrence of Social Media.

Social media has evolved over the years and continues to evolve nearly every month with new updates. Although most see technology and social media as a positive thing, it’s not. Social media has led to an increase of cyberbullying and suicide attempts each year. According to John C. LeBlanc, “There have been 41 suicides since 2003 involving cyberbullying in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, but most of the victims were also bullied in school and many suffered from mental illness, including depression” (CBS New). Technology will continue to become a bigger epidemic which will not help reduce bullying and suicide attempts and successes. Kids and young adults strive to be what social media deems acceptable through deceptive imagery. Women of all ages struggle with self-consciousness, whether they are too

The mainstreaming of the internet and social networking sites has facilitated bullying and seen the evolution of the cyberbully. NSW Department of Education and Communities (2011b), define bullying as “repeated verbal, physical, social or psychological behavior that is harmful and involves the misuse of power… towards one or more persons”. However, bullying becomes cyberbullying when the perpetrator uses technology to execute the attack (Bryce and Fraser, 2013). Bullying is considered to be one of the most widespread forms of aggression in schools with impacts ranging from anxiety and distress to more serious impacts such as suicide (Drennan, Brown & Mort, 2011; Kwan & Skoric, 2013). Studies have shown three distinguishing features that differentiate cyberbullying; anonymity, a wider audience and the longevity of content loaded onto the internet (Bryce and Fraser; Kwan & Skoric). Furthermore, Bryce and Fraser found disinhibition of the perpetrator to be a factor in the severity of the bullying with young people reporting aggressors would say things online that they potentially would not say in person. Research highlights the fact that it is the same features of online social networking intended to increase connectivity such as increased capability to share information and tools to broaden our social network; that also increase the potential for attack (Kwan & Skoric). This growing body of research clearly defines additional vulnerabilities due to the addition of technology

“The more time one spends on social media watching other people’s lives, the less time one has to fully enjoy and experience their own.” (Ramasubbu) “Social media is forms of electronic communication (such as websites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content such as videos.” (Merriam-Webster "Social Media") Today we use social media for just about anything and everything. But when does the use of social media start to become excessively to much? The use of social media has more negative outcomes than positive. Generations has become so technology dependent that they do not realize the potential dangers that can come along with the excessive over usage of social media.