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Kristi Paulsen
Ms. Lamor
English Comp 101
November 3, 2011
The Dangers of Social Networking Sites
One of the most popular Internet crazes today, Facebook, has over eight hundred million active
users, fifty percent of which log on every day of the week (“Statistics” 1). Social networking sites, like
Facebook, are becoming more and more prevalent in the lives of children. But is there more danger
associated with these sites than benefits? Over the advancements of the Internet, it has been found that
social networking sites are a negative aspect in the lives of children that lead to dangerous affects due to
the risks of cyber bullying, the lack of personal interaction, and the risks of sexual predators.
A social networking site can be defined as an online service that enables individuals to
communicate with one another (Boyd and Ellison 5). These sites allow people to chat, blog,
share pictures, download music, etc. According to the article Social Network Sites: Definition,
History, and Scholarship by Danah Boyd and Nicole Ellison, “The first recognizable social
network site [SixDegrees.com] launched in 1997… [and it] allowed users to create profiles, list
their Friends and, beginning in 1998, surf the Friends lists”(16). After this first site was
established, abundant amounts of other social networking sites started forming. All of these sites
have changed over time, some dropping out completely. The most recognizable social
networking sites known today include MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter.
These social networking sites have extreme influence on the networking world today and
are aimed at the younger generations. Sites like Facebook immerse children into the
technological world of music, friends, and socializing. This immersion is connected with many
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extreme consequences, which mainly includes cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is defined as “when
a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise
targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet... It has to have a minor on both
sides, or at least have been instigated by a minor against another minor”(Stop Cyberbullying 1).
Every time that children log on to social networking sites, they open themselves up to the
dangers of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is a common negative occurrence that many children
face in the current technological era. Various social networking sites are the main sources where
cyber bullying usually occurs. Children are ridiculed, berated, and reprimanded by their peers on
these social networking sites. In a survey conducted by Rosland K. Baker, M.Psych, and
Katherine M. White, Ph. D, 69 out of 229 ninth and tenth grade students reported that they do not
use social networking sites (396). The students who do not use social networking sites claim that
cyber safety is one of their top concerns. One student states, “‘I stopped using MSN because I
was cyberbullied. I [now] use none of these Web sites’”(Baker and White 397). The fact that this
young student will no longer use any social networking sites due to one experience explains how
horrible the effects of cyberbullying can be. This student, along with the majority of the others,
explained that the risk of cyberbullying is too high to even consider joining a social networking
site. “A 2009 study found that 17.3% of middle school students have been victims of
cyberbullying. Victims often experience a drop in grades, decreased self-esteem, and other
symptoms of depression”(“Are Social Networking Sites Good” 9). This shows how
cyberbullying carries nothing but negative effects.
There are also many stories of suicide due to cyberbullying, including the case of
thirteen-year-old Megan Meier. In 2006, Megan Meier began getting horrible messages on
MySpace from a boy, “ending with one that suggested ‘the world would be a better place’
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without her”(Sweeny 5). After this message, Megan committed suicide at home. In the end, it
was found out that the boy and his profile were false. A mother of one of Megan’s ex-friends
created the character to harass Megan for gossiping about her daughter (Sweeny 5). This
horrifying account reveals, “cyber bulling is a massive problem that not only exists all over the
world, but is only made possible by the use of social networking sites”(Sweeny 5). Children are
definitely susceptible to cyberbullying when using social networking sites. In the end, the
children who use social networking sites need to think for themselves and also have parental
guidance to decide whether the risks of using these sites are worth the rewards.
Another major downfall of social networking sites is how addicting they are to children,
which causes a lack of human interaction. Because of the increasing popularity of social
networking sites, children are spending more and more time online and less time interacting
face-to-face. According to ProCon.org, “Teens spend an average of nine hours per week on
social networking sites”(“Are Social Networking Sites Good” 6). These are nine hours that the
child could be talking to someone in person, which is a more healthy exercise. By spending more
time online, people are more prone to social isolation and spend less time with loved ones (“Are
Social Networking Sites Good” 12). Another study revealed, “Social networking and blogging
sites accounted for 17% (about one in every six minutes) of all time spent on the Internet in Aug.
2009, nearly three times as much as in 2008”(“Are Social Networking Sites Good” 2). This
shows that the unhealthy dependency on social networking sites that children are obtaining is
continually growing into a larger addiction. Also, this heavy addiction has been proven to be
negative. “It is clear that the rise of social networks has increased social and emotional isolation
and diluted the strength of our human relationships”(Sweeny 7). When a child lacks personal
skills and human relationships, their whole life can be at a disadvantage. Their education can be
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harmed, their chances at obtaining a job can be diminished, and their social lives can be injured.
Overall, when one looks at the time spent on social networking sites, the results are astounding
and unhealthy.
Finally, the most negative aspect of social networking sites is the risk of sexual predators.
