Within the last decade, there has been a social media boom heard around the world.  Thanks to popular websites, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, we are now able to know the exact thoughts and location of any one person at any given time.  These sites have targeted curious adolescents and young adults who have grown up in the current generation marked by smart phones and applications.  This new, open-book culture, where freedom of speech has been pushed to its limit, has shaped our behavior.  There are numerous positives to social media, such as keeping in touch with family and friends, receiving information about the world, and self-expression.  In contrast, these networks are also damaging, as illustrated through cyber bulling, overexposure online, and underdeveloped social skills.

According to Pew Research Center, 67% of social media users say that staying in touch with current friends and family members is the number one reason they have an account (Smith).  Social media cannot be defined by one category because it is so diverse.  There are applications aimed at social networking, blogging, and video chatting.  It is not only helpful; it is an essential part of communicating in today's world.  The creation of Facebook, social network, and similar sites has brought about a whole new way to stay in touch with friends and family.  What was once a website aimed at college students, has now become popular amongst adolescents and even adults.  It facilitates communication so well that even grandparents have stepped out of their comfort zone and gotten connected to maintain a better relationship with their grandkids.  Personal profiles allow adolescents to post pictures, communicate with friends, and display information about them.  Another service, a software application with video chatting capabilities called Skype, even enables them to video chat with another user anywhere in the world.  This idea took off with professionals in the business world looking conduct interviews and conferences with multiple people in various countries at once.  Two reasons why social media has become so popular are because of speed and convenience.  Twenty years ago if friends moved away they had limited options of staying contact with others.  They could use "snail mail" to send letters or pick up the phone.  The Internet has brought phone calls to life with exceptional speed.  People can now post pictures in the blink of an eye for anyone to view instantly.  The inconvenience associated with printing and mailing pictures no longer exists.  For busy people or those who just like to share their experiences, this small, personal piece of the web is a great way to keep others involved in your life and you involved in theirs.

Social media is also an excellent source of information about worldly events.  With apps like Twitter, we have the capability to know about daily happenings in real time.  Since today's adolescents are unlikely to read a newspaper, social media is potentially their top source of information.  Additionally, these news sources can be especially useful when it comes to safety.  Institutions, such as universities, have Twitter pages to keep their followers connected.  In the event of an incident, for example a shooting, it is crucial that these accounts are able to alert mass quantities at once.  Local police departments post suspect descriptions and video surveillance on their Facebook pages in hopes of gaining information about crimes. With Twitter being accessible worldwide, it can be used to keep countries informed about a multitude of different events that may be of interest to people on a global level.  These could be as crucial as natural disasters and wars, or as entertaining as the Olympic games.  Major news networks, such as CNN and the New York Times, all utilize social media to keep people informed across the globe.  In the same way, sports fans can know that their favorite player has been traded as soon as it happens and hear it directly from the athlete. Anyone can now have access into the lives of celebrities like never before and stay up to date on their careers.  Social media is making the world smaller and alerting billions about a plethora of topics, whether they be life altering or just for personal pleasure, in real time.

Social media fosters self-expression.  Although the format of each page is the same, these profiles are completely unique to the people that create them.  A Facebook account holder will personalize their profile based on the pictures they post, the amount of information they choose to disclose about themself, the pages they "like", the statuses they post, etc.  What is displayed on the Internet says a lot about the individual and people typically judge one another based on the statuses, pictures, and information that they post.  According to a recent study conducted at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, whether a first impression occurs in person or online is important.  "While we may be able to size up someone's personality from a Facebook photo, it will often be a more negative impression than one formed face-to-face" (McGowan). Tweets express emotions and Instagram's produce a precise timeline of events as they occur. For those who are shy, this could be the key to socializing.  These profiles are so accurate and up to date that friends and followers rely on them to stay informed about the life of the account holder.  These sites have become increasingly popular amongst adolescents because online anyone has the ability to showcase themselves exactly how they want to be seen.  Behind the walls of a cyber name adolescents can be whomever they want.  They can choose to portray themselves from their own internal perspective.  Social media gives them the potential to voice their opinions and get their ideas across the world in seconds.  Through Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr, they can find others who share in their beliefs and interests to build an online community.  As an extension of our freedom of speech, social networks allow for, and even encourage, self-expression on the Internet.

Although social media has proven to be useful, it can also be utilized negatively.  As stated in an online article posted by Tom Gallagher, editor of Neutral Magazine, over 25% of adolescents and teens have been bullied repeatedly through their cell phones or the Internet (Gallagher).  Unfortunately, social networks, most commonly Facebook and Twitter, aid in these crimes.  With the emergence of smartphones, tablets, and laptops, a bully is no longer required to be in the same vicinity as the victim to act.  With the click of a mouse, words can be exchanged with more distance than regret.  Cyber bullying thrives on the fact that the bully never once has to physically face the victim.  Being online reduces feelings of responsibility and accountability.  In addition, time is no longer a factor.  With traditional bullying, the bullying was dictated by how long the bully was in the presence of the victim.  With cyber bullying, the victim has no way of escaping the harassment.  This means that the victims are not even safe within their own home.  Social media essentially makes bullying easier and almost convenient for the bully.  Due to the nature of the Internet, you cannot technically delete anything that has been posted.  Once a traumatic picture or a comment is on a network like Twitter, it is there for the world to see as quickly as it is typed.  For a cyber bully, social media is the ultimate sidekick.

Young people are uneducated about what is appropriate to post on social media.  Today's adolescents have developed a naive sense of security about whom they are socializing with on the Internet.  Privacy and exposure are two problems regarding all social networks.  Adolescents risk exposing themselves to unwanted viewers when they neglect to take advantage of privacy settings.  These controls take a back seat at the expense of retweets and potential followers.  No one would willingly leave the front door to their home wide open for the public, yet this is essentially what they are doing when they fail to use privacy settings.  On the Internet, not everyone is whom he or she says they are and more often than not people are taken advantage of.  These anonymous followers can come in the form of sex offenders or potential employers.  Either way, it is important to utilize the safety options created by the social networks and keep unwanted viewers out.

Adolescence is a crucial time for social development.  In today's world, children are learning to communicate through phones and computer screens more than face to face.  Socialization has evolved from time outside with friends to video games with conversations via headsets.  This obviously is not true for all children, but the amount of face-to-face interaction has decreased dramatically since the invention of the Internet.  This lack of social development has had a direct effect on their people skills.  They struggle to hold lasting conversations with multiple topics of discussion because friends have already been informed of what they have to say through their twitter accounts.  They feel extremely uncomfortable in the presence of those they do not know and look to their phones for guidance in awkward situation.  They would rather pretend to text than start a conversation with the unknown person standing two feet away from them.  Social media has altered even the way they speak.  Phrases such as "bff" and "lol" have been assimilated into their everyday vocabulary.  Although these may be fun to say online they are inappropriate for a conversation with a potential employer, or even most adults.  Social networks have not only defined our generation, they have altered it, and maybe not for the better.

Overall, social media is a double-edged sword and has had a profound effect on adolescents.  If used in a mature and responsible manner, social networks can be beneficial to everyone, even the younger generation.  But at the same time they must remain weary of the negative implications that surround the Internet.  The drive to be "followed" and Internet popular has lead to the rise of few and the demise of most.  In terms of keeping in touch with family and friends, receiving information about the world, and self-expression, social media has benefited society.  On the flip side, these networks bread cyber bullies, cause overexposure, and underdeveloped social skills.
