Social Networks - Negative Impact Likes and dislikes are natural responses to the opinions of human beings according to the things that they are observing at the time and personal preferences. Problems occur when these personal preferences move from the realm of opinion into the realm of facts. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of social networks to discover their potential negative effects on the users and society. The primary focus of this paper being Facebook, one of the biggest names in the industry.
Opinion Summary
Vanderbilt
Photographs are a way to memorialize an event that was meaningful, stupid, or sometimes dangerous. People usually share their most cherished photographs with close friends, family, and significant others. This is no longer the case. With the birth of Facebook and the explosion of social networking, complete strangers are now considered close friends because they liked something on the user’s page, or they are friends of friends (Vanderbilt, ). The sheer weight of this phenomenon has reached beyond the social aspect to the business and legal aspect.
It has gotten to the point that businesses now check the Facebook page of potential employees to find out if they are truthful on their applications or to simply find out the kind of person they are outside the interview room. When it comes to the law, Facebook photos are being used as evidence to either prove or disprove an individual's state of mind at the time of the incident (Vanderbilt, ). Sometimes there are a series of photos on the Facebook page that chronicles the incident or even shows the events that led up to it.
The flip side of the situation is that moments change just like people change. The moment the photo was taken was set in stone however the state of the individual may have changed since then. Also, human beings enjoy attention, and some are thrill seekers. Individuals will do things for attention or as a dare that they would not normally do. This would be another reason why reconsideration is necessary before taking a photo from Facebook as face value evidence for the courts.
Rice et. al.
Facebook, the Internet, and smart phones are the breeding ground for another problem cyber-bullying. The very definition of a bully is someone who causes mental, physical, or emotional disturbances in another individual over prolonged periods of time. These individuals can be children, teenagers, young adults, adults, and the elderly. Before the widespread use of technology bullies were those groups of individuals that others saw coming and go out of the way. If you were a smart kid you were always picked on or if you were just different from the status quo?
A study completed by Rice, Etering, Rhoades, Winetrobe, Goldbach, Plant, Montoya, & Kordic (2015) revealed that cyber-bullies are isolated and detached from society and their peers because their Internet usage is higher than their peers. This could almost be connected with neglect by the parents or caregivers. The findings also pointed out high-risk population such as LGBT youths who were harassed 4.6 more times than their peers (Rice et. al., 2015).
The information became more disturbing because almost every middle-schooler had a smartphone and texted approximately 50 times or more during the day (Rice et. al., 2015). The constant abuse from cyber-bully is to be taken seriously, and counseling services should be available to the students at their location (Rice et. al., 2015). One thing is clear as social media continues to change so will the different methods and types of cyberbullying unless preventive measures are put in place, or more strict consequences are applied.
Neira & Barber
Isolation and bad behavior are nothing new according to the findings of Neira & Barber (2014). These researchers confirmed Rice et. al. (2015) concerning the amount of time the young people spend on the Internet has reached increasingly alarming levels. Additional findings from the study indicated that students who use social media build up their self-concept or an image of whom they see themselves to be (Neira & Barber, 2014).
At first this may seem like wonderful news concerning these adolescents but the negative side effect was low self-esteem and high depression. This makes sense because self-esteem comes from acknowledging one's true self and these students only acknowledge the persona they have made for themselves. There is a definite mismatch between their adjustment to the real world and their adjustment to the virtual world. So far, the authors’ opinions about social networking and media are not positive. An additional inquiry of their viewpoints was conducted.
Analyzed Viewpoints
The Internet is more than a source of entertainment it is also an escape from the droning route of reality. An unpopular child can go on the Internet join a guild within an online community and become the commander and ruler of the nation. The same can be said concerning Facebook and other social networking sites. On these sites, individuals can become whomever they desire and no one will be able to tell the difference (Vanderbilt, ).
With that being said, this poses a problem when situations get out of hand, and someone with a Facebook account goes to court. The job of both sides is to complete their mission to either get the charges to stick or get the charges dropped. It is true that photographs are physical evidence but evidence of what? The individuals in the photos may have been creating a persona that was caught on camera, or they may have been acting in their normal manner. The problem is it is extremely difficult to tell which one it is without literally being inside that person. So when using photos from Facebook as evidence, it is important to analyze the entire situation not just the moment caught on camera fully.
