Jarred DiFazio Brianna Hasenzahl Daniel Mendes Chaelyn Saunders

The Effects of Social Media on Teenagers, Age 1 !1"

Media #iteracy Susan Baran $rofessor

Social media has become one of the most prevalent forms of communication for todays teenagers. With this form of interpersonal communication, teenagers are writing the rules and making up the social norms within each facet of social media. Eighty percent of children ages 12 1! are users of social media websites "#enhart, 2$11%. &he problem with this is that teens do not have a comprehensive understanding of the 'nternet as a whole and can misuse social media. &he average teenager in the (nited States spend upwards of 1$ hours on the 'nternet a week, which means that they are e)posed to social media more often "*issrepresentation, 2$11%. +f the teens that currently use social media, one in five is either a victim or a perpetrator of cyber bullying, "Erdur ,aker, 2$1$%. Si)ty si) percent of teen -acebook members have public profiles and seventy percent of them accept friend re.uests from strangers, "#enhart, 2$$!%. Se)ual predators and scammers seek victims on all forms of social media, including -acebook, online games, and chat rooms. While eighty five percent of parents of teenagers have rules about their childrens use of the internet, research shows that these methods are ineffective, "#enhart, 2$$!%. &o better e.uip teenagers to safely use social media and maintain face to face interpersonal communication skills, education curriculum must be implemented focused on media literacy regarding 'nternet use. Interpersonal Communication With the rise of 'nternet usage among teenagers on a steady incline, it is becoming more and more relevant to research the cognitive, behavioral, and attitudinal effects on children. ,ecause interpersonal communication is the most popular use for the 'nternet, especially among teens, it is necessary to e)amine potential benefits and threats posed by the 'nternet on a teens communication, "/raut, 2$$0%. +ver the past ten years, the 'nternet has become the most used medium among teens for communication. &echnology has made the 'nternet an e)tremely

accessible and convenient means of communicating between people, immensely spiking usage. &he problem with the rise of the 'nternet as a primary form of communication among teens is that, if used without precaution or boundaries, its impact on social skills can be negative in the long term. 't is undeniable that e)tensive usage of the 'nternet for communication will eventually affect ones skills to communicate on and off line in multiple ways. ,efore defining the problem at hand in more detail, it is important to understand what interpersonal communication is and how the internet utili1es it. 'nterpersonal communication is defined as 2the process of sending and receiving information between two or more people.3 &here are four basic elements of interpersonal communication4 a sender, a receiver, a message, and a response from the receiver. &he 'nternet is an incredible means of bringing people together with great efficiency and allowing the process of interpersonal communication to occur. &here are also a number of ways the 'nternet can be used to communicate with others. &here is traditional email and instant messaging, online gaming, and social media websites such as -acebook, &witter, *ySpace, and #inked'n. &hese means provide multiple different formats to meet the same basic goal5 to communicate with peers. &he 'nternet is a relatively recent innovation and seems to have many beneficial attributes. 'n the hands of media illiterate individuals, however, there are numerous ways that the 'nternet can become a danger to a user6s communication skills. +ne issue that certainly has a negative effect on the user is the isolation resulting from online communication. &he 'nternet has a tendency to provide a false sense of connection with others by allowing such accessible and free flowing communication between multiple senders and receivers at the same time, "Sekinah, 2$12%. 7lthough users may feel a sense of connection from online communication, the reality is

that a ma8ority of 'nternet usage is done in an isolated scenario. (sers usually operate alone, creating a lack of interpersonal communication with many resulting problems. (sing the 'nternet in fre.uent isolation can cause a vast array of problems for the user. &he more fre.uently the user is isolated, the more severe psychological effects the user will have. &he first and obvious negative affect is the detachment from meaningful face to face interactions with others "/raut, 2$$0%. &eens can easily adapt to an isolated state and become less motivated to communicate in person. 9eep isolation can cause feelings of an)iety and depression, especially at such an emotional age of development. -ace to face interaction is essential to facilitating mental health. 7s humans, people subconsciously and naturally long for connection and interaction with others. When this need for peer interaction goes unrecogni1ed and is not treated, psychological issues can develop. 'solation is known to cause depression and an)iety in social situations due to lack of face to face interaction, ":orman, 2$$2%. &he threats posed by isolation and lack of interpersonal communication on human psyche are immense. -or e)ample, &he (nited States ;riminal ;orrectional System uses isolation as a punishment for many offenders. &here have also been countless studies on the effects of isolation on these inmates, revealing that isolation causes an)iety and depression. 'n addition, it caused a number of e)cruciating effects, ranging from hallucinations to psychosis or suicide. 7lthough the effects of 'nternet isolation could be mild compared to that of an inmate, isolation or lack of face to face communication is mentally unhealthy for a person, ":ie, 2$$2%. &eens that have trouble sociali1ing, whether they are naturally shy or have been diagnosed clinically, can hide behind the 'nternet in order to avoid personal interaction. 'f teens overuse the 'nternet and social media for communication, they can become dependent on them to

