Hello all!
As of recent, I have had to write a minor position paper. The topic being discussed, which I purposely picked, is that of the collegiate community and social networking web pages, with an emphasis on how they have a negative impact. There are two main sides to the argument, those that are against regulations on these sites [with the college students representing this group], and those that are for regulations [represented by parents, educators, law makers, and myself]. Although I feel I have managed to capture the issues, I do not feel I have been able to properly work in my personal experience.
For those who have the time to review this, please leave comments that are critical of the writing. Detailed opinions and perspectives would be greatly appreciated.
The Internet and Collegian Populace
The Internet has a multitude of uses with the primary purpose is to connect people all over the world; however, the Internet has other uses, which can range from national defense, to corporate espionage and stock broking, keeping in contact with friends and family, and conducting research for a paper. Since the introduction of the World Wide Web is 1993, the collegiate populace has been impacted tremendously. Although there are an immeasurable number of groups with their own views on the Internet and the way the Internet has impacted the collegian populace, the groups with the greatest amount of concern invested in the subject matter would be college students, parents and college-level educators, and lawmakers.
The college students have a predisposition to only make note of the positive uses of the Internet, while neglecting to mention, or even acknowledge the negative aspects of the Internet. Among the points that many college students make about the Internet are the positive impact it has had on their educations, how the Internet has allowed them to obtain an education from a remote destination due to college classes being offered through the Internet, the increased ability to socialize with others through social networking mediums, along with the ability to research other people to see if they like them or not before they even meet them, and the students even point out that the Internet can be used to reduce detrimental issues, such as alcoholism. While the college student highlights the benefits of the Internet, parents and educators are not quite as zealous to do the same.
Because they have more like experience, parents and educators can also see the other side of the Internet. This group illustrates the other side of the argument, which consists of Privacy concerns and how anyone can suffer from having their personal information used against them; plagiarism and the impact it has on the student and the collegiate community as a whole; grades and how they can be reduced because of time spent on the Internet; addictions and how they can form as a result of too much Internet usage, and how a student could lose out on employment because of the rubbish that is posted online about the student, which can be posted by the student or someone else. Beyond both the college student, parents' and professors' stances on the Internet there is that of a lawmaker.
Since it is their job to protect the people, lawmakers must maintain a neutral disposition to all sides of the argument. As a result, lawmakers pass laws that they feel are in the best interests of the overall population. This denotes that although students have a right to First Amendment rights online, they also can suffer the penalties that come with an illegal course of action against another.
At their very core, college students want to obtain a college education, but they also want to have fun; furthermore, they use the Internet and all of the services provided to ensure that they do enjoy themselves while secure a quality education from their institution of higher learning. One of the first points any college student will make about the Internet and the positive impact it has had on their life would be the role it plays in higher education.
As a college student myself, I can attest to the influence of the Internet and social networking sites. The applications, or better known as "apps" on Facebook, such as Farmville and Mafia Wars, have had a profound influence of my life in the sense that they take up so much time. Without thinking I have spent a great deal of time on social networking sites, sometimes up to five consecutive hours, just following friends and leaving meaningless, and often times abstract comments on their walls.
In her article "The Internet Has a Positive Effect on Education," Kathleen Medina et al. points out that "The Internet has brought about a revolution in teaching," that "Teachers are no longer the focal point in the classroom, but instead facilitate their students' learning" (14). Supporting the position of the students, Medina says that "The Internet ends classroom isolation, allowing the development of relationships between teachers and parents and students" (14). One of the ways that Medina illustrates the positive impact of the Internet in a college community is with the story of Matthew Pigg, the director of technology for the University of California's Teacher Education and Professional Development department. Piggs begins his section of the article by sharing the history of his youth and how he went to computer camp while his peers went to summer camps that had an interest in "lacing wallets, riding ponies, and coming home with cases of poison oak" (Medina et al. 15). Because of his profoundly positive experience with computers and the Internet, when Piggs began to teach in 1991, he "wanted to integrate the use of computers" (Medina et al. 16) into the classroom. Piggs makes an effort to note that because of schools harmonizing the Internet with classrooms it is much easier to keep in contact with his students, his colleagues, and anyone else he needs to contact; moreover, Piggs affirms both his view and the view of the students on the topic of the Internet by stating that the Internet "for teachers, students, parents, and the community - is the end of the isolation" (Median et al. 17). The Internet also goes a step beyond connecting student and teacher by allowing them to connect while not together in class, and the Internet also allows students to take courses from a location that is not on campus.
