Social Networking is a Teenager's Most Dangerous Game
For all of social networking’s many positives, there are also the negatives. Unlike talking to someone in person, an individual’s actions online, specifically through social networking sites, are forever traceable. Bad decisions or a moment's lack of judgment can have effects that haunt you for the rest of your life.
In New Zealand, these negative effects are amplified by the fact that we have such a small population. Our mere two degrees of separation adds another dimension to the already potentially fatal game.
One study shows that 96% of teenagers with access to the Internet have a social networking account. For teenagers, the risk of danger is even greater, caused by lack of experience and a sense of invincibility. Many teenagers believe they cannot be harmed — especially by something simple such as having a Bebo account. In reality, social networking services do teenagers a whole lot more bad than they do good.
They increase stress levels, cause tension, lead to arguments and even break ups, serve as a distraction from important things, and can even cause depression and lead to suicide.
Because so many teenagers are completely unaware of the dangers, they walk right into the trap. The only way for realisation to occur is for the worst to happen to them personally, or a friend.
New Zealand’s minute size on the global scale adds even more danger for teenagers here using social networking services. Essentially, everyone knows someone who knows someone who knows you. This in turn leads to a higher degree of risk that actions online will prove unpopular with someone. Since people say and do things online that they would never do in person, a lot of actions online are intended as secrets, for a select few only. However, again because of New Zealand’s tiny size, the reality is that someone will almost always find out something that you do not want them to know.
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