The Negative Effects of Social Networking Sites (Research Paper Sample)

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The Negative Effects of Social Networking Sites
Introduction
The internet age has made it possible for people to interact online without the need of personal contact. This has been made possible through the use of different social media sites. These sites provide platform under which persons across the world can meet and interact without the need for physical presence (Tartari 322). Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, among others have made it possible for this global interaction. Besides communication, other business such as marketing can be carried out online, allowing access to an even bigger audience. For students, the social sites provide platforms for collaborations and exchange of ideas, as well as boosting creativity (Tartari 324). However, in as much as these social sites make social interaction, globalization and learning easier, they have been associated with some adverse outcomes that are likely to impact the users negatively. Researchers show that most of the negative effects occur among school-aged children and adolescents who form the biggest proportion of users of social networking sites (Ahn 1435). As a result of the dangers associated with the use of social sites, there is the need for awareness creation among children and adolescents on the risks posed by these social sites.
Cyberbullying and online harassment are common phenomena associated with web-based platforms. According to O'Keeffe and Clarke-Pearson (801), cyber bullying is the willful use of digital media to communicate embarrassing, false, or hostile information about another person. Online harassment is closely related to cyberbullying but is more subtle and less common than the latter. The bullying takes many forms. Flaming, cyber stalking, harassment, denigration, outing, masquerading and outings are the commonest forms of cyberbullying (Cowie 167). The perpetrators of the act intend to inflict harm or discomfort on certain users, and may range encompass the victim's school activities all through to their homes and relations (Tartari 325). Most of the perpetrators have traditionally been face-to-face bullies, and the advent of social media has made them change their tactics of operation. As a result, most of them have found an online platform where they could camouflage and propagate their vile activities. Cowie (167) observes that the habit sometimes occurs in the context of relational difficulties, the envy of a peer's success or just intolerance of the victim's community, the culture of association. Studies conducted on the prevalence of cyberbullying have revealed that the practice may be isolated but very common. A survey in Europe involving 23420 children and young adults revealed that 5% of the sample population were bullied more than once weekly, 4% occasionally in a month, with 10% experiencing the bullying less often. All in all, the a social user is likely to be cyberbullied, and the outcomes are likely to lead to emotional and psychological challenges, which may, in turn, impact on child's or adolescent's behavior. As a result, it is important to put systems and controls in place to prevent the occurrence and propagation of the vice.
Sexting is another negative impact of social sites in children and adolescents. O'Keefe and Clarke-Pearson (802) define sexting as the process of receiving, forwarding or sending motivated sex messages, via photographs, images or messages, through electronic media. The distribution of these messages and pictures occurs via the electronic media. According to Tartari (325), this habit takes various forms such as degrading remarks, unwanted sexual advances or sexual assault. Most of these forms of sexting occur whether the user wants it or not, and mostly involves preteens and teens. O’Keefe and Clarke-Pearson (802) report of a study conducted in which the findings revealed that 20% of the teens have admitted sending completely nude or semi-nude videos and photographs of themselves. Most of the respondents said that they sent the sexually suggestive content to their boyfriends or girlfriends, although a sizeable population of the teens sent the contents to someone they hooked up with or intended to date. What is worrying is that sexting allows youths to create pictures of themselves and other minors, and under the US Federal laws, this constitutes child pornography (O'Keefe & Clarke-Pearson 802). In fact, some teens who have engaged in sexting have been charged with felony child pornography charges or have been threatened. As a result of their tender age, most of the teens and preteens are not mature enough to handle the complexities that come with sexting. This is because, in the process of sending the sexually suggestive content, the user may face rejection or insults from the would-be boyfriend or girlfriend. The consequences of such outcomes result in the emotional and psychological challenges that could negatively affect the child's association and development process (O'Keefe & Clarke-Pearson 802). Therefore, parents and teachers need to educate their children or students about sexting and its consequences on their mental health.
With the constant use of social sites, fewer people are communicating in person (Ahn 1436) (O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson 801). For users to be active on social media, they get behind the keyboard of their personal computers or phones. When chatting, they sit isolated and alone in the hope that they will get company online. The process of chatting makes the user isolated and detached from human contact, relying only on the online friends to drive their communication process. Routinely adopting such a communication process makes the person addicted to their social networking sites. For children and adolescents getting behind the keyboard frequently enables them to develop into adults that function well in a keyboard setting but fail in physical human relations. Typing on a keyboard does not help the user get essential interpersonal skills and favorable non...