Kids And The Dangers Of Social Networking Media Essay

Kids And The Dangers Of Social Networking Media EssayWill you be my friend? That is where it starts. Weblogs, wikis, forums, insistent messaging, and email argon altogether neighborly technologies that sh atomic number 18 education and obtain online community formation. therefore, in that respect is a coarse concern with cordial networking weave puts and accompanimenting our pip-squeakren safe. There are a lot of sites like demobook and MySpace that aim age requirements, that are slowly bypassed and no way to verify. Facebook and MySpace undersurface be fun and safe environment for pip-squeakren of any age, with the straightlaced education, maturity date level, and leavenal supervision. How do we keep our children out of social networking danger? argon you wondering if you should let your child capture a Facebook account? Or, are you curious why someone would each(prenominal)ow their kid to be on Facebook? Well, the Internet isnt innocent by any means. For Instance, there are s call on the carpeters, predators, rapists, and personal identity theft. On the other hand, there are nice things about MySpace and Facebook but they arent worth the risks, of the horrible things that heap happen if your child isnt careful. atomic number 53 big negative of Facebook is that it does create a safety risk. Children outhouse encounter child predators, which has already happened to teens and children all over the demesne. Kids on Facebook could in addition be unfastened to foul language, inappropriate adult talk and pictures, and R-rated content. In addition, they could become the dupe of cyber-bullying, or become the bullies.According to Mozelle Thompson, Facebooks chief privacy adviser,told theAustralian federal Parliaments cyber-safety committeeThere are pot who lie. There are people who are under 13 accessing Facebook. Facebook removes 20,000 people a day, people who are underage. He adds that dealing with underage users is something the s ite works on all the quantify. (Tan)In fact, the law provides some protection when it comes to children under the age of 13 it gives call forths control over what information children piece of tail disclose. (Schaffhauser) To help protect children, there is the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act, which requires parental consent before they can heap up information and allows parents to view profiles. The Federal Trade Commission determines if the web site is directed toward children by the content and if they deem it is geared toward children, they must take after with The Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act. (COPPA) Another negative, is that children carry to spend to a greater extent(prenominal) time outside enjoying real life activities hanging with their friends in the real world skating, playing ball, riding their bikes, and playing at the park. Hanging out in front of the computer is contributing to childhood obesity.Consequently, being a parent comes with the r esponsibility of protecting and ensuring that our children are safe. Parents use to tell their kids not to talk to strangers, not to take candy from strangers, not to open the door for strangers are all well and good but now we have to add, hold back out for strangers on the Internet. This can be proven to be even up more dangerous, if we dont admonisher our children. Many kids on Facebook and MySpace post pictures, full name, addresses, and the drill they attend and even cellular phone phone numbers. Thus, all this information is easily accessible at the click of a button to anyone. These sites are providing child predators with the exact information they need to track down our kids, right at their own back yard.In Feb. 2009, MySpace identified 90,000 registered sex offenders with profiles on the site, piece Facebook declined to reveal how many a(prenominal) were present on its site. (ProCon)Social networking sites cant identify each sex offender. Therefore, parents can get software that can help monitor their children. Internet security firm Check Point released software that lets parents monitor their children on Facebook, it scans friends request and communications, and it alerts parents to certain words. Check Point vice electric chair of consumer sales Bari Abdul saidIts about protecting your kids from the social threats out there, plot of land still respecting their privacy and fostering open communication. We are offering Facebook users a simple way to embrace social networking safely. (Software)Check Point cited a survey indicating that 38 percent of teenagers have ignored requests from parents to be friends on Facebook, and that 16 percent of children have only through with(p) so as a condition of using the social network.However, some will argue, that with the proper adult guidance and monitoring, Facebook can be a safe and hearty place. Parents can set the account as private, and log in often to monitor their behavior. Or, they could even sit next to them and monitor them at all times while on the site. Also, there are some websites that have minimum age requirements to set up an account. MySpace, for example, requires users to be at least(prenominal) 14 age old, and the profiles of all users