communicate. +nce dependent on the 'nternet, children will be less motivated to communicate with others in person. &his causes a gap between interpersonal and online communication skills, making it difficult for teens to make friends in a fashion that is not considered online. While fre.uently using social media websites, teens are in the crucial period of developing social skills that they will use for the rest of their life. 'f dependent on social media, they will miss out in the social development phase of their life, becoming less connected with their peers. -alling behind during teen years of life not only poses a threat to a teens future well being in the real world, but can also cause teens to be depressed due to a lack of connection with others. 7nother effect of e)tensive online communication, along with a lack of face to face communication, is the loss of ability to use or interpret body language. When communicating online, individuals are only typing and sending messages. <esponses can be well thought out and delayed to promote research or high thought for each e)change. 'n the real world, this lag time between e)changes does not e)ist and could make it harder for teens to 2think on their feet.3 +nline communication does not contain the natural mechanics that go into face to face human communication. &he sender is also unable to see the person react to their online communication. 7fter an e)tended period without face to face communication, one can begin to lose the ability to keep eye contact and use or understand hand gestures during conversation with others. 7fter becoming accustomed to the inability to witness a persons reaction, the user may react inappropriately to certain statements. &his ultimately forces an inability of normal day to day conversations and affects the teens social skills "Sekinah, 2$12%.

7nother problem is the .uality of relationships kept and maintained online. 7lthough communication online is still interpersonal, online relationships are not able to compete in .uality of face to face relationships. <esearch shows that online communication is far less useful to users than offline or even telephone communication. +nline communication is far less interactive than face to face, conveying less information per time spent communicating. 7lso, time spent online takes away from other activities, including strengthening relationships "Sproull = /iesler, 2$$1%. <elationships made online are also slower to develop than relationships that are made off line ">orrigan = <ainie, 2$$1%. 9espite the widely accepted use of the 'nternet, primarily for interpersonal communication, fre.uent use does not always result in increased si1e of social networks, improved social skills, improved relationships with online partners, or the beneficial psychological outcomes usually correlated with social engagement. 7lthough there are many negative effects, there are also benefits that can come from using the 'nternet as a form of interpersonal communication. 'f a user has the ability to e)ert self control and limit their usage in combination with a healthy average amount of face to face interaction with peers, the 'nternet can be a great resource. Social networking, email, and other forms of communication can be used to keep in touch with friends and family in all areas of the world with the click of a button. &his is e)tremely beneficial, allowing relationships with peers to thrive regardless of distance. &his only began to be an attainable feat twenty years ago. &he 'nternet is a widely accessible and convenient means of keeping in touch with peers, and if used in combination with face to face communication, it can be a wonderful tool to maintain relationships. 'n order to ac.uire the most beneficial e)perience from social media, one must be able to distinguish between online communication and face to face communication, understanding the threat the 'nternet can pose to interpersonal communication.

<egardless of how well a teenager distinguishes their interpersonal skills from their online communication, there are still certain guidelines that need to be followed in terms of online conduct. 'n face to face communication, a teenager can disclose personal information to a trusted source. +nline, teenagers cannot validate the sources to which they are disclosing information, making it easy for important information to end up in the wrong hands. 'nterpersonal communication online presents the sender with issues of trust and confidentiality between themselves and the receiver. 7 different dimension is added online because the sender may be wrong in their identity of the receiver. &his can leak important personal information to those that otherwise would not have access to it and can be used in a dangerous or degrading fashion. Privacy and Security 7 cause for concern with teens and social media is their privacy and security. With the 'nternet and social media being such an integral part of a teenagers day, there are many risks that they face on a daily basis. &eens are forming bad habits with their use of social media and there are multiple knowledge structures that will affect how they interact with people both online and in person. &hese knowledge structures are not held by all teens, which accounts for any privacy breeches into personal or financial information that can be used against them. &o obtain a better understanding of the risk teens potentially face, there are many key points to highlight. With social media websites like -acebook, &witter, and *ySpace, a person posts all their personal information, photos, and messages on their profile page. :early two thirds of teens have their profile pages visible to anyone on the 'nternet, "#enhart, 2$$!%. &his means complete strangers can see all the personal information teens may put on their profiles. 'n addition, forty si) percent of teens put false information on their profiles, "#enhart, 2$$!%. 7