As I have taken courses over the Internet, I too can appreciate the positive use of the Internet on my own education - I can also illustrate the negative aspects as well. My second semester of college at Fayetteville Technical Community College, I decided to enroll in six online courses, with the logic that by taking online courses I could save money by not having to drive over thirty five miles to and from the campus five days a week. Although the semester started out swimmingly, I soon found myself in a cyber world of suffering. By constantly telling myself that I could do the work that should have been done today tomorrow, I allowed myself to fall behind. In fact, I fell so far behind that I slipped into a deep depression, and as a result I was unable to bring myself to look at the online courses for fear of seeing my grades, which only caused the issue to compound and grow. As a result I did not only drop courses, I also failed them.
In the article "High Technology and Education," Laurie DiMauro expands on the utility of distance education. Citing Tiffany Waits, Laurie Lewis, and Bernard Greene for the article they wrote, "Distance Education at Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions: 2000-2001," DiMauro brings attention to the statistic that "3.1 million students were enrolled in distance learning classes," and that "2.9 million were in college-level, credit-granting courses" (DiMauro 84). The article points that there are many institutions of higher learning, but the largest would be "the University of Phoenix Online, an online institution, [is] the largest private university in the United States with 117,309 students" that are all using distant learning to obtain a degree (DiMauro 84). "The University of Phoenix reports in '2008 Academic Annual Report' that it served three hundred thousand students" as well as "employed twenty thousand instructors, and had an alumni of four hundred thousand graduates" (DiMauro 85). The annual report goes on to state that the Univeristy of Phoenix offers "over one hundred degree programs online" (DiMauro 85). Beyond the uses of the Internet for scholarly purposes is the benefit of social networking, and how it can be used to socialize with friends, and research new friends.
According to Danah Boyd, a Fellow at the Harvard University Berkman Center for Internet and Society, and Ph.D. candidate in the School of Information at the University of California at Berkeley, social networking sites can be defined as a construct as a "web-based service that allows individuals to construct a public or semi-public profile within a bound system," as well as allowing the user to "articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection" and to "view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system" (Definition para. 4). Boyd says that "Through profiles, teens can express salient aspects of their identity for others to see," and that "They construct these profiles for their friends and peers to view" (Why Youth 13). She goes on to say "While what they present may or may not resemble their offline identity, their primary audience consists of peers that they know offline," which can include "people from school, church, work, sports teams, etc." (Boyd, Why Youth 13).
While interviewing students on their views of the Internet and social networking sites, Boyd came across comments such as "If you're not on MySpace, you don't exist," and
I'm in the 7th grade. I'm 13. I'm not a cheerleader. I'm not the president of the student body. Or captain of the debate team. I'm not the prettiest girl in my class. I'm not the most popular girl in my class. I'm just a kid. I'm a little shy. And it's really hard in this school to impress people enough to be your friend if you're not any of those things. But I go on these really great vacations with my parents between Christmas and New Year's every year. And I take pictures of places we go. And I write about those places. And I post this on my Xanga. Because I think if kids in school read what I have to say and how I say it, they'll want to be my friend. (Why Youth 1)
Boyd adds to this argument by stating that "Social network sites are based around Profiles," which has a "home page, which offers a description of each member," as well as "text, images, and videos created by the member" (Why Youth 6). She has also asked teens why they use social networking sites, only to receive responses such as "Cuz that's where my friends are," and "I don't know...I just want to hang out" (Why Youth 9). Boyd, going along with the teens, stresses that just because teenagers are on the Internet does not mean the teenagers, as a group, are engaging in behavior that is either detrimental to themselves or others. As accented by Pam, a 17-year-old,
Just because I am on the computer at 2:30am, doesn't mean I'm up to no good. Like last night [my mom] comes in and yells at me to go to bed. When I don't, she is all 'well what are you doing, show me what you're doing.' Of course I was lurking MySpace profiles, cause there is nothing better to do. (Why Youths 10)
I made my first social networking site in my senior year of high school when I was sixteen years old. I would use the social networking site as a means of relaxing after doing course work from my advanced placement [AP] courses, such as AP English III and AP English IV, AP European Histroy, and AP Physics I. Because of this social networking site I began to put off assignments. Due to this act my grade point average dropped from a 3.97 to a 3.54. At the time of this incident, however; I did not realize the lasting impact this would have on me.
