On May 17, 2014 a boy from Zamboanga City was found lifeless on his

chair. It was full of blood and full of self inflicted stab wounds. He was in front of
his computer while his Facebook account still opened. His brother immediately
checked his Facebook account and was shocked to see hateful comments and
offensive photos of hi brother. Suicide as a result of cyberbullying is not just a
major issue of the youth here in the Philippines, but also thousands of people
across the globe so before you log-in to your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram
account, you need to pause and reflect on the harmful effects of social media
especially to the teenagers, which comprise 75 percent of social media users
according to report by Common Sense Media.
Do you have a Facebook, Twitter or Instagram account or have you created
your Friendster, Multiply or MySpace account before? If your answer is “yes,”
then you have to listen to me carefully. As a social media user who has accounts
in Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, I have a moral duty to enlighten your minds
regarding the risks of social media. For the purpose of organization and clarity, I
have divided them into three categories: security, societal and health risks.
Without further ado, here are the alarming effects of social media that need to be
brought to your attention.
Cyberbullying appears easy to the bully because they do not see their
victims’ reactions in person, and thus the impact of the consequences is small. In
reality, however, the consequences can be life altering to the extent that the
victims could go as far as taking their lives or become psychologically distressed
enough to require medical intervention. The ironically individualistic nature of
social networking activities makes it difficult to recognize a victim of
cyberbullying, but tell-tale signs include avoiding or being anxious around the
computer or cell phone and sudden change in behavior patterns.
Sexting, the action of sending sexually revealing pictures of themselves or
sexually explicit messages to another individual or group, is another common
activity among the teen community in social media. A nationwide survey by the
National Campaign to Support Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy found a shocking
20 percent of teens participating in sexting. While teenage boys resort to sending
sexually explicit or suggestive messages, teenage girls are more likely to send
inappropriate photos of themselves, mostly to their boyfriends. However, the
permanence and pervasiveness of the internet makes it a fertile ground for
spreading such information to the extent of getting viral — 17 percent of sexters
admittedly share the messages they receive with others, and 55 percent of those
share them with more than one person. Beyond the personal trauma and
humiliation sexting may cause, there are judicial ramifications as well; some
states consider such activities as misdemeanors while many group sexting under
felony.

Other risks of extensive social networking among youth are loss of privacy,
sharing too much information, and disconnect from reality. The digital footprint is
a permanent trail that users of social media, indeed of the Internet itself, leave
the moment they sign into any service. The digital footprint, by its permanence,
can have serious repercussions in future, in both professional and personal areas
of life. It is important to know that every activity online — posts on social media
accounts, comments left on various sites, tweets, retweets and +1s through
years can contribute to the digital footprint. Another serious risk is the amount of
information shared on social network sites. LexisNexis and Lawers.com surveyed
1,000 Americans and found that half of them divulged too much personal data
online. What is more worrying is the fact that 44 percent of them believed that
the information they posted on sites like Facebook, LinkedIn or MySpace were
being used against them.

Privacy
Social networking sites encourage people to be more public about their personal
lives. Because intimate details of our lives can be posted so easily, users are
prone to bypass the filters they might normally employ when talking about their
private lives. What's more, the things they post remain available indefinitely.
While at one moment a photo of friends doing shots at a party may seem
harmless, the image may appear less attractive in the context of an employer
doing a background check. While most sites allow their users to control who sees
the things they've posted, such limitations are often forgotten, can be difficult to
control or don't work as well as advertised.

Lack of Privacy:

People, especially the young, are often too open and public with personal
information when online. Most don't read privacy policies and may be unaware
that their information may be used by third parties, like advertisers, insurance
companies, and the IRS. 21% of teens believe it is safe and harmless to post
personal information, including photos.
Exposure to corporate and governmental intrusions. The US Justice Department
intercepts thousands of pieces of information from email and social networking
activity per year.
The IRS trains agents to scan social media for information that can help them
resolve taxpayer cases.
Insurance companies use information gleaned from social media, as well. If you
have "liked" a medical-related page or a post about a health condition, that
information is sometimes used by insurance companies to determine eligibility
and raise rates.
Online advertising policies are an invasion of privacy. If you "like" a brand, you’re
giving that company access to your personal information.

Users Vulnerable to Crime:

Social networking sites allow hate groups to recruit and distribute propaganda
online.
Unauthorized sharing and copyright infringement threatens intellectual property
and causes loss of income.
Security attacks such as hacking, identity theft, phishing scams, and viruses are
common online. 68% of users share their real birth date, 63% share the name of
their high school, 18% share their phone number, 12% share a pet's name: This
information might be used in identity theft.
Criminals use social media to commit crimes. Robbers know when you're away
from your home on vacation and stalkers get information about your whereabouts
via social media.
Sexual predators find, stalk, and assault victims through social media.
Sexting (texting sexual content) can be a big problem. When teens post sexy
photos or comments online, it can lead to criminal charges and child
pornography. 88% of "private" sexual images posted to social media are stolen
and publicly posted on porn sites without the subject's knowledge.
Security attacks such as hacking, identity theft, and viruses and exposure to
phishing scams are common via social media.

“Facebook depression,” defined as emotional disturbance that develops when

preteens and teens spend a great deal of time on social media sites, is now a
very real malady. Recent studies have shown that comparisons are the main
cause of Facebook depression; the study showed that down-comparison
(comparing with inferiors) was just as likely to cause depression as up-
comparison (comparing with people better than oneself). However, there are
contradictory reports as well. Another study showed that Facebook makes us
happier and increased social trust and engagement among users. Given that our
brains are wired to connect, it seems logical to expect that social networks, by
enabling sharing, could cause a self-reinforcing sense of psychological
satisfaction. These studies show that the effect of social network on well-being
hinges on how social networks are used — whether to connect or to compare.

