Social Media or Social Mind Control
Jade Lewis Editorial
AMSU
Social Media Or Social Mind Control?
The legal drinking age is twenty-one, marijuana is illegal, and school begins at eight in the morning. If this is understood by society then why are teenagers drinking, smoking and partying on school nights? The moral degradation of teenagers has continued for decades, but the constant question of parents is: why? Why are teenagers so enthralled by the idea of living life precariously? Parents take great measures to ensure that their children are protected from the harsh adult realities of life, but what if that choice was not left in the their hands? What if it was the media who had complete control over their childrens’ thoughts?
Social media plays a notorious part to teenagers today. According to an article Sam Laird wrote on Mashable Lifestyle there are 7.5 million Facebook users who are under 13 years old. Studies show that the age thirteen is when teens start to develop emotionally, so when they are exposed to a website that has no filter it can be dreadful. Sam Laird also states that 20% of kids who are cyber bullied think about suicide, and 1 in 10 actually attempts it. If this is so why don’t websites, such as Facebook, use more precautions to make sure no one has to go through abuse? Or better yet, why are websites, such as Facebook, still in use?
The idea that social media may have played a role in the chaotic behavior may seem unfathomable to many parents, but it begins with the lifestyle that is constantly encouraged and displayed to the public. Social media sites, such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, are customary places to see and share information quickly about parties, illicit actions, and anything else. These sites validate their social standings with their peers by how many followers they have or how many likes they can get. Teenagers are so
AMSU
Social Media Or Social Mind Control?
The legal drinking age is twenty-one, marijuana is illegal, and school begins at eight in the morning. If this is understood by society then why are teenagers drinking, smoking and partying on school nights? The moral degradation of teenagers has continued for decades, but the constant question of parents is: why? Why are teenagers so enthralled by the idea of living life precariously? Parents take great measures to ensure that their children are protected from the harsh adult realities of life, but what if that choice was not left in the their hands? What if it was the media who had complete control over their childrens’ thoughts?
Social media plays a notorious part to teenagers today. According to an article Sam Laird wrote on Mashable Lifestyle there are 7.5 million Facebook users who are under 13 years old. Studies show that the age thirteen is when teens start to develop emotionally, so when they are exposed to a website that has no filter it can be dreadful. Sam Laird also states that 20% of kids who are cyber bullied think about suicide, and 1 in 10 actually attempts it. If this is so why don’t websites, such as Facebook, use more precautions to make sure no one has to go through abuse? Or better yet, why are websites, such as Facebook, still in use?
The idea that social media may have played a role in the chaotic behavior may seem unfathomable to many parents, but it begins with the lifestyle that is constantly encouraged and displayed to the public. Social media sites, such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, are customary places to see and share information quickly about parties, illicit actions, and anything else. These sites validate their social standings with their peers by how many followers they have or how many likes they can get. Teenagers are so