According to Rice et, al. (2015) cyber-bullies are those students who spend most of their time online and barely interact with other students. Their jobs are made extremely easy because most of the middle-schoolers’ have smartphones at school. The most at risk populations are the LGBT youths that suffer at least once a day from harassments (Rice et. al., 2015). The theme of isolation and increased Internet use seems to continue as a problem. The affected groups this time are adolescents. The biggest problem identified is the disconnect between adjusting to the real world and the real self.
These adolescents have created their ideal selves only and reject their real selves. This rejection of “true self” has led to increased numbers of depression (Neira & Barber, 2014). Having a strong self-concept is very important as long as it reflects or at least supports the real self. Anything else could be detrimental by producing an acceptance of the false image. Consistent themes have emerged among the authors which were fascinating.
Arguments
Brown, K. R. (2012), Neira & Barber (2014) confirmed that the picture of a person whether real or imagined is not always the true person. The Vanderbilt argument was that photographs from Facebook should not be used because they could be misunderstood and used to damage someone in a court case. Neira & Barber (2014) painted a picture of adolescents who create a false image of self or their ideal of self that conflicts with their true self. This conflict was causing depression and decreased self-esteem. Rice et. al., (2015) was not focused on the difference between the real person and the false image but rather the present threat of cyber-bullies. These individuals were isolated, used smartphones frequently, and employed different types of terror devices. Taking a picture of cyber-bullies in action would tell the truth of who they are unless they receive redirection and counseling. Personally these authors have influenced the thoughts within the next section.
Personal Point of View In terms of the evidence presented in Vanderbilt’s research it is clear the courts need to be extremely cautious about the evidence they choose to use, however, there is also a way to get around that. Expert witnesses are considered to be masters in a certain field or on a certain subject. These individuals do not need to have degrees behind their names; they could be masters through work experience or because they have considerable time dealing with the person/object/situation. Personally, the photographs should be admitted under two important conditions.
The first condition is that all photographs related to or potentially related to the incident should be examined and admitted into evidence. Second, an expert witness preferably someone familiar with the individual or individuals on trial and the situation should be compelled to testify. Human beings are creatures of habit and with the popularity of Facebook those habits can be caught on camera and display for the entire world.
Rice et. al., (2015) mentioned that limiting the amount of Internet time the cyber-bullies get or incorporating educational programs on the computer appears to be good idea or at least a positive step toward resolving the issue. Personally the issues in this situation are deeper. The teachers and schools can only do so much; the rest of the responsibility is on the parents. The parents should maintain involvement and when uncertain, obtain materials and training on how to handle a son or daughter who is a cyber-bully.
It seems that reports concerning the Internet and social networking are getting worse. In terms of self-concept that is something the child should have learned or should be learning from his or her parents. At the very least, there should be programs that promote self-esteem that the children can have exposure to. It is clear that these children will need counseling in order to learn to accept their true selves and also provide them with techniques to battle depression.
Conclusion
The consensus at this time is that social networking, when overused, can have a negative impact on society especially young people. Social media can be used as a weapon against young people or anyone for that matter in court. The photographs can be used to either make or break a case. The idea that isolation based on extended Internet use causes problems. The products so far are cyber-bullies and children with a clear disconnect between the real self and the imagined self. It is clear that adolescents need more exposure to the real world which would be cutting down on Internet time. It is time for them to unplug, reconnect and be taught coping skills that eschew technology. References
Neira, C. J. B. & Barber, B. L. (2014). Social networking site use: Linked to adolescents' social self-concept, self-esteem, and depressed mood. Australian Journal of Psychology 66; 56-64.
Rice, E., Etering, R., Rhoades, H., Winetrobe, H., Goldbach, J., Plant, A., Montoya, J., &
Kordic, T. (2015). Cyberbullying Perpetration and Victimization Among Middle-School Students. American Journal of Public Health 105(3).
Brown, K. R. (2012). The Risks of Taking Facebook at Face Value: Why the Psychology of Social Networking Should Influence the Evidentiary Relevance of Facebook Photographs. Vanderbilt Journal Of Entertainment And Technology Law, 1435