great cause of concern, with nearly half of teens falsifying information they present online, is deciphering between true and false information. Who teens are interacting with when using social media can be dangerous and deceiving. 7lmost one third of teens with social media have online friends they have never even met "#enhart, 2$$!%. &o go further, teenage boys ages 1? 1! are more likely to do this, with nearly half of them accepting friend re.uests of strangers "#enhart, 2$$!%. What is troubling is that when teens accept these anonymous friend re.uests, they do not see any danger in it. &hey believe being 2friends3 online cannot have any negative conse.uences. (nfortunately, they do not take into consideration the dangers of scams or se)ual predators. &he amount of information teens disclose and what they deem is acceptable is also alarming. &here is some information that older teens, ages 1? 1!, are more inclined to sharing than younger teens ages 12 1@. 7round eighty percent of older teens are willing to share photos of their friends and themselves whereas about si)ty percent of younger teens engage in this. >owever, with other use of social media websites, there is not that much disparity between younger and older teens. With information provided on profiles such as location, videos, names, and interests, the amount of teens that believe it is acceptable to share personal information on social networks has no discrepancies between older and younger teens "#enhart, 2$$!%. With a basic understanding of the risks teenagers face when interacting on social media, some parents attempt to combat this by controlling and monitoring their children. 7bout eighty five percent of parents have stated that they have rules on what their children can and cannot do when they use the 'nternet "#enhart, 2$$!%. &his also includes providing rules for what information they can post on social media websites. &here are two basic types of mediation parents use to monitor their children online5 social forms and technical forms "#ivingstone,

2$$A%. Social forms of mediation, also referred to as active mediation, involve face to face interaction with the parent and teen. (sually, the parents sit down and e)plain the dangers and risks their children may face when online. Barents engaging in social forms of mediation are also nearby when their children go online. &echnical forms of mediation result in parents installing software that monitors what their children access when they go online. &his also blocks any websites or content by filtering it out and restricting access depending on content and appropriateness of material. Social forms tend to be the preference of parental mediation, with si)ty four percent of parents talking with their children about their usage of the 'nternet, and over half have rules about time spent online "#ivingstone, 2$$A%. &hese rules regard disclosing personal information, filling out any forms or surveys, and instant messaging or communicating with others "#ivingstone, 2$$A%. 7bout one third of parents use the technical form, and actually install software that monitor their childrens 'nternet usage "#ivingstone, 2$$A%. 7 growing .uestion is how well parent mediation works to help teens increase their security and decrease their risk regarding online usage. Studies have shown that although parents having regulation on what their teens can and cannot do online, teens still come across risks with their online use "#ivingstone, 2$$A%. <educing teenagers risks online is improving as a result of some parents techni.ues. >owever, finding new ways to lessen teens risk and increase their knowledge of the 'nternet has not been researched by many. &he issue presented with much of this research is that it is constantly evolving. Strangers and predators find newer forms of communication to target teens, and researchers have trouble keeping up with these new innovations. ;ommunicating these new platforms to parents is e.ually as difficult and leaves a gap that teens can fall through. &his makes it possible for teens to interact with strangers and be

put in dangerous situations. Barent mediation can be a good, proactive way to monitor a teens 'nternet use, however, there are still new innovations that parents cannot catch in time to protect their children.