When a child makes a profile on a social networking site, their information is out there for the
world to see. Included in the observers of this profile are online sexual predators. These
predators have proven to be a large problem in the past few years. In the article “Beware Child
Predators" by Nicholas Hoover, it is described, “The Internet Crimes Against Children program
last year [2005] investigated 2,329 cases of enticement and of predators traveling to meet
minors”(3). This number is extremely large, showing that being stalked by a sexual predator
online is very possible. Online sexual predators are something that children and parents need to
watch out for. There are also very graphic stories in which online sexual predators have been
involved. “In February [2006], the naked, strangled body of 14-year-old Judy Cajuste was found
in a New Jersey trash bin, and the body of 15-year-old Kayla Reed was discovered in a
California canal. In both cases, investigators are probing possible connections to MySpace”
(Hoover 1). These examples illustrate the worst possible outcome of online sexual predators. It is
stories like these that make it evident that social networking sites are very dangerous due to the
risks of online sexual predators.
When one disagrees that social networking sites are dangerous, they bring up the point
that there are many privacy settings and age restrictions set up in order to protect the users. The
argument includes the fact that, “To make social networking sites safer for children, the sites
have minimum age requirements and default settings based on the user's age to protect children”
(“Are Social Networking Sites Good” 26). MySpace, one of the most popular social networking
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sites today, is used as an example because the age restriction is fourteen years old and anyone
who is sixteen and under has a private profile (“Are Social Networking Sites Good” 26). Many
other sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, have privacy settings to regulate who can view a
profile, comment on photos, post on status’, etc. All of these points support the idea that social
networking sites are perfectly safe because of the age restrictions that are enforced and the
privacy settings that are optional for all users.
Even though there are age restrictions and privacy settings on many social networking
sites in attempt to make the sites safer, there are still several problems due to the deceitfulness of
the sites. For example, Facebook entails their users to be thirteen years of age, “but a recent
Consumer Reports survey found that about 7.5 million active Facebook users were younger than
13”(Puzzanghera 1). This is due to the fact that it is virtually impossible to figure out someone’s
age online. It has been said that someone can completely lie about their identity and not be
caught in any way whatsoever, which also makes the risk of online sexual predators even greater
(Hoover 3). Also, the only enforcement that Facebook has on age restrictions is when other users
report the violation (Puzzanghera 2).
Privacy settings are also an issue when it comes to social networking sites. Many sites
claim the settings are private, but it is extremely easy for predators and other unknown people to
access non-public profiles. Also, most sites like Facebook have automatic settings placed on
public, forcing the user to manually set the profile to private. Amy Guggenheim Shenkan,
president of Common Sense Media, has claimed, “big technology companies have not made
privacy a top priority”(Puzzanghera 2). This is true in most situations. For example, MySpace
only has 100 service personnel for their 73 million users (Hoover 3). The ratio of service
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members to users is frighteningly small in every social networking site online today. This reveals
that users are not as safe and protected as they are led to believe.
Over the past two decades social networking sites have emerged, becoming more and more
dangerous to children everyday. These dangers include cyberbullying, lack of personal interaction, and
the risk of online sexual predators. All of these dangers are extremely hard to avoid due to the
addictiveness of these sites, the unreliability of privacy settings, and the lack of rule enforcements. As
long as there are social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, children will be open to
the dangers that social networking sites bring. When it comes to this topic Hoover said it best; “It may
take a village to raise a child. But in a world of online social networking…and increasingly tech-savvy
child predators, it’s going to take a united effort among government, industry, and families to keep them
safe”(5).
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Bibliography
"Are Social Networking Sites Good For Our Society?" Social Networking ProCon.org.
ProCon.org. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. <http://socialnetworking.procon.org/>.
Baker, Rosland K., and Katherine M. White. In Their Own Words: Why Teenagers Don’t Use
Social Networking Sites. Mary Ann Liebert, Inc, 2011. PDF.
Boyd, Danah M. and Nicole B. Ellison. Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and
Scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, October 2007. Vol
13: 210–230. Web. 2 Nov. 2011.
Hoover, Nicholas J. "Beware Child Predators -- Teens hang out on social Web sites-but
so do sexual predators. They need our help staying safe." InformationWeek. 01 May.
2006: 34. eLibrary. Web. 24 Oct. 2011.
Puzzanghera, Jim. "TECHNOLOGY; Facebook gets grilled in hearing on privacy." Los
Angeles Times. 20 May. 2011: B1. eLibrary. Web. 24 Oct. 2011.
Siegle, Del. "Facing Facebook: A Guide for Nonteens." Gifted Child Today Magazine. 01
Apr. 2011: 14. eLibrary. Web. 24 Oct. 2011.
"Statistics." Facebook. Web. 25 Oct. 2011. <http://Facebook.com>.
Stop Cyberbullying. WiredKids, Inc. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.
<http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/index2.html>.
