Diversity. Acceptance. Positivity. These elements represent the epitome of a healthy and safe community. Doesn’t seem too hard to achieve, right? Think again. We live in a society in which technology rapidly changes, and the ways of communicating has made interacting between individuals easier and more convenient. Over the last two decades, various social media platforms have been developed. Platform creators and executives are obligated to institute sound policies and procedures to ensure users adhere disciplined, respectful exchanges of information. However, we are at a critical crossroad given the current societal behavior when it comes to the misuse and abuse of social media platforms. Social networks have been a platform for people to not only connect with others and exchange personal thoughts and ideas, but also spread offensive remarks to other online users. Heinous rhetoric and cyberbullying by teens and young adults have caused offline disrespect and violence. Hate will not be tolerated. Not now. Not ever. Therefore, virulent individuals who violate social network policies should be reprimanded to promote a safer and more respectful society.

Even though there are several negative outcomes to utilizing social networking sites (SNSs), many teens and young adults can benefit from using these platforms. These benefits include meeting new people, attaining knowledge and collaborating on assignments with other students. To validate the benefits of utilizing SNSs, a study, called the Digital Youth Project, was conducted at the University of Southern California and the University of California at Berkeley. One author of the study found that “spending time online is essential for young people to pick up the social and technical skills they need to be competent citizens in the digital age” (Goff). Social networks also help teens to express themselves more and make new friends. Teens that may feel isolated or alone offline can easily make friends online that share similar interests. Utilizing social networks can also help teens acquire technology skills, which may benefit them in the future depending on their career path. Furthermore, social networks encourage dialogue among teens who may not feel comfortable talking about certain topics offline. This evidence may be true; however, does it compare to the negative impact that social networks have on teens and young adults?

For years, social networks have been utilized by many to spew vile comments, thus instigating violence and incivility. The amount of hate and negativity that has boiled over in the online and offline worlds is astounding. For example, during the BET (Black Entertainment Television) Awards in 2009, many white people verbalized negative comments just because they were upset that so many black celebrities’ names were on Twitter’s Trending Topics list. A white boy posted, ‘Wow!! Too many negros in the trending topics for me. I may be done with this whole twitter thing’” (Boyd 161). This is unacceptable. Why should seeing so many people of one race on a SNS bother someone this much? Also, why should it upset someone so much to the point they make a derogatory post about the situation? This does nothing but make others more upset and potentially fuel an online brawl that has the potential to escalate towards something worse. There was another incident that happened on Twitter that further illustrates the harm, intentional or not, in using social media to voice your opinion. Some people, mostly white, posted that they refused to like a character from the movie The Hunger Games just because a black girl was cast for the role. The fact that some people cannot accept a movie character being any race other than white is ridiculous. Even if you do not like a certain actor just because of the color of their skin, why should you make this known to the online world? Opinions should be expressed respectfully. Those online users’ actions were not respectful, at all. Similarly, in 2011, a white UCLA student posted a racist tirade on YouTube. The student, Alexandra Wallace, mocked students of Asian descent at her school because she felt they were not considerate of others. Her negative remarks ended up backfiring. A blog posted pictures of her in a bikini for the world to see. Other students slandered Wallace and sent her death threats, prompting her to drop out of UCLA. In this situation, Wallace got reprimanded for her negative actions; however, the consequences she received were harsh. Someone posting half-naked pictures of you—without your consent—online and sending you death threats is a lot to handle for anyone. The people that sent her death threats and posted her pictures without consent were just as wrong as Wallace. What she did was terrible, but there is a way to positively and respectfully reprimand someone. Hateful rhetoric has also been displayed by black people, so it is not just one-sided. I have witnessed some black people call a white person a “cracker”, “Betty Crocker”, “Casper (the ghost)” and many other negative slurs. No matter the race, any racial slur is wrong, especially if it’s expressed to a young teen.  Incidents like those mentioned could have a devastating effect on a person and their ability to mentally cope.

