Seth Liss wrote an article on SunSentinel.com exposing the dark side of the social media. He exposes the grim side of cyber-bullying, connections to organizing riots, racist and hateful people, and "creepy" people.
Mr. Liss says that the social network medias make bullying easy and anonymous. Just a few weeks ago, a 15 year-old girl was allegedly bullied by nine charged teenagers who may have contributed to her suicide. This is one of many sad stories that have happened across the country.
"Flash mobs" started out as harmless fun. These mobs were organized through social medias and text messages that were designed to get people together to do various social activities such as dances. However, like many things, people take things, like flash mobs, and miss use them. Teenagers now organize fights and riots in public places to cause "mayhem."
Because there are options to place a comment anonymously or under a fake name, people are able to hide behind these names and say racist and hateful remarks. The SunSentinel.com allows comments to encourage healthy debates but have now turned them off in order to "prevent such comments about the recently deceased."
Chatroulette.com is a popular website where you are connected to random people across the world to video chat. Most of the people you are connected with men exposing themselves and other creepers. Getting an account is very easy making it easy for young children to log on and connect themselves with these people.
Is the media evil? I really do not think so. Parents get mad about the violence in games, movies, and other forms of entertainment and blame the companies for the "damage" they have caused. Sorry, parents, I think it's YOU; YOU are the problem. There are advisories that have the advised age for a certain game or website. Parents need to monitor what their kids are consuming; it's not the company's job to do that. Also, ever child is different and will react to different forms of violence such as cartoon to "real" violence. There is the age old argument that David Buckingham brought up in one of his books about the working-class family who are"inadequate parents, living chaotic and aimless lives on council estates who are alleged to have absolved themselves of all responsibility for their children" (142). I find this silly. How hard is it to take a few moments with your child to be interactive with them and play that video game with them to see for yourself what it's all about. Now, I am only 19 and do not know what it's like to be a parent with children, but to me, it doesn't sound all that hard. Buckingham also said that throughout his research, he has not met a family that hasn't attempted to do so.
I would really like my older, more mature, audience to respond to this and share your experience with controlling violent images, via any kind of media medium, to your children.
sARAH
I do not have children. But I feel moved to respond to your argument regardless. One of my very close friends was a victim of cyber bullying in high school. She was loved by many, an hated by a small few, who let her know the extent of their hatred through daily emails. for a time she ignored the hurtful messages and dismissed them as foolishness and jealousy, knowing that she did have people who truly cared for her. However, it can not be denied that each message marked her in some way shape or form. As you of course know; words, are the most powerful of weapons.
ReplyDeletewhat about the girl who has no friends, whose self-esteem was poor to begin with? Who is there to trust when you see hatred written on your screen, and no signature at the bottom?
I agree with you, that it a parents responsibility to protect the minds and hearts of their children. It is a parents duty to be proactive in their child's lives at all times. BUT what 15 year old is going to run to mommy when it would mean complete alienation from their peers. social suicide if you will. Sometimes parents are oblivious without choosing to be.