Strangers and Scams ,ecause the 'nternet and social media have so many privacy issues, it is clearlynot difficult to become a victim of 'nternet predators. +n social media websites, one does not need to add a user as a 2friend3 to see their information. *any websites publically post a users age, hometown, school, 8ob, e mail address, and phone number. Si)ty three percent of social media users believe that a motivated person could identify them based on their public profile information alone "#enhart, 2$$!%. 'f a users information is not shown publicly, it is not hard to gain access to it. Seventy percent of 1$ 1! year olds admitted to accepting friend re.uests of strangers "#enhart, 2$$!%. <egardless of motivation behind the act, accepting unknown re.uests allows strangers to gain access to a users information. 'n addition, forty si) percent of these children admitted to giving their information to strangers on the 'nternet "#enhart, 2$$!%. -or e)ample, a male user can message a female user asking for her phone number. 9espite the fact that she does not know him, after reading his comments of how beautiful she is, she will most likely give him her phone number. Emotional connections are the most important factor in cases of 'nternet predators "Wolak, 7merican Bsychological 7ssociation, 2$$A%. Se)ual predators identify with their victims, making them feel comfortable. &hough users may have never met their online friend before, they may spend hours chatting online. Cictims are usually lonely, insecure, and

e)tremely vulnerable. &heir encounters online make them feel more important and much less lonely. (ltimately, predators form emotional bonds with these victims, gaining their admiration and most importantly, their trust "Wolak, 7merican Bsychological 7ssociation, 2$$A%. Daining love and trust, predators or victims may then initiate desired se)ual encounters. &hey plan to meet to engage in se)ual activity, whether or not the victim is aware of the true identity of the person they plan to meet. Cictims place their trust in the perpetrator and believe they are truly who they claim to be. Even if users do not comply with re.uests from strangers, or ignore those who attempt to chat with them, it is still possible for others to follow their activity. &he feature of subscribing allows predators, or anyone for that matter, to track the activity of a user. +n -acebook, a user can subscribe to another without them knowing of your subscription. 7llowing them to be aware of ones every movement, subscriptions on -acebook send notifications to the subscriber regarding any activity of the user. +ne can get these notifications instantly to their computer, cell phones, and iBads so they never miss an update. Subscribing furthers the ability for stalking using the 'nternet and social media. Even if one does not comply with stranger re.uests for information, they may still be able to obtain it. &oday, there are over ?$,$$$ pedophiles on the 'nternet at any given time "9yson, ; cave, 2$$E%. &hey can be found almost anywhere, including -acebook, &witter, instant messaging, and *ySpace. >owever, they can also be found on ;raigslist and even online gaming. 7lmost every interactive media website will be home to an 'nternet predator. Stated by representative ;athy *c*orris <odgers, 2the 'nternet has unfortunately become an easy avenue for predators to find unsuspecting victims3 "Faffe, 2$$!%. &he television show, 2>ow to ;atch a Bredator3 clearly shows the dangers of se)ual predators online. 9uring the hit show, undercover

police officers pose as underage females online. &hey feed into seductions of older men, and agree to meet up with them in person. (ltimately, the predator falls into the trap and is shown getting arrested on camera for national televisions audience. &hough shows like 2>ow to ;atch a Bredator3 prevent predators from meeting with underage victims, these events unfold differently in the real world. 'n -ebruary 2$$A, a thirteen year old girl from ;alifornia met a man online playing World of War ;raft "Getter, 2$$A%. 7fter gaining her trust and access to her information, the man drove from +regon to her house in ;alifornia. 7fter kidnapping the young victim, the man proceeded to drive her back to +regon before he was caught by police. 'n his car, police found rope, blades, knives, a hatchet, condoms, se) toys, chocolate, and a diamond ring. 7lso, the back of his truck had been converted into a makeshift bed. &hough she was found unharmed, the danger she faced was clear "Getter, 2$$A%. &hough some situations can turn out with the teen unharmed, not all stories have such a happy ending. 7licia /o1akiewic1 was one of these e)amples. When she was 8ust thirteen years old, /o1akiewic1 was kidnapped by a man she befriended in a chat room. #ocked in a cage in his basement, she was tortured, beaten, and raped "Faffe, 2$$!%. (nfortunately, there have been countless horror stories of victims of 'nternet se)ual predators, and these are only two of them. 'nternet predators do not only come in the se)ual form. Scams and fraudulent activity often target users of all websites. :o one can escape the screens that pop up on the computer. &he flashing lights and bright colors spelling, 2;ongratulationsH Iou have wonH3 have haunted almost every computer. &hese scams not only pop up on your 'nternet browser, they also come in the form of emails and messages on social media websites. 7 friend may send you a message saying 2click here to get your free iBodH ' did it, its so easy3. >owever, this message is actually

