Facebook has a lot of negatives that people can't seem to over look. One of the biggest aspects would be cyber-bullying. "On Facebook it is very easy for cyber bullies to thrive. They can harass and/or gang up on one person even easier than they could in a school environment. There aren't moderators that go around monitoring what people say to each other. Anything can be said." -Nick Barricella, hubpages.com. I couldn't agree more with nick. Facebook is an environment that is unmonitored. Anyone can say what they want whenever they feel like it. Facebook was big for me and my peers when we were in middle school and just starting high school. Luckily I was never a victim of cyber-bulling and I never really witnessed it first hand on social media like Facebook. Although it didn't need to be in my area for me to hear about it. We all know too well the awful cases of suicide and bullying that happen all throughout the country and even some worldwide. For example, the case involving Rebecca Sedwick. A 12 year old Florida girl who took her own life because of up to 15 girls were bullying her online and through texting (USA today article). It's events like this that make Facebook seem like the devils advocate. Facebook is also a big distraction when it comes to procrastinators like myself. Although I have grown out of Facebook, when I did use it I was blowing off homework or studying to go on. Whether to look at my news feed or post a status, I out Facebook before school work and my grades suffered because of things like that.
Although Facebook has negative aspects, there is also a good side to it. Facebook keeps you in touch with family and friends from down the road or across the world. Within seconds you can access their profile, see their pictures or message them. The messaging part is great for people with friends or family members who may not have cell phones. You can stay up to date on whats going on in their lives. Facebook even has video chat (Nick Barricella). This way you can see your loved one face to face. Personally I have family all around the world. I have cousins in England and Australia and I keep in touch with all of them through Facebook! It's a great tool to keep in touch with people. Along with friending people you know, you can also meet new people. This has a lot of criticism when it comes to safety. I never friend anyone I don't know. I agree that part is dangerous but, for example, I would friend rugby players from other teams because I knew we would be playing on the same team when All-Stars started at the end of the regular rugby season. That way we could keep in touch if say a practice was cancelled or someone needed a ride.
Depending on how you look at Facebook, it will be either a waste of time and a tool used for people with wrong intentions or it will look like another social media site that connects people to all around the world. Although in my opinion we can't blame Facebook entirely on that bad things that happen. It's the people behind the screen and the phones that cause the harm. Not the site itself. If everyone used Facebook for the good aspects it has, it wouldn't have such a bad reputation.
Work Cited:
Barricella, Nick. "The Positive and Negative Effects of Facebook."
HubPages. N.p., 13 June 2012. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
Stanglin, Doug, and William M. Welch. "Two girls arrested on bullying
charges after suicide." USA TODAY: Latest World and US News -
USATODAY.com. N.p., 16 Oct. 2013. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
For arguing purposes and of course because the assignment requires it, I would have to disagree. While yes there are people out there with ill intentions on Facebook, I also think that the people on facebook just to connect with old friends or keep in touch with family far outnumber the wrong doers of Facebook. There are people that always look to exploit others in just about every aspect in life but for the most part the good doers always seem to exceed those that have nothing but ill intentions. In the society we live in we love to always focus on the negative and point out the downside to things as opposed to the positive. This has been a trend for sometimes but I am starting to notice a change in that and a lot more news on random acts of kindness. So while they may be creeps out there on Facebook just remember they do not make of the masses. Plus it is only a matter of time until something replaces Facebook or the appeal of it wears off as it already has started to for some. That’s the great thing with trends. Whether you like them or hate them, they eventually always die off.
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