Being Social Without the Media

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Brittney Smith Mrs. Hughes ENC 0990 November 10, 2012 Being Social Without the Media Is social media a great new way to chat with family and friends? That may indeed be true for some; however, social media has both risks and benefits for our youth today. The world of social media has become less fun and more challenging. Cyber bullying, sexual predators and teen depression are only a few of the risk teens face today when using social media. Social media is at an all time high and affecting our younger generation. Many may think that social media is a great way to communicate with family and friends; however, youth 16 and younger should not be able to use social media because of the significant impact it can have on their lives. Cyberbullying has definitely become one of the most common problems that our youth face when dealing with social media. Cyber bullying is when the internet is used to make threats to someone or embarrass them in front of a group of people. Cyber bullying can be presented in different ways of communication: Im’s, emails, chatrooms, and social networks. With social media being the most common form of communication for cyber bullying. A 2004 survey conducted by i-Safe America reveals that 42% of our younger generation has been bullied online (Ross par.3). Facebook, MySpace, Instagram, and Twitter are just a few websites where teens experience cyberbullying, and it is highly recommended that they stay away from these sites. Many teens will disagree, stating that social media is a great way to communicate with family and friends right in the comfort of their own homes. Sixty-seven percent of teens say that bullying and harassment may happen more offline than online. Which indeed bullying and harassment may happen more offline than online; however, when bullying starts offline it then escalates to online causing cyber bullying. Teens may
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