Students are also using the Internet to perform research of another kind, a form of research that is not academic, but rather personal and for their own personal interests. Dan Bobkoff, who at the time of the publication of the article "Online Social Networking Has Altered the Rules of Social Interaction" was published was an executive director of a newspaper published at Wesleyan University's undergraduate department titled the Wesleyan Argus notes that "In the information age, we expect to do research on a potential girlfriend or boyfriend as we would on a toaster," which, while not limited to partners, can also apply to any number of interests on any given person (para. 37). Bobkoff justifies his claim with comparing the research of a person to that of cyber shopping. He says "You can see customer reviews, and even add or cancel a relationship with the push of a button" (Bobkoff para. 41). Concluding, Bobkoff states that "Today, I think people are surprised if someone hasn't looked them up" (para. 38). Finally, college students assert that the Internet can actually help with alcoholism, which is an issue that has plagued the populace for a rather long stretch of time.
What is the ultimate insult to any high school or college student that uses social networking sites? The biggest insult would have to be being deleted from someone's page as a friend, or, even worse, being removed from their top friends list, which everyone can view. Because of this miniscule issue, I have lost friends because I wanted to update my page. In one instance where I accidentally deleted a friend from my page without realizing it, they took it as an insult and started a personal vendetta against me. Out of nowhere I began to receive phone calls in the early hours of the morning, and derogatory messages online. Although this is an extreme example of how I have been impacted by idiocy of those who use the Internet and social networking sites, I have heard even worse tales.
In the article "Internet Can Help Curb Drinking Among College Students," Robert Preidt, a journalist for alcohol and substance abuse section of MentalHelp.net, alleges that "Researchers analyzed data from a Web-based alcohol-screening test" and that this test was taken by "7,200 undergraduate students, ages 17-24," and that the study found "2,400 qualified as hazardous/harmful drinkers" (para. 2). Predit mentions that "about half were placed in Web-based intervention groups and received motivational assessments and personalized feedback," whereas the other half of the study were "placed in control groups and received no feedback" (para. 2). Continuing, the article states that "The intervention included information about reducing alcohol-associated health risks, an estimated blood alcohol concentration for each student's heaviest drinking episode, [and] an estimate of the money spent on drinking," along with other information such as a "comparison to other students' drinking, and links to resources to help people with alcohol problems" (Pedit para. 3). Furthering the argument of the college students, the article proclaims that "After one month, participants receiving intervention drank less often, smaller quantities per occasion and less alcohol overall than did controls" (Pedit para. 5). Beyond all of the good that the Internet provides for the college student, however, there is a side that is voiced by concerned parents and instructors.
Privacy has always been a concern of everyone. No one wants their credit card number stolen, or the Social Security Number and identification compromised; nevertheless, college students post information online that can result in the loss of personal information, even their identities. One study conducted by the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication found that "a clever data thief could...deduce social security numbers (which are often based on 5-digit ZIP codes, gender, and date of birth) from information posted on almost half the users' profiles" (Benhard et. Al 86). According to Boyd, "most people [including college students] have a voyeuristic streak and want to keep people up with the details of other interesting people just because they can" (Privacy 17). Boyd says that "Biological programming makes us believe that individuals who are sharing personal details are indicating trust," and "People reciprocally tell each other about their family, thoughts and desires" because "Friendships are built on mutual knowledge of each other's lives and on the lives of those they know (Privacy 17).
Returning to Bernhard et al., a study was done by an IT firm known as Sophos. In this study, "Sephos set up a fake profile to determine how easy it would be to data-mine Facebook for the purposes of identity thief" and they found that "out of 200 contacted people, 41 percent revealed personal information either by responding to the contact or immediately befriending the fake persona" (Bernhard et al. 87). Although making a fake profile is one way to extract information from someone's personal page, there are other, easier methods.
In "Prying Data out of a Social Network," under the section of methods of extracting data is a section that reads "The easiest method of collecting data is crawling public profile listings, which do not require an account to access" (Bonneua et al. para. 12). The same entry also denotes that search engines also crawl public profiles, which is "encouraged by Facebook" (Bonneua et al. para. 12). Other means of gathering information include "standard operating system attacks, such as malware and key-loggers" (Bonneua et al. para. 21). "Phishing is particularly effective against Facebook, as the site routinely sends users email reporting new messages" (Bonneua et al. para. 22). The final major means of gathering information is by using malicious applications. Because sites like Facebook offer a "rich development platform for third party applications," outside sources are able to "effectively phish the profile of every user who adds the application with...permissive settings" (Bonneua et al. para. 25).
