Everyone has used some form of social media
platform, whether it be Instagram or
Facebook, however most people do not know
about the danger that lie within those social
media platforms and in all forms of social
networking. Most people go throughout their
lives using social media without knowing
about the threat that it poses to society, and
how in the wrong hands social networking is
detrimental to that individual and those
around them. Social networking poses a
threat to society because it leads to
developing unfavorable habits and behaviors.
Social networking poses a threat to society
because it gives people a license to be
hateful. Conversing online through screens
can desensitize people to the fact that the
people they are talking to online are real
human beings with emotions. "I'm
disappointed whenever I hear about social
media being used as a way to hurt people"
says a 10th Grader that was interviewed by a
psychologist, "I wonder if this happens when
the writers forget that there are real people. Socializing via social media can cause people to have a
lack of emotional connection because they are not actually conversing,
this is why cyber bullies feel as if they can get
away with being toxic online.
Social networking poses a threat to society
because it provides various avenues for online
predators. Accessibility to children and child
pornography on the internet is sadly not a
difficult thing to do, all they would have to do
is access unmonitored chat rooms such as
school and they could easily find children to
manipulate and control for their own twisted
benefits. For some people, an internet
relationship' is not enough, many predators
will try and persuade a willing child to meet
them in real life. Ernie Allen, President & CEO,
National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children, explains that "Predators are hiding
behind the anonymity of the Internet to target
kids, to entice kids online to try to persuade
them to meet them in the physical world"
(Allen). The internet is not a safe place for
children as predators will stop at nothing to
gain access to them, parents should always
be monitoring their children's screen time and
should apply the proper content blocking
devices to their computers for additional
protection. Furthermore, ABC News covered a
story about men who were prosecuted for
being child predators, these men would use
social games like Minecraft or
they would use social networking sites such
as Discord, Grind and Tinder to prey on their
victims. With many social media apps and
games at their disposal, it makes preying upon
their victims much easier than ever before.
Social networking is a threat to society
because of the various tools that predators
can utilize to prey on innocent, unsuspecting
children.
This essay concludes that the power of the
Internet has exerted a profound influence on
the social movement, and the social
movement has transformed into a new
structure. Organizations of social movements
no longer stick to the traditional hierarchy
structure. They try to use digital media
communication technology as an organization
or construct loose organizational coordination
through the Internet. In terms of interpersonal
network, social movements in the new media
era develop a weak interpersonal network,
which is considered to be more conducive to
expanding the scope of mobilization. To some
extent, the Internet has helped social
movements form a more flexible action
network that can span different contexts and
issues.