Facebook has proven not only an extraordinarily popular success but also an enduring one. In the ten years the social medium has been in circulation Facebook have become only stronger rather than a passing fad that one could be forgiven for assuming they would be.
But for all the good that Facebook offers, let’s not forget about the negative aspects.
1. Cyberbullying – Facebook has become the place for cyberbullies to insult and intimidate their victims. Even though Facebook claims to be vigilant when it comes to bullying, time and time again we have seen evidence to the contrary.
2. Privacy and Stalking – Unfortunately, we constantly warn children about using the privacy settings because there are sick people out there who can potentially exploit them through their Facebook page. Nothing is private anymore.
3. Self-Esteem – Studies have shown that Facebook makes people feel worse about themselves.
4. Trivialising the concept of “Friends” – The meaning of the word “friend” has been greatly devalued thanks to Facebook.
5. Too Easy for Young Kids to Access – It might say you have to be 13 but a startling number of under aged children have their own Facebook page.
Click on the link to read If You Ever Wondered How Some Kids Become Bullies …
Click on the link to read The Researchers into Cyberbullying Should Review Their Findings
Click on the link to read A Positive Approach to Tackling Cyberbullying
Tags: Education, Emotional Wellness, facebook, Facebook and privacy, Facebook turns 10, Facebook's 10th Anniversary, Negatives of facebook, News, Online Media, Parenting, social media, technology, The Downside of Facebook, The Psychological Effects of Facebook
Topical Teaching 
February 7, 2014 at 2:54 am |
All of these are great points, the one that strikes me most is the age though. Back before FB became the thing I had a myspace account and had students find me there wanting to be my “friend” I ended up reporting two of them to the site and to their parents because they had lied significantly about their age. I have nephews that have pages even though they are not yet 13, their mothers and all family members are on their “friends” list to keep track of them but it still makes me uneasy, my son hasn’t asked for an account yet but that’s ok because he won’t get one until he is 13 at least.
Also as an educator I know specifically of one time that trouble started on FB carried over into the building, the assistant principal (the admin in charge of discipline) warned the kids that if it continued there would be consequences from school. The kids came to class moaning and groaning saying we couldn’t punish them at school for something that happened on the internet. Fortunately we had just covered the topic in one of my graduate classes. I pulled the state board association policy book off of my bookshelf (I had to purchase it for that class) and went directly to the section that addressed the topic to read it to them. It shut them up pretty quickly.
I think kids and adults alike feel that FB and other internet forums give them the freedom to say things they would never say to someone in person and that needs to be addressed.
I’m in MO, not far from the town where the first suicide from cyber-bullying occurred, with the ADULT who did it getting off without even a slap on the wrist. I’ve been to hear the mother talk. There are so many good reasons NOT to celebrate this anniversary!
February 9, 2014 at 9:29 pm |
Thank you for your comment and I applaud you for being so proactive with reporting your students. You have done them a huge service.