Not only do online users’ negative comments instigate violence, but social networks also affect many teens’ mental health. Social networks have made some teens feel pressured to dress or act a certain way. Other teens end up having a feeling of anxiety or depression (Haig). I have dealt with those issues firsthand, so I can easily validate how social networks affect mental health. I introduced myself to SNSs—with my mom’s permission—in 8th grade. I wanted to create a Facebook account because, as a young teen, I thought it would be amusing. It was fun and entertaining at first. I received many friend requests from people at school—some that I knew and some that I had never spoken to. After a while, I started noticing with the pictures and statuses that I posted, I was not satisfied anymore. Comments that some people, especially guys, made under my photos were, I thought at the time, nice but very aggressive. Looking back at the situation now as a young adult, I realize that the comments some of those boys made were rude and objectifying. I just thought it was okay as a teenager because I assumed that all guys acted that way and it was normal. But it was not normal, and still is not. As a young teenager, I was still growing, specifically mentally, so the interaction I made with others online was detrimental to my growth pattern. I was allowing others to cloud my thought-process. Others made decisions for me that I knew deep down was not something I would do, but I agreed to it anyway. It is widely known that young children and teens are impressionable. I ended up being one of those teens. These interactions online are what led me to fall into a depression, something I never thought would happen. At first, I did not know what was wrong with me. I thought I was just very sad and emotional because around that time one of my classmates that I sat next to passed away. I did not think their death would affect me that much because we never hung out outside of school. But, when you sit next to someone every single day, have conversations, laugh and joke with them, then one day, their seat is empty—it hurts. I was angry, sad, a whirlwind of emotions on top of me dealing with my own issues. I did not know how to process those feelings. Utilizing Facebook during this traumatic time definitely made matters worse, though. I should have disconnected myself from the site, but I didn’t. Throughout this period of hurt and pain, I was looking for something to make me feel better. I thought Facebook was the answer, but it wasn’t. I fell into a deeper depression, over time. At some point, I realized something was wrong with me, but I did not ask anyone for help. I thought it was a feeling that would go away on its own, but it never did. My depression has lasted for years. Thankfully, with much needed help, I now cope with it better than I did when I was younger. The main reason why my mental health improved is because I made that decision to detach myself and wisely manage my time on social networking sites. I still have a Facebook account, but I have not posted a picture or status since high school. During my high school years, I also created Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat accounts, but they have all since been deleted. Lately, when I come across new people that I meet, they always ask me, “Do you have an Instagram?” I simply reply, “No.” They continue to ask, “What about Snapchat?” Once again, I respond, “Nope.” Then, they go on to ask me why I do not have these accounts, and I explain to them that I had them at one point but I deleted them. They would look at me confused as to why I would delete them. “I just don’t need them in my life,” I reply. That is the key. I do not need any of these social platforms and neither does anyone else. It is just something to enhance your life, not survive. Sometimes, I feel like I benefit more by staying off social networks because it is too much to handle. The hateful rhetoric and negativity does not have to be geared towards me in order for me to be affected. Witnessing some online users spew nasty comments makes me wonder if there will ever be peace in the world. However, I believe with the help and integrity of some users, harmful people can be reprimanded for their actions and hopefully learn to be more respectful towards others.

Cyberbullying and online harassment are probably the most common issues that young teens encounter. It can cause “profound psychosocial outcomes including depression, anxiety, severe isolation, and, tragically, suicide” (O’keeffe). Cyberbullying is a major issue that, in my opinion, does not get enough recognition. Many times, I have looked at the news on TV or read articles online that have dealt with young teens being cyberbullied, but nobody did anything to help the teen. In some cases, the school was notified, by parents, of the issue and did nothing to reprimand the student that was conducting this negative behavior. Thankfully, anti-cyberbullying campaigns have been established to promote civility, equality, and reduce the number of cyberbullying incidents. STOMP Out Bullying, a national nonprofit campaign, works to “reduce and prevent bullying, cyberbullying, educates against racism and hatred, and deters violence in schools, online and in communities across the country”. This campaign encourages anyone willing to help to take a stand against cyberbullying. The mission statement for students wanting to get involved says, “talk to your school and tell them you want anti bullying programs included in the curriculum. Get your school's permission to start a peer mentoring club where you can bring your entire school community together and learn ways to stop bullying. STAND UP for kids in your school who are victims of bullying and cyberbullying and offer them help. Hold events at school to STOMP Out Bullying™” (STOMP Out Bullying). This campaign believes that children and teens are the ones who can put an end to cyberbullying. This approach makes sense. Children and teens are the ones bullying each other, so only they can stop the negativity and make a change. Also, on their website a HelpChat line is provided for anyone who may need guidance. It is free and provided to teens and young adults between the ages of 13 and 24. The campaign also dedicates October as National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month. Schools and organizations across the country conduct anti-bullying activities all month long. The activities include making friends with someone you don’t know at school, creating positive messages on post-its and passing them out to students, producing anti-bullying videos and sharing them on the STOMP Out Bullying website, etc. Change is in the hands of children, teens, and young adults. They started the negativity, so they should finish with positivity.

