Social Media’s Impact on Society, Essay Example

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, “Between 1 in 4 and 1 in 3 U.S. students say they have been bullied at school” and “most bullying happens in middle school” (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services 1). This is a large percentage of school-aged children, as it indicates, for larger schools, up to 300 children have suffered from bullying practices in a single institution. Furthermore, “it often involves groups of students who support each other in bullying other students” (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services 1). This indicates that it is possible for bullying to be put to an end if officials are able to break up these bullying collaborations. The government has conducted comprehensive studies to determine the impact of bullying on school-aged children and how to prevent these occurrences. Officials believe that enhanced monitoring of the social media and Internet use of these children will help reduce the frequency of these violent and mentally taxing crimes.

Social media is important because it has allowed cyberbullying to become prevalent. Ultimately, while bullying was problematic prior to the use of social media and related technology, a larger percentage of teens are impacted by bullying as a consequence. Social media has played a significant role in the development of bullying because it allows children to quickly communicate to determine how they will target their fellow students. Furthermore, it provides them with a safer way of sending cruel messages to these individuals, as there is a reduced likelihood that these messages will be monitored. A majority of states in the country have passed “anti-bullying laws”, several of which claim that bullies will be removed from their victim’s schools and others respond by implementing rehabilitative programs and sometimes even imprisonment (Flores 1). These laws are important because it demonstrates the seriousness of this type of crime.

The existing research indicates that cyberbullying is a prevalent problem among school-aged children today. Furthermore, parents and school employees have reason to be concerned about all of their students, as these behaviors do not discriminate according to age. However, since these activities are the most prevalent among middle schools students, it is reasonable for administrators within these institutions to increase the level of security and supervision implemented in hallways and during class switches. To support these practices, school employees must be made aware of how to accurately detect and diffuse potential physically and emotionally violent situations, in addition to creating a safe environment in which bullied students believe that they are able to report their personal experiences.

Law enforcement agencies can collaborate with school officials in order to diffuse potentially harmful situations. While the police have noted that in many cases, an intervention is possible only after it’s too late, school officials can provide them with information that could help them provide students with helpful resources, such as emergency counseling, after school hours.  In addition, parent involvement is a necessary part of this process, as they can act as a first line defense to protect their children and have an enhanced knowledge of when negative online behavior could result in physical harm. It is especially important for parents of middle school children to be aware of the risk factors related to cyberbullying because early detection is an important component of preventing their children from being harmed.

While social media use is currently considered an important part of society, it is essential for school-aged children to learn to use this technology safely and to keep the adults in their lives informed about their online activity. Preventing children from being allowed to use social media is not a reasonable resolution to this problem because students are adept at finding ways to be able to access these applications independently of parental permission. In New Jersey, local officials found that they needed to pass the “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights” in order to ensure that their law enforcement teams would be able to deal with attacks properly (Friedman 1). Under this and similar provisions in other states, schools should collaborate with law enforcement teams to teach children about safe internet practices, which extends to their involvement with social media. Recently, the U.S. Department of Education released a report entitled “Analysis of State Bullying Laws and Policies”, which was created to tell states which states have anti-bullying policies that should serve as a models for other state governments (U.S. Department of Education). Therefore, it is likely that these laws will adjust in some states in the near future. Overall, social media is a powerful tool and can bring much good to the world if it is used correctly, but our nation’s youth must come to understand what correct use would entail. Therefore, we must provide them with such information to ensure that our country’s children will remain safe in light of constantly evolving technology.

Works Cited

Flores, Helen. Noy signs anti-bullying law. 2013. 14 June 2015. <http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/09/18/1222601/noy-signs-anti-bullying-law>

Friedman, M. N.J. Assembly, Senate pass ‘Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights’ in wake of Tyler Clementi’s death. 2010. Web. 14 June 2015.             <http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/11/nj_assembly_passes_anti-bullyi.html>

U.S. Department of Education. U.S. Education Department Releases Analysis of State Bullying Laws and Policies. 2011. Web. 14 June 2015. <http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-    education-department-releases-analysis-state-bullying-laws-and-policies>

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Facts About Bullying. 2014. Web. 13 June 2015. <http://www.stopbullying.gov/news/media/facts/>