a spam scam message rather than a note from your friend. -or these 'nternet scams, children are easy targets. ,ecause they are naJve and trusting, they believe what they see online. 7lso, at a young age, ones cognitive abilities are not completely developed "Botter, 2$12%. &herefore, children are unable to consistently determine what is true or real and what is false. Scams online often come in the form of 2play to win3. &hey appear as computer games where the victor wins an e)pensive item or cash pri1e. 7ttracting vulnerable children, these games are designed to target the unsuspecting. &hough the fine print associated with these pop ups or messages may save the scammers, they are designed so that viewers do not pay attention to them "-,', 2$12%. &he blinking lights, bright colors, and gaming easily distract users away from any potential warnings. 7sking their victims to provide personal information, online scamming takes advantage of children, "-,', 2$12%. ,ecause they are so naJve, children provide pop up claims of winning with their personal information, such as addresses, phone numbers, and family information, "Botter, 2$12%. #eaders of scams use this information to store or sell to marketers. *arketers then use this information to target the user with advertisements, spam emails, direct mail, or even telephone calls "-,', 2$12%. 7lmost all have had a telemarketer call their phones trying to persuade them to buy a product or donate to an organi1ation. (sually, these marketers obtain personal information from those who have gathered it online, such as scammers. Sometimes, if enough information is provided to leaders of these scams, it can even lead to identity theft "-,', 2$12%. 'f ones credit card or social security numbers were provided online, a scammer can utili1e the information to commit fraud and steal ones identity. &he 'nternet can also claim victims of children regarding the aspect of overe)posure. 7t a young age, children are able to obtain anything they want, anytime. &he 'nternet allows for no boundaries. ;hildren have access to images, messages, and content that is most definitely not

suitable for them to view. &he 'nternet is a vast source of information available to anyone "Botter, 2$12%. Ioung teens regularly view images of murder, pornography, war, underage drinking, and other controversies. &his overe)posure has desensiti1ed teenagers to e)tremely harsh situations and shaped their view of what is normal or acceptable. (sing the same websites as adults, teens are e)posed to adult content. Eighty percent of children ages 12 1! are users of social media websites "#enhart, 2$11%. With many -acebook users being teenagers, it is important to reali1e that the website was not designed for this younger audience. Eighty one percent of adults age 0$ ?$ use -acebook, and fifty si) percent of adults over the age of fifty uses -acebook "#enhart, 2$11%. &his ensures that teens will be in contact with images or messages intended for adults. 'n :ovember 2$11, a -acebook 2virus3 spread across the social networking site. Showing viral images of mutilated humans and animals, the virus also rapidly spread pornographic and violent photographs. -or weeks, these images were repeatedly spread and e)posed on each users homepage of the website. ,ecause so many of -acebooks users are teenagers and children, they were also e)posed to the many brutal images. &here are absolutely no laws regulating the 'nternet. 7nyone can post absolutely anything they want online. 7s a result, much of the content one sees on the 'nternet is not true5 however, children do not recogni1e this. Even when doing pro8ects in middle school, a child may use Wikipedia to find out all they need to know for their pro8ect. :ot knowing Wikipedia information can be written and changed by anyone, they view the source as credible and believe everything they read. :o regulation of the 'nternet has also allowed for predators such as pedophiles and scammers. 7s they are allowed to post anything online, it is easy to attract victims.

Cyber bullying and Anonymity 7long with strangers and scams, cyber bullying has been a concern since online communication became more prevalent in youth sociali1ation and is another form of online aggression. 't is defined as 2the hurtful and intentional communication activity using any form of technological device such as the 'nternet or mobile phones,3 "Witnesses of the offense%. &hough it is similar to traditional bullying, there are a few distinguishing features that separate the two. &he factors include 2anonymity, time and space, safety and getting caught, and reach and permanence of information,3 "-estal, 2$$K%. 'n traditional bullying, it is impossible remain anonymous because it is face to face communication. :ormally, bullying is only kept at school where the perpetrator and victim interact. With the use of the 'nternet and cell phone 'nternet access, there is now no limit to where bullies have access to the victim. &he 'nternet is also seen as a safeguard to getting caught and gives a false sense of security to the perpetrator. 7s many know, things that are posted on the 'nternet can have a lasting impression through viral spreading of information and the permanence of posts. &hese distinguishing features of cyber bullying make it a topic of concern among parents, teachers, and government officials5 more so than traditional bullying. &he first area that is analy1ed to establish political and legislative background is the laws and regulations of the 'nternet. &his is e)amined through one of the worlds most stringent 'nternet monitors, ;hina. &he comparison between the (nited States and ;hinese regulation and censorship of the 'nternet will create a well rounded view of the various approaches to monitoring the 'nternet. &he censorship effort in ;hina is very intense, utili1ing the 'nternet 2via a massive censorship and surveillance system regime that combines technological measures and