under the age of 16 are automatically set to private so they cannot be found during a general search. There some advantages of allowing a child to have a Facebook account.It helps them become acquainted with using the computer and todays technology. It can help children hobble connected with their long-distance Grandma. They can get homework advice and can keep up with the happenings of other distant family. Also reported 50% of students with a social networking site, use it to discuss homework. (ProCon) In. addition, we can keep kids safe by letting them go on social network websites geared for children. Parents also hope that their children conduct themselves maturely online. musical composition it is true, the newest problem with social networking is cyber bullying. While bullying certainly isnt a new, cyber bullying is not a expressive style that is going to disappear any time soon. As personal computers, cell phones, and the Internet become more popular, the opportunity for teens and preteens to pick on each other grow. Up to 34% of children have been bullied or harassed online, One in seven children aged between 8 and 17 years old say they have come across harmful or inappropriate material online, and 57% of parents are unsure where to get information to help protect their children while online. (Assualt) Furthermore, depression is also an issue with cyber bullying. Cyber-bullying can cause a child to feel totally trapped, because the bully can appear anywhere. For example, a cyber bully can post mean or taunting messages on a teens Facebook page for everyone to reveal. A bully can set up a web page, blog, or other online nominal head that is against a particular peer. This mental anguish can result in depression and even suicide. Children need to let parents or a instructor know if they are victims. Children tend not to let parents know for apprehension of losing their Facebook or MySpace privileges. (Depression)In truth, there is much debate among psychiatrist hold social networking is harmful to children. A psychiatrist at West capital of the United Kingdom Mental Hospital by the name of Dr. Himanshu Tyagi, he believes that kids will watch the real world boring, that everything happens much faster on the Internet. Also, those children are more vulnerable to impulsive behavior or even suicide. He thinks more research and investigations should be done on the subject. (Medical) Another study that was done reports that those who spend a large amount of time on social networking sites, including Facebook, were more likely to suffer from eating disorders. Teen girls that viewed unrealistic images of models were more likely to suffer from low self-esteem and develop conditions, such as bulimia and anorexia. Crash dieting was also common among adolescents who spent extend periods of time on social networking sites. (Researchers) Another study done by Ohio State University study back in 2009, says Facebook users had GPAs a full print lower than non-users. On the other, hand author of Grown up digital Don Tapscott is skeptical about the studys findings. He goes on to sayThere isnt a shred of evidence that Facebook is bad for young people. On the contrary, its a wonderful thing that, with balance, helps them grow, helps their mental abilities develop and it should be encouraged.Following this further, the MacArthur installation also contradicts the idea held by many educators, parents and policymakers that children should be blocked from online social networks and video games like Halo, which allow users in different locations to play together. Instead, children should be encouraged to use the technologies to gain a certain level of digital lit eracy. (Macarthur)Above all, its important to be a part of your childs life. Its hard when they compulsion their own lives, and their moods change by the minute. But you are still their parent and they are still children in many ways. Whether their behavior indicates it or not, they need you. Truly, parents need to also open the lines of communication between their kids. The truth, parents are the ones who render for the computer and continue to pay for the Internet each month. Therefore, we have the infinite right to ask our child about their sites and have the right to see their MySpace and Facebook accounts.As a final point, MySpace and Facebook have changed society in many ways. Its a parental choice to allow their children on Facebook. While there are disadvantages, with the right parental control, it can be a absolute experience for youth.Work CitedCOPPA Childrens Online Privacy Protection. COPPA Childrens Online Privacy Protection. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 May 2011. http//www. coppa.org/comply.htmPappas, Stephanie. Todays Kids Face Facebook Depression AAP Report on Cyberbullying, Cybersafety and Sexting Parenting and Social Media LiveScience . Current News on Space, Animals, Technology, Health, Environment, Culture and History LiveScience . N.p., 28 Mar. 2011. Web. 1 May 2011. http//www.livescience.com/13431-social-media-kids.htmlSchaffhauser, Dian. Teens Online Safety amend by Education, Research Shows THE Journal. THE Journal Technological Horizons in Education THE Journal. N.p., 25 Nov. 2008. Web. 1 May 2011.