Emotional Implications:
Psychological experts warn that social media sites can have emotional implications

for kids who are already suffering from low self-esteem or confidence. Such children

may judge their success by the number of friends they have on the facebook or if

they are included in a specific group of people. This may lead to further diminshing of

their confidence.

Social Media More Addictive Than Booze and Cigarettes

Smaller studies have found similar effects in adults as well. A series of studies
commissioned in 2012 by the nonprofit Anxiety UK, for example, determined that

Facebook can feed anxiety and insecurity. Of those surveyed by the group, half

responded that social media had changed their lives, and half of those said it was for

the worse, typically as a result of feeling inadequate in comparison to their peers.

Teens likely feel the need to be constantly connected to their social media accounts

through their devices and become emotionally invested, because, as several studies

have shown, social media can be addictive. In fact, a Norwegian research team in

2012 published a paper that created a means of measuring social media addiction,

called the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale. In developing the scale, the University of

Bergen researchers concluded that adolescents, among other groups, are particularly

vulnerable to social media addiction.

Other studies into teen social media use bear that out as well. Seventy-one percent of

teens have more than one social media account, and 24 percent of teenagers are

online “almost constantly,” according to a survey released in April by the Pew

Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. Ninety-two percent are online

daily.

Decreased Productivity
While many businesses use social networking sites to find and communicate with clients, the sites
can also prove a great distraction to employees who may show more interest in what their friends
are posting than in their work tasks. Wired.com posted two studies which demonstrated damage to
productivity caused by social networking: Nucleus Research reported that Facebook shaves 1.5%
off office productivity while Morse claimed that British companies lost 2.2 billion a year to the
social phenomenon. New technology products have become available that allow social networks to
be blocked, but their effectiveness remains spotty.
2. Social Distrust
As mentioned that unknown online users may indulge in aggressive or offensive

behavior. Kids may think if such aggression or offensive is committed in real life

situation. This may result in social distrust towards the unknown others.

6. Explicit Or Violent Imagery

Spending a lot of time on the social media sites like facebook can be dangerous, as

often as a result of political events around the world, explicit and violent imagery get

shown on the discussion threads. Often it is very difficult to moderate such content

due to its viral nature. This may have a negative effect on the minds of the children,

leading them to have a sadistic and defeatist view of the world.

10. Lack Of Interpersonal Skills:

Children spending too much time online may consider a virtual relation substitute for

a real one. By spending more time online they often ignore the importance and the

appropriate behaviour related to face-to-face contact. Hence, the set of interpersonal

skills that are necessary for the success in the real life may not develop properly.

Social Detriments:

Cyber-bullying (the use of electronic communication to bully someone, usually by

sending intimidating or threatening messages) is commonplace online, causes

emotional trauma, and sometimes even leads to suicide. 49.5% of students reported

victimization by bullying online and 33.7% admitted to online bullying. A 2012 study
found that at least 800,000 minors had been harassed on Facebook. Middle school

children who experienced cyberbullying were almost twice as likely to try to kill

themselves.

According to one report, 15% of adult users said that something that happened online

caused a friendship to end. 12% of adult users said something that happened online

caused a face-to-face argument, and for 3% of adults it turned into a physical

confrontation.

Extensive online engagement is correlated with personality and brain disorders like

poor social skills, ADHD, narcissistic tendencies, a need for instant gratification, and

addictive behaviors and other emotional distress like depression, anxiety, and

loneliness.

Less time for face-to-face interaction with loved ones. 47% of 18-34-year-old users

reported using social media or texting during meals. 10% of people younger than 25

reported checking their phones and social media during sex.

Children at higher risk for depression, low self-esteem, and eating disorders and more

prone to feeling isolated and disconnected (especially youth with disabilities).

Misinformation:

Enables the spread of false rumors and unreliable information: 49.1% of users have

read false news on social media.

Encourages amateur medical advice and self-diagnosis of health problems, which can

be dangerous and life-threatening.

Adolescence is the time to spread wings and take the tentative first flight out into
the world, and parents and caregivers must be part of the process. In the domain
of social networking, this entails parents becoming educated about the
advantages and disadvantages of social networking and themselves joining social
network sites, not to hover, but to be aware of the activities of their teenage
wards. It is essential that parents are aware of and monitor privacy settings and
online profiles of their wards. Open discussions about social network protocols
and etiquettes would go a long way in establishing global digital citizenship and
healthy behavior.

It is becoming increasingly clear that social networks have become part of

people’s lives. Many young people are using their tablet computers and
smartphones to check Tweets and status updates from their friends and family. As
technology advances, people are pressured to adopt different lifestyles. Social
networking sites can assist young people to become more socially capable.
However, they may also make them clumsy and incompetent, as well. Therefore,
it is imperative to exercise caution and restraint when dealing with such issues.

Imagine a dinner table surrounded by a family of five in the 1950’s, 60’s or even
the 90’s. It includes every family member sharing stories, life lessons and
laughter. Now imagine a dinner table in this decade. It is spread out, less
interested, and some if not all members are participating in activities through a
media outlet.
Media has changed our culture in significant ways since first becoming popular in
the early 1900’s with the introduction of the radio. A lot has changed since then,
and society today has experienced many new creations. One of the newest
is social media. Social media, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter just to name a
few, has made its way into the homes of people young and old.