Many social networking sites have a policy that prevents online users access if they violate policies and portray abusive behavior. Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook provide a list of terms and policies on their site that online users must abide by. According to Twitter, they do not allow nudity, violent threats (direct or indirect), harassment, hateful conduct, etc. In fact, Twitter has a mission statement briefly explaining their hopes for people that are involved in their community. “We believe that everyone should have the power to create and share ideas and information instantly, without barriers. To protect the experience and safety of people who use Twitter, there are some limitations on the type of content and behavior that we allow. These limitations are set forth in the Twitter Rules.”  This platform wants people to be able to freely spread their ideas and creativity with others; however, they want people to do so in a respectable manner that will not upset anyone. According to Instagram, they want the community to post photos and videos that are appropriate for a diverse audience, follow the law, and respect other Instagram members. Their mission statement reads, “We want Instagram to continue to be an authentic and safe place for inspiration and expression. Help us foster this community. Post only your own photos and videos and always follow the law. Respect everyone on Instagram, don’t spam people or post nudity.” Just like Twitter, Instagram mentions the safety of others and presenting respectable behavior. Instagram also states one other thing that I thought was very powerful. They want people to post only their own photos and videos. Not anyone else’s, but only theirs. Posting someone else’s photos or videos is a problem, especially without their consent. This kind of behavior is what potentially leads to online harassment and cyberbullying—people that are trying to exploit others. Facebook is against users who post adult nudity/sexual activity, hate speech, and violent/graphic content. Their mission statement claims, “Our mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. Every day, people come to Facebook to share their stories, see the world through the eyes of others and connect with friends and causes. The conversations that happen on Facebook reflect the diversity of a community of more than two billion people.” Facebook’s mission mostly focuses on bringing the community closer together and promoting diversity. Mentioning diversity is well-needed in the statement. People that are not willing to accept diversity are the main reason why violence, negativity, and cyberbullying ensues. Also, diversity is not limited to race. Diversity can mean various sexual orientations, socio-economic backgrounds and personalities. Diversity is so much more than the color of one’s skin. The other statements from Twitter and Instagram are great, but I believe that Facebook’s statement is the most influential. Accepting diversity, for many, is the first step to ending hateful rhetoric against others.

Social networks have a section on their site where users can report any abuse that they see online. Users can block other users as well, if the situation gets to that level. This is an excellent feature on social networking sites; however, how long does this really keep away unwanted users? For example, the negative user gets blocked and their account becomes deactivated. If the user was that desperate, they would make a new account—using different information—to harass and bully other users. If it gets to this point, then there should be legal action taken upon this user. The penalties probably vary for different states; however, in South Carolina, “a person who engages in harassment in the first degree is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one thousand dollars, imprisoned not more than three years, or both” (WomensLaw). “Harassment in the first degree” means a pattern of intentional, substantial, and unreasonable intrusion into the private life of a targeted person that serves no legitimate purpose and causes the person and would cause a reasonable person in his position to suffer mental or emotional distress, according to South Carolina statute 16-3-1700. Harassment and cyberbullying are not a laughing matter. If carried out repeatedly, jail time and fines will be served. Therefore, it is best to make a change now before it is too late.

Depending upon users’ intentions, many social networks have been recognized to be detrimental to not only individuals but also society. For many years, social networks have been a platform for people to spew despicable comments. These comments, in turn, are affecting people in many ways offline, whether directly or indirectly. The amount of unnecessary hate that has been spread over the past several years is absolutely absurd. Many people think that social networks are their playground to run free and say whatever they want to whoever they want. Yes, we have freedom of speech; however, when it comes to discriminatory remarks, they should never leave one’s mouth. Malevolent users should be reprimanded, respectfully and accordingly. We are all the same and should not degrade each other just because of our social or racial background.  Accepting diversity is the key to change.
