The World from YA Eyes - The Social Media Scare

"The World from YA Eyes" is posted fortnightly and discusses the latest world-issues threatening to change our world into one we would find in a Dystopia novel.

 

 

The discussion about the age of which young people should be allowed to use social-networking sites is an endless one; and some even argue that no person under the age of eighteen should be allowed on sites such as Facebook or Twitter. Of course, this is an understandable opinion to have, nobody can deny that social media can be a dangerous place, especially when young, vulnerable people are drawn into unsafe situations - tempted by lies that trap them in a web. Social Media is something teenagers across the world are addicted to, all about spending hours online talking to friends they may or may not know in the 'real-world'. While most young people can't get enough of online-worlds, others find it the bane of their existence, nothing more than a place of endless cyber-bullies and constant threats. This is the side that is always talked about; this is the side of social media that makes news-headlines, that is on the front pages of magazines. Adults who avoid these sites, who continue to pretend they understand what their children are talking about when they mention that they had 'ten likes' on a status-update, only hear the stories that make you want to never support social-networking again. . Why is it that the good things that come from social-networking are never talked about? Why is it that nobody ever shares the good? Why is it that Ask.fm seems to be the only form of social-networking that matters to the media?

 

We are all aware that cowards, simply, use their screen to hide-behind, anonymously sending insults and threats, thinking there are not consequences to the actions they make online. Behind a screen, we are safe; we are protected; we are just another user. We don't even have to choose to have an identity. This part of social-media is abused, but I say, nobody ever takes a look at the good. They stereotype all forms of social-media, including the aforementioned, as a place that promotes bullying and suicides, that has no positives whatsoever. Blogger and Wordpress are never spoken-about. As much as it angers me to say this, most people don't even know that these sites exist, and more don't realise that young people - yes, those trouble-making teens that spend all their time smoking and under-age drinking - are behind the blogs. That these 'people who will ruin the country's future' are being productive is almost so hard to believe, it's never mentioned. As we are here. While social-media is hit with dozes of darts, we are still here. Social-networking is a place that can be used for opportunities to share your interests with people across the world,  use the maturity too many adults think we don't have, and discuss interest such as reading, film and fashion. It's a Social Media scare.

 

It's not the fact I don't believe cyber-bullying takes place, I have seen abuse online and it's not a situation I ever want to be a part of myself or see someone else go through. I can't express how shocked I am to hear that young people have felt so-worthless because of cyber-bullies that they have committed suicide. As you all now, I am very much against bullying under any circumstance. I just wish that people who think it's okay to say what they like online don't sink us all on the social-media ship. Put measures in place to make sure abuse does not go unnoticed; set up a system that resembles that of 'Big Brother' but, realise that there are bloggers out there, who continue to use social-media the way it should be used, and put too much effort into running-blogs just for people to not realise that they are also a form of social-networking. Am I the only one who thinks social-media shouldn't be continuously judged based on the few horrible people out there?

 

Blogger allows us to experience something exciting everyday - it's something I, and so many others, spend hours writing on and are proud of. Social-media is not a bad thing that all teenagers mistreat! The next time an adult sees the question, "When do you think young people should be allowed to use social-media?" I want them to consider us, even though they won't. When they say fourteen, how will that ever work, as I've been blogging since I was twelve! Then there's Amber, who has been blogging half her life! So, do all teens misuse social-networking?

 

What do YOU think?

Tell me in the comments!

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