My phone number, address, work location, and even my private and most personal information, such as my online blog, which is set to private, have been compromised because of capable people with too much time using social networking sites as a means to cyber stalk me. By finding my basic information online, others have managed to use that information to 'google' more information, which can, and has, been used against me. One person had even managed to attack and infiltrate my online, and private blog where I would post personal commentary about my mediocre life. Once that information was in their possession, I found my information spreading over the Internet to many, if not all of my peers. I was fortunate, though; given that I did not sustain any long-term damage from this invasion of privacy.
College students also claim that the Internet has assisted them in achieving a higher education, but it has also negatively impacted them, either by the students' use of plagiarism, or the decline in grades, which is evident. Chris Parks, the director of the graduate school at Lancaster University tends to agree. Parks says that "The rhetoric of plagiarism is nothing if not colorful" and "Some writers describe plagiarism [as] the unoriginal sin" (472). He says that there are four main forms of plagiarism, which are: stealing from another source and claiming it is one's own, "submitting a paper written by someone else," "Copying sections of materials from one or more source texts, supplying proper documentation, but leaving out quotations," and "paraphrasing material from one more source texts without supplying appropriate documentation" (Parks 475).
Adding to Parks argument is the report "Internet Plagiarism Among College Students," by Neumann et al. The report contains many studies from different places and time frames. The report alleges that "In a survey of 6,096 undergraduates on 31 campuses...76% admitted to cheating (375). In a study consisting of four universities in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Vermont, and Wisconsin, with two institutes of technology in New York State, one public and one private, an American University in the Middle East, a small private college in Washington, D.C., and a community college in Pennsylvania was conducted (Neumann and Scanlon 378), with the purpose of identifying a percentage of students who have engaged in activities such as plagiarism and other types of cheating. The total number of participants was 80,600 students. From those 86,000 participants, 9.6% reported that they would copy a text without citation often, whereas 19.0% claimed to only do it sometimes (Neumann and Scanlon 379). Likewise, 3.2% would copy an entire paper without citations on a regular basis, and 8.3% only took this course of action on occasion (Neumann and Scanlon 379). Even more startling is the percentage of students who would request a paper to turn in, with a astonishing 2.1% doing this often, and 8.3% doing it sometimes (Neumann and Scanlon 379). Finally, and worst of all is the number of students who would purchase a paper from a paper mill. 2.8% would often times purchase a paper, while only 6.3% would engage in this act sometimes (Neumann and Scanlon 379).
Coinciding with the issue of plagiarism is the topic lower grades and the association with the Internet. In an article titled "Facebook Use Linked to Lower Grades in College" published by Ohio State University's Science Daily, a finding of "219 students at Ohio State University, including 102 undergraduates and 117 graduates" (para. 9) participated in a survey where "148 said they have Facebook pages" (para. 9), and "The study found that 85 percent of undergraduates were Facebook users, while only 52 percent of graduate students had accounts" (para. 10). The article states that "Findings showed that 79 percent of Facebook users claimed it did not have an impact on their academic performance," (Ohio State University para. 16) but the study also said that the typical Facebook user that participated in the study had a GPA between 3.0 and 3.5, whereas non-users had a 3.5 to 4.0 (Ohio State University para. 6).
Quantifying the arguments of the Internet having a negative impact on the college student is the issue of addictions. Although in Predit's article there is an account of the Internet being used to alleviate one addiction, the Internet can become an addiction in itself . As Alex Hall and Jeffry Parsons argue in their article Internet Addiction: College Student Case Study Using Best Practices in Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Internet addiction, also known as Internet Behavior Dependency, "is a new disorder requiring informed response from addictions clinicians such as mental health councilors" (para. 1). They note that "Regarding problematic use, studies indicate that significant social, vocational, and financial distress can occur if Internet usage exceeds 20 to 25 hours per week" (Hall and Parsons para. 20), and "Nondependent users average 2.5 to 5 hours of Internet use per week" (Hall and Parsons para. 20). Hall and Parsons go on to state that "Internet-dependent individuals average 8 to 40 hours per week" (para. 20). The statistics found by Nicholas Deleon only prove the theory of Hall and Parsons. Deleon has found that "the average teen spends a cool 31 hours per week online" (para 1). He notes that the average teen spends his or her 31 hours instant messaging friends, surfing YouTube, getting homework help, viewing pornography, and other random activities (para 1).
