Social media change

Social media has changed communication in a huge way. It has given billions of people the opportunity to connect with each other just by clicking a “like” button, or using the same “hashtag.” It gives many a great sense of belonging as their funny tweets are shared by thousands, or their pictures are liked by people across the globe. Now with social media as one of our main sources of communication, innumerable doors of opportunity have been opened. Some good, and some not so good. For some, the benefits far outweigh the costs, but for others, social media has created new fears and anxieties. I assume that most of us have experienced bullying in some form or another during our lives. Many of us would experience it on the playground, at school, or on the court. It always hurt, but we had a sanctuary to retreat to, home. We would come home and be able to not worry about being picked on anymore, because home was safe. The scary thing is, nowadays, many don’t feel that sense of relief. Many people are haunted day and night on social media and feel there is no escape. Cyber-bullying through social media is a very scary thing.  There is even a new word for these kinds of bullies, Trolls. People can tweet, post, blog, or comment anything they want and not have to see the pain someone feels when they read it. While social media allows many to communicate and connect with others, it allows some to communicate but stay disconnected. If you don’t believe this is a problem, read some of the comments on YouTube videos, or watch Jimmy Kimmel’s mean tweets. Some people are using social media to communicate things that they would never say to someone in person or even feel comfortable reading out loud. Social media has changed the way many communicate their distaste for others, or their sour feelings towards certain groups. I for one think that this is becoming a far bigger deal than many realize. We should promote the wellbeing of others through social media, not try to bring them down. Even though social media has changed the way many bullies communicate, let’s make sure our communication through social media stays positive, uplifting, and wholesome.


Here are some great articles that can help elucidate the topic further.

http://www.internetsafety101.org/cyberbullyingstatistics.htm
http://nobullying.com/social-media-bullying-has-become-a-serious-problem/