The Small Life

Social networking can have its pros and cons.  However, here lately it is understood that there may be a few more cons than people first realized.  Social media is a great way to keep in touch with relatives who may live in a different town, state, and even various countries. Communication is the factor though, some fear that with the social networking traditional communication will become scarce.  In today's society technology has taken over every where one looks.  Hardly anyone writes letters, physical visits, and even in some cases simple phone calls.  Statistics say every month 90% of internet users in the U.S. use social media, most in a daily use.  One concern is all the pictures that are being posted online that are not age appropriate for the age group that tends to keep posting them.  Once I picture goes online it is there forever and anyone can have access to it rather they are on a friend list or not.  Not only pictures but also all information users put on social networking.  Secondly, this makes it so much easier for cyber bullying to occur.  This in fact may be one of the worse types of bullying, because now everyone can see it not just a certain few. Teens are the main victims of cyber bullying, some have even committed suicide over being bullied on a social network. Along the lines of being a cyber bully, one may not be who they say they are online. Physically in the "real world" one is how their peers see him, online can be a different story.  You can create a page on any social media sight and be whoever you want to be.  This can be very dangerous and develop stalkers, predators, and much more.  One can gather thousands of friends this way and might not know a single one.  I enjoy social media, I mainly use Facebook and as far as my friends list I have came into contact with almost every one.  I do not post as much as I should but I really enjoy scrolling through and seeing how friends and family are doing and enjoy the pictures each one puts up.  I appreciate having a way to connect with family that has been stationed over seas and currently live in a different state than me.  Social media sure has made things much easier especially keeping in contact with my brother and close friends in the armed services.  So of course everyone can see that social media can be beneficial and also harmfull.

http://www.teenink.com/nonfiction/academic/article/485925/The-Effects-of-Social-Networking-upon-Society/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/r-kay-green/the-social-media-effect-a_b_3721029.html