human sensors,3 "Stieglit1, 2$$K%. &his active monitoring and policing limits the ;hinese public to which sites they may go on and what they have access to. &he (nited States does not have these types of monitoring systems in place to limit the citi1ens use of the 'nternet. &he only real type of 2regulation3 that the (S uses is proof of age to go on sites with adult content. &he differences in censorship and regulation can be seen in their motivation to monitor the 'nternet. ;hina motivation is strictly political and protects the governments. 2;hina implements this dichotomy of allowing free flow of information for economic purposes while prohibiting free flow of information for political purposes,3" Stieglit1, 2$$K%. 'f the (nites States were to establish regulations as strict as ;hina, it would be with the motivation to protect users from inappropriate content instead of political security. +ne of the more surprising facts about ;hina is that they do not allow anyone access to -acebook. Even with all of this regulation, ;hinese citi1ens still access the information they want through back routes and encryptions. 2Dovernments should recogni1e that active censorship of content on the 'nternet may push 'nternet users, and their content, into the completely unregulated 1ones of anonymous communication,3 "Stieglit1, 2$$K%. &his shows that regulation has not been proven to help decrease the dangers of anonymous communication, regardless of how stringent the laws can be on the 'nternet. &he issue that is repeatedly found to be of largest concern regarding media literacy on the 'nternet is the anonymity of communication. While some say that anonymous communication is embedded in the first amendment granting freedom of speech, there are a few drawbacks to anonymity. &hese drawbacks increase dramatically when we talk about young teenagers. &he drawback that directly relates to cyber bullying is lack of accountability. 2Some individuals are able to successfully hide behind the veil of anonymity and disparage others,3 "Stieglit1, 2$$K%.

-or teenagers, this becomes a bigger problem because they are still learning about accountability and have a large invincibility comple), where they feel they will never be caught or harmed. 9irectly related to cyber bullying, anonymous communication also promotes flaming. -laming is defined as 22the e)change of rude or hostile messages between online participants,3 "Steiglit1, 2$$K%. 7nonymous communication makes it more likely that people will say rude, mean, or hurtful things. &his also relates back to accountability because they would most likely not be flaming others if they knew they could easily be identified and held accountable for their actions. &he last drawback to anonymous communication is specifically focused on the effects of flaming on victims of cyber bullying. Cictims can suffer decreased school attendance, bad grades, social an)iety, depression, and discomfort around peers. &hese drawbacks are all intertwined to create a realistic depiction of the harms that anonymity can cause on teens in their high school years. &hough anonymity has a bad reputation, there are also positive outcomes from its installation in communicating with peers, professionals, and others. 7nonymous communication certainly facilitates the free flow of communication, 2encouraging free e)pression and the ability to voice opinions on unpopular ideas,3 "Scott, 2$$K%. &his helps to reduce 2killing the messenger3 and increases the success of discussion facilitators, like playing devils advocate, without being penali1ed or demeaned. 7nonymous communication also helps when sharing and shaping opinions based on facts and others points of view. &he more e)posure to varying ideas and points of view, the more informed youth will be to draw their own conclusion. &his creates a better informed youth and a more promising future for our country. 't allows people to 2focus on the message content rather than the status of the source,3 "Scott, 2$$K%. +n the same wavelength, anonymity also promotes e)posure to more diverse perspectives concerning other countries, ways of life, and ideas. &his eliminates any scrutiny from the general public while becoming

