Facebook's Influence on Youth

Topic: Destruction of Facebook

Source: Cain, Kevin. "The Negative Effects of Facebook on Communication." RSS. Social Media Today, 29 June 2012. Web. 09 Apr. 2013.

Description: Cain discusses that humans have a much harder time communicating in person in today's society because of the all time high in Facebook's society. He also discusses Americans in general spend too much time on Facebook, saying an average American spends fourteen minutes on Facebook daily. He notes that the crazy amount of energy Americans put into Facebook needs to change immediately. 

Analysis: It seems as though with each following generation, the youth becomes more demanding for the latest technological devices. I got an "emergency" cell phone at the age of thirteen and was told to only use it to call either of my parents when needed. The thought of having a phone at such a young age terrified my parents, yet I was allowed to have a Facebook in middle school, where anyone from around the world could notify me. Looking back, I would have never let myself have an account on a social media site, because not only are they dangerous but a lot of people on these sites are exposed to sorts of nudity, violence, and negativity. Throughout the last decade, social media sites have become so large that 51% of Americans are on Facebook. Back when I was in middle school, all of the posts I would see were little meaningless statuses, or pictures of friends and family; but in today's society, my page is filled with nudity, negativity, violence, and drugs. Facebook is now a place to been seen, a place to get attention from every person following you. This is due to the media in today's society, always giving individuals the impression that they are not seen unless they stand out and grab everyone's attention. I cannot tell you how many mirror pictures that young girls take of themselves half-naked everyday with the hashtag #selfie. It's becoming a place where there is too much exposure and too much nonsense. That is why I did not approve my ten year old sister signing up for Facebook. Facebook needs to have more regulations, to restrict more of the material that can be posted on this site. In theory, it is a great site to get in touch with family and friends; it was created for college students to get in touch with each other. Now it has taken a complete spin, and needs some mending.     My little sister gets teased and made fun of on Facebook all the time by people who are supposedly her friends. One time, she was supposed to hang out with a friend who cancelled because she was sick, then an hour later saw a picture of her friend and a few others that was uploaded to Facebook with a comment that said, "We just didn't want to see your ugly face today." The negativity that is found throughout social media sites like Facebook is very detrimental to today's youth, and suicide rates are on the rise because of it. As a society, we need to take a step back and really figure out how to control social media sites in a more positive way.