Sweeny, Rebecca. "Social Networking Sites; More Harm Than Good? - Online Conference On
Networks and Communities." Home - Online Conference on Networks and Communities.
27 Apr. 2011. Web. 08 Nov. 2011.
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Annotated Bibliography
"Are Social Networking Sites Good For Our Society?" Social Networking ProCon.org.
ProCon.org. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. <http://socialnetworking.procon.org/>.
ProCon.org offers a perspective of both sides of the social networking debate by
providing a pro and con list of social networking sites. Being very unbiased in its approach,
ProCon.org relates to persons on both sides of the debate by providing points that each side
would make and contrasting them with the opposing viewpoint. This website makes looking at
the social networking debate very easy because of how the ideas are listed by bullet points and
each point contrasts to the bullet point on the opposing side. Also, the points that ProCon.org
presents are very good viewpoints on which one could base their argument off of. This website
also provides some history on social networking sites, which will prove to be extremely
beneficial when gathering my argument. Some of the points will also be very helpful to me when
building my con social networking argument. ProCon.org explains how social networking sites
are dangerous to teens due to predators, cyber bullying, and lack of human interaction, all of
which will be points in my argument.
Baker, Rosland K., and Katherine M. White. In Their Own Words: Why Teenagers Don’t Use
Social Networking Sites. Mary Ann Liebert, Inc, 2011. PDF.
Baker and White’s article is based on a survey they conducted about why students choose
not to use social networking sites. In this well accomplished survey, Baker and White revealed
the top reasons of why certain students decided not to use any social networking sites. The
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primary reasons include; lack of motivation, poor use of time, preference for engaging in other
activities, cybersafety concerns, and dislike of self-presentation online. Many secondary reasons
were also listed; limited access, parents’ concerns, and friends’ influence. For each of the reasons
provided, there are statistics or personal stories to back them up. Under the cybersafety concern
section, there is an example of a young girl who was cyberbullied and decided not to use social
networking sites anymore. This will prove useful in my argument that social networking sites
open children up to the dangers of cyberbullying. Based on this one example, I will be able to
bring a more connected, personal feel to my paper.
Hoover, Nicholas J. "Beware Child Predators -- Teens hang out on social Web sites-but so do
sexual predators. They need our help staying safe." InformationWeek. 01 May. 2006:
34. eLibrary. Web. 24 Oct. 2011.
Hoover’s article reveals the truth about predators on social networking sites. In an
interesting approach, Hoover describes Rich, a male pedophile that made an account online. He
uncovers how Rich can lie about himself in order to get close to a child online. Also, Hoover
describes how pedophiles can cover their technological tracks in order to escape prosecution
from the police. With this knowledge, online predators are very difficult to track. Hoover also
discusses the Internet Crimes Against Children program, put in place in order to protect children
on the Internet, and especially on social networking sites. This article is a very good
informational piece that every child should read before joining a social networking site, let alone
using the Internet. By reading this article, children will be alerted of the dangers that social
networking sites can bring. Also, this article will help construct my argument that social
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networking sites are dangerous in the fact that an unending amount of predators can be online
without being detected.
Puzzanghera, Jim. "TECHNOLOGY; Facebook gets grilled in hearing on privacy." Los
Angeles Times. 20 May. 2011: B1. eLibrary. Web. 24 Oct. 2011.
Puzzanghera’s article attacks the privacy of big name social networks like Facebook and
MySpace. With an effective approach, Puzzanghera reveals how social networks are not
providing users with the privacy that is publicized. These companies claim to have age
restrictions, but they don’t show much effort in enforcing these rules. Puzzanghera uses quotes
from congressmen who attack Facebook into revealing how little they actually investigate the
ages of their users. These congressmen are trying to find new regulations in attempt to protect
the online privacy of children. Puzzanghera also discusses how there is the possibility of
predators and cyber bullying when children use social networking sites. Overall, this article is
very eye opening when it comes to the actual privacy provided by social networks. This will help
shape my argument that social networking sites are not safe for children due to predators and
cyber bullying. By backing up my claim with evidence of Facebook’s lack of privacy, my
viewpoint will be thought about more in depth.
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Stop Cyberbullying. WiredKids, Inc. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.
http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/index2.html
This website is constructed to educate the public on cyberbullying and is attempting to
campaign against cyberbullying. There are many helpful sections of this website. This includes a
tab that describes in depth what cyberbullying exactly is by defining it and elaborating on this
definition. Also, there are more tabs that describe; how it works, why it happens, how to prevent
it, how to take action, and what the laws are pertaining to cyberbullying. All of this information
is vital to someone who is encountering cyberbullying and will be very helpful in my argument
against social networking sites. I will focus on using the section that defines cyberbullying in
order to help my audience understand the concept. This definition will also help shape how I
approach the topic of cyberbullying throughout my paper. By explaining how bad cyberbullying
is, this website will aid in my argument that social networking sites open children to the dangers
of many things, cyberbullying being among these occurrences.