more educated on varying topics. &his idea is especially true for things that are socially taboo, warranting anonymity when discussing or research the topics. &he problem then with anonymous communication is figuring out how to eliminate the dangers of online anonymity, while still being able to wreak the benefits. 2&he challenge is how to provide for the benefits of online anonymity, which center on rights to free speech, without e)periencing its drawbacks, focusing on issues of accountability, "Scott, 2$$K%. &his is the contradiction that is being e)perienced by parents, teachers, and government officials in the (nited States as they analy1e how to protect todays youth. Saving the best discussion for last, there are two very interesting topics surrounding anonymous communication that are currently being analy1ed by professionals. &he first is the new phenomenon that is referred to as 2-acebook 9epression.3 <eferencing research from &he 7merican 7cademy of Bediatrics, -acebook depression is defined as 2a depression that develops when preteens and teens spend a great deal of time on social media sites such as -acebook, and then begin to e)hibit classic symptoms of depression.3 &his ailment was added to the roster of childhood and preteen ailments in *arch after much research and debate. &he central idea is that, while on -acebook, teens view profiles as a type of window into the reality of other peoples lives. &his leads them to believe that everyone elses lives are better and happier than theirs because teens usually only post the positives of their lives and leave out the negatives. 2&his act of overstating the good and understating the bad would not be an issue if more teens had the media literacy skills to see that there is a discrepancy between social media profiles and others satisfaction with their lives3 "*oreno, 2$11%. &his issue has a very big impact on teenage life and could be significantly reduced with better media literacy efforts. &he most interesting correlation study that has been related back to cyber bullying and

anonymous communication is something called the 2Warfare Effect.3 &he warfare effect interviews and analy1es two groups of soldiers that recently returned home from serving overseas in heavily militant areas. &he first group is fighter pilots, who dropped weaponry and e)plosives from their planes over towns, cities, and other targets. &he second group is foot soldiers who had a much more intimate involvement with the action and violence on the ground. 27fter analysis of these soldiers, this study found that relative level of responsibility and accountability found in the Bost &raumatic Stress 9isorder between these two groups was very different,3 ">eirman, 2$11%. &he foot soldiers felt much more responsible and guilty about their actions of violence and warfare, making their B&S9 more intense. &he fighter pilots had a much more detached view of the violence, with much lower levels of intensity and accountability associated with B&S9. &his was then pro8ected to bullying and highlighted the big concern with cyber bullying. &he foot soldiers were correlated directly with traditional bullies, because it is a physical face to face communication method. &his means that bullies will have a higher chance of possessing a guilty conscience and feeling accountable for their actions. &he fight pilots were directly correlated with cyber bullies because they are very detached from their victims, not being able to physically witness the aftermath of their actions. &his danger pushes the limits of a cyber bullying victim, making it a very dangerous tool to be used. &hrough the analysis of the positives and negatives of anonymous communication, it is clear that it cannot simply be eliminated. &here are a lot of benefits that help facilitate good communication and e)posure to differing views and perspectives. &hough these benefits help todays youth practice critical thinking and drawing their own opinions, the challenge is to attempt to hinder the negative effects and drawbacks such as accountability and flaming. &his challenge is precisely what educators, professionals, and researchers are looking to figure out. 'f

there is a perfect combination that can be reached to gain the benefits and eliminate the drawbacks, then anonymous communication has the potential to be utili1ed in an educational setting. Educational Implementation 7lthough the ma8ority of parents have rules for their children regarding the 'nternet, it is not always enough to deter dangerous behavior. Brotection of teens online and on social media must start at a place where their undivided attention is necessary all the time5 like in school. &here are many positives that can come out of implementing a social media policy in school and teaching students how to utili1e online resources correctly. With the great amount of research collected on media literacy online, school education and curriculum plans has been proven to be the best means of media literacy promotion and retention. Steve :icholls, a social media strategist who helps e)ecutives apply social media into organi1ations, sees many upsides to utili1ing social media in school settings. >e states that as technology grows, schools prohibiting it would be contesting what a school is supposed to do ":icholls, 2$12%. Fust because there are risks and dangers facing teens with social media does not mean it is right to completely shun it from schools. &he fact that there are pree)isting risks is precisely why schools need to make it part of their teaching curriculum. :icholls main point is that there must be a clear, written policy to get the most out of incorporating social media in schools. >e lists 1$ steps that schools should follow4 1. ,ring in e)perts 2. *ake a clear written policy

