How the Digital Age Has Changed Social Values

                                     


                                                    How the Digital Age Has Changed Social Values




Abstract:

      As a focus of this paper, I would like to explore how social media has transformed people’s perception of proper social interaction and etiquette. I became interested in studying more in depth about this topic the moment social media began. I was accustomed to interacting regularly with peers, and being able to interpret their perceptions and responses to the conversations based on nonverbal cues. We have degrees, such as Social Sciences and Communications, that are designed to help educate people about the many different aspects of human interaction. The program needs a complete transformation if it is going to remain as a viable choice for on-coming students.

     I stress the importance of face-to-face communication for many reasons, especially when it involves the millennial market. They are growing up in an era of infinite possibilities, and not all of them are aware of the power one holds with a mouse in their hand. With a decline in face-to-face communication, children have lost sight of how to solve problems and disagreements in person. Instead, cyberbullying has become a main issue as many children have a very small chance of standing up for themselves with countless followers all having the option of taking part in the disparagement. We now have a multiplying amount of online dating sights available, many of which are free. What is disconcerting about these, despite the fact they allow people to have access to millions of other singles within their area, is that profiles are not always factual. Any person can upload whichever picture they wish, giving ample opportunity to sex offenders and child molesters. Additionally, we have identity theft issues, where people can access your credit card information when online payments are performed with a chip. Schools have become more vigilant about safety with the growing prevalence of threats via social media, threats of terrorist attacks, and the fact that any person can learn to make a bomb by simply surfing the web. Many users have different opinions regarding whether the internet is an asset or serious concern. Through continuing research, we can give people an opportunity to make their own judgment in an unbiased manner. 


Resources:

1. Hoffman, Jan. “Online Bullies Pull Schools into the Fray.” New York Times. June 27, 2010.  
<www.nytimes.com>

     This article discusses how rampant cyberbullying is, and how difficult it is for educators and administrators to take action. Many schools have rules already instilled that children cannot be punished for actions taking place outside of school. With the physical location of the recipient and perpetrator not being a relevant part of the bullying, new rules have to be created. This has been a very pressing issue recently due to recent amount of adolescent suicides due to bullying. As many as one in five middle schoolers had been affected by cyberbullied.

2. O'Neill, Kathryn and Hiestand, Emily. “Journalism in a Digital Age.” MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. April 2, 2012.
<https://web.mit.edu>

     Journalism has recently had its defining moments with the Internet becoming a major provider of journalistic information. We have to admit that the Internet is not setting its own agenda and surreptitiously hiding newsworthy information, but the Internet has altered the traditional role of editors and journalists. The users have gained much more autonomy with the arrival of online sources. Users hold the power to filter through information until they come across the opinions or documentations that support their viewpoints. News publishers are under much more scrutiny since any information published can be re-checked by viewers. Archives are still openly accessible if information doesn’t “match up”. Additionally, Online journalism has found a new way to present itself through the advances of media: text, audio, video, and photographs. 

3. Gregoire, Carolyn. “Heavy Social Media Use Linked With Mental Health Issues in Teens” The Huffington Post. July 27, 2015.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com>
    
     Excessive social media usage has been correlated with many major issues. But this article points directly at the psychological effects of extremely long periods of use. A new study done by Ottawa Public Health, found that students in grades 7-12 who use social media for more than two hours per day are significantly more likely to suffer from poor mental health, psychological distress and suicidal thoughts. Dr. Hughes Sampasa-Kayyinga, one of the lead facilitators of the study, found that in actuality the study is very complex. He noted in his findings that it could be partially due to the fact that teens with mental health issues are using the social media sites to reach out to more people and solve their feelings of aloneness and isolation. At this point, the best way to counteract the amount of Facebook use among students with mental disorders, is to use such  venues as a platform for mental hygiene support.

4. Gardner, Amanda. “Psychologists Highlight Pitfalls of Online Dating.” CNN. February 6, 2012

     In this article, Gardner makes it clear that online dating can actually “sabotage” your chances of meeting the right person, if not used properly. In 1992, less than 1% of Americans actually met their significant other through alternative venues such as matchmaking services or personal ads. In 2009, with the Internet being utilized much more frequently, the percentage rose to 22% of heterosexual couples and 61% of homosexual couples. The problem with this rise is that people are spending much more time online when deciding which person to pursue, and less time “getting to know” a person. People are often much more critical of a person’s traits, as many dating sites have each member answer the same sequence of questions with very little opportunity to answer other imperative ones: are you friendly, how would you react if you found out the other person isn’t perfect, would the other person be caring and supportive if you were in need. We need to analyze fewer prospects less harshly, and find ways to meet up with people we find at public places after speaking briefly over the phone. When your only form of communication with this other person is via online messaging, having a comfortable flow to in-person conversations can be quite difficult. 

5. Petrow, Steven. “Teen Sexting is Definitely a Problem, But a Felony?” USA TODAY. November 14, 2015.

     Teen sexting has become a major issue recently because of the conundrum that unfolds when police pursue such cases. Sexting is defined as the action of sending sexually explicit photos or messages to another individual, but the issue at hand is that if the photos are taken of a person below the age of 18, it is defined as child pornography. This redefinition of illicit pornography is taking form regardless of whether both people involved were below 18; and even a person consenting and sending pictures of themselves are guilty of distributing child pornography. The problem is not ceasing, since a recent Drexler University survey reveals that 54% of underage college students had sent sexually explicit photos while they were under the age of 18.

6. Wallace, Kelly. “Driving While Distracted: It’s Not Just Texting Anymore.” CNN. August 9,        2016.

     In this journal article, it becomes clear through an allotment of statistics that texting while driving a serious hazard concern. In 46 states and the District of Columbia, laws are in place that prohibit drivers from texting while driving. Every day, at least 8 people are killed and 1000 are injured due to distracted drivers. The effect social media has on drivers is hard to measure, since being “distracted” can also include texting, and eating while driving. According to a study of 2,500 high school students, done by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Students Against Destructive Drivers (SADD), nearly 70% admit using aps while driving. This staggering statistic may be partly due to the fact that only 6% of the students polled during the study, thought that posting and actively engaging in social media was the most distracting while driving.

7. Leitner, Tammy. “How Terrorists Recruit Teens Through Websites, Social Media.” NBCCHICAGO. February, 6, 2015.                                                                 <http://www.nbcchicago.com/investigations/Terrorists-Recruit-Teenagers-Online-Through-Websites-              Social-Media-291010561.html>
    
     It has recently become a concern that terrorist organizations, such as Isis, have been using the Internet as a tool for recruiting young teens into their groups. Most teens targeted tend to come from broken homes, have begun questioning their identity, and are grappling with their religion. The most popular recruitment sites include Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, on which hashtags are displayed connecting many teens to public forums. Listed on the forums are information about how to create bombs, the benefits of joining the terrorist organizations, and videos portraying the new kind of life they will begin as a member. These sites are leading to many Westerners being recruited, with one example including Chicago-area teen Mohammed Hamza Khan and his 15-year-old brother and 17-year-old sister – who were stopped by Federal Agents before boarding a plane headed for Turkey.