0. >ighlight past transgressions @. Strive for accountability ?. ;reate a classroom page E. <eport inappropriate behavior immediately !. <emind students of proper use A. 7ssess policy vs. reality K. 'nvolve parents and the community 1$. ,ring the risks to light ":icholls, 2$12% Step five of creating a classroom page is an important process that can be very beneficial for students. :ot only will this help them with their school work, it will also teach them of the risks and dangers one can possibly encounter when using social media. 'f teachers use -acebook or &witter for their classes, it will teach them the proper way to use social media. >owever, in order for this to happen, all other steps need to work fluently in the way they are structured. Stated in step two, having a clear written policy is crucial to having the entire process of implementing social media work effectively. &he policy and rules need to be clearly understood by all teachers, students, and even parents regarding acceptable behavior. &hese groups must also be aware that they will always be held accountable for the content they present. >ighlighting past transgressions can be a great deterrent for teachers and students to avoid using social media in a way it should not be. -inally, bringing the risks to light as described in the final step will put all these actions into one and make the policy run efficiently.

Seeing that the groundwork of implementing social media can work, the .uestion is how teachers will use it in their classes. 't may seem odd, but nearly two thirds of teachers have used social media, and teachers of more than twenty years are 8ust as mindful of social media as younger teachers "#epi, 2$12%. &he three main social media sites teachers should use are -acebook, &witter, and Iou&ube. (sing -acebook can connect students and teachers outside of the classroom and create a good, clean, community conversation with peers. &eachers can also use -acebook to teach students by posting articles and news that are relevant to their course work "#epi, 2$12%. 't will teach them proper ways to communicate with other people in a professional manner when dealing with schoolwork. &witter is also another great tool teachers can use for implementing social media. #ike -acebook, &witter can also keep students connected by creating a feed of upcoming events and assignments. &witter can help students connect with other classes and teachers to create a dialogue within a larger community "#epi, 2$12%. Iou&ube can add another level of interaction in the classroom. &eachers can create playlists of videos and allow easy accessibility for students to watch outside the classroom. &eachers can also post class lectures onto Iou&ube for future references for students. -inally, another aspect teachers can use Iou&ube for is allowing students to create and edit videos for school pro8ects, and uploading them onto the website "#epi, 2$12%. Iou&ube, though largely a pastime application, can be successfully utili1ed in the classroom to increase media literacy. 'mplementing social media use in the classroom will greatly increase teens knowledge of how to correctly and appropriately utili1e social media. <esearchers pay close attention to teenagers in regards to media literacy because of the course of development they are undergoing that can be upset by media usage. ;hildren are not developed cognitively, emotionally or morally until around the age of 12 and their development is sensitive through teenage years, "Botter,

2$12%. &his sensitive development stage is important because it affect their use of the 'nternet through the e)posure to a vast amount of information, different medium of interaction with their peers, and challenges when analy1ing online content. :atural abilities that increase a teenagers online media literacy according to W. Fames Botter are field interdependency, emotional intelligence, and nonimpulsiveness. -ield independency is the natural ability to distinguish between the signal and the noise in any message. &he signal consists of the who, what, when, where, why, and how portion of the story and the noise is the background elements, such as pictures, ads, and so on. Emotional intelligence is our ability to understand and control our emotions, which translates well to social media, interpersonal communication and cyber bullying. :on 'mpulsiveness is a reflective action that focuses on accuracy as opposed to speed of a decision, which can lead to not posting things that will be regretted by the sender, "Botter, 2$12%. &hese natural abilities can help teens on the 'nternet participate in a more media literate way than their illiterate coutnerparts. Berhaps these could be the bases for media literacy curriculum involving the use of the 'nternet. ,y improving media literacy, teens should be able to intelligently and systematically analy1e content, which will give them ade.uate information to form their own opinions. With the knowledge of the dangers the 'nternet poses, teens will be able to spot unsafe situations. &eens will be more educated on the effects of their communication on others and will hopefully cause them to second guess their social media posts. With a higher knowledge of the lack of security and privacy online, more media literate teens will make a considerable effort to safeguard their private information and not disclose personal information to unknown and invalidated sources. &eens will .uestions the sources of their communication with more media literate skills and be more cautious online. &he importance of viral and interpersonal communication will be

recogni1ed by a media literate teen and both formats of communication will be actively improved. &hrough these recommendations, teens today will become more media literate and be more prepared to participate in the media saturated world around them.