In his article "Internet Addiction on Campus: The Vulnerability of College Students," Jonathan Kandell, Ph.D. contends that "Symptoms of Internet addiction often include an increasing preoccupation with, and investment of resources (time, energy, money, etc.) on, Internet Activities" (para. 7). Also noted in the article is "when not online, the individual can experience unpleasant feelings (e.g., anxiety, depression, emptiness, loneliness) that are relieved by Internet-related behaviors" (Kandell para. 7). A large aspect of the problem is the emotions that come later on in the addiction, where "One hour in a chat room...may satisfy an individual initially, but as the person becomes more involved with [the Internet], a need to be connected, both literally and metaphysically, can occur" ((Kandell para. 7).
Kandell continues the article by saying college students can be considered "more vulnerable to developing a dependence on the Internet than most segments of society" (Kandell para. 16). He says that there are several factors that can influence a higher "likelihood of Internet addiction, including psychological and developmental characteristics of students, ready access to the Internet, and the expectation of computer/Internet use" (Kandell para. 16).
The first major point in Internet addiction among college students is the psychological and developmental dynamics of the Internet. Because they are developing a sense of identity, and developing (Kandell para. 17) "meaningful, intimate relationships, both emotionally and physically, with romantic partners" (Kandell para. 17), the Internet can be particularly addictive. On the identity formation side, an identity must be developed during a time when the college student is fully separated from his or her family, and is better able to develop independence (Kandell para. 19). If the college student is unable to separate from his or her family, then said student will be unable to develop their identity which consists of many parts, including "understanding one's personality, knowing one's likes and dislikes, finding where one belongs on a social basis (i.e., in what subgroup of the larger society does the person fit), and determining a career or vocational path" (Kandell para.19). When parents do not give their children the freedom to make their own decisions at this point in life, problems can occur, including "drinking, drug abuse, gambling, sex, exercise, and food" (Kandell para. 20), which can then escalate and intensify over the lifespan of the youth. If there is a dysfunctional household, issues can initiate, "forcing the adolescents to remain tied to the family system and preventing his or her launching into the larger society" (Kandell para. 20).
In a situation such as this, there are two possible outcomes. The first is where the Internet serves as a "coping mechanism for the adolescent having trouble negotiating these developmental challenges" (Kandell para. 21). Second, "the addictive behaviors provide a mechanism to resolve (although pathologically) these conflicts. If the person becomes addicted to...the Internet...he or she becomes unable to care for himself or herself in an independent way" (Kandell para. 22), and deteriorates from there on. "Under these circumstances, use of the Internet itself becomes more important than what the person is doing," and whether it involves "chat rooms, pornography, browsing for new Web sites, or even creating one's own homepage, the fact that too much time and energy are spent on the Internet" (Kandell para. 23).
Following identity is intimacy. Even if dating did occur before this, "it is during this period that deeper, more serious, and more committed relationships generally begin to occur" (Kandell para. 24). It is during this time that "the capacity for true intimacy...whether with someone of opposite or similar gender, creates the foundation for such relationships throughout the remainder of the person's life" (Kandell para. 24). Most importantly, if a person fails to "develop these skills, behaviors, and depth," then they could end up in a "life of loneliness, and unfulfilled longing for life partnership" (Kandell para. 24).
The issue with Internet addiction is that "Face-to-face (and body-to-body) contact is required to learn the art and skills of sexual interactions" (Kandell para. 24). Kandell brings attention to the fact that "Even on a purely emotional level, the looks, the body language, and the tone of voice are all vital to learning how to interact successfully with someone on a deeper level;" therefore, these skills are "vital in learning to interact successfully with anyone in any context" (Kandell para. 24).
The second major point is Internet access. Kandell says that "Many universities now...have created a campus-wide network with links to the Internet," and that these links "not only reach the academic and support buildings," but they also connect to the residence halls" (para. 31). Making a final point on the topic of accessibility is how "universal access helps anyone who wants to do research or converse with others, another barrier to overuse is eliminated" (Kandell para. 31).
Because the Internet is readily available, I have found it most difficult to focus on my objective, be it course work or even light reading. Because the Internet is everywhere, on my phone, on any of the five computers throughout my house, and even at the local coffee shop, I find it impossible not to indulge in the allure that the Internet and social networking sites then to imamate. Many hours have been logged on my Facebook page because it is so intoxicating. The fact that I can connect with friends on the other end of the world and share information is too empowering to not use, and even abuse.
The final point of the argument made by professors and parents alike is the expectations of the usage of the Internet. Saying that "Although the need for computers is obvious in science and math courses, it is also difficult to imagine many students foregoing a word-processing program for a typewriter when composing an English or history paper" (Kandell para. 32). In closing this section, Kandell makes the final point that although the Internet provides many positives for the college student, "the downside; however, can be for those unable to balance their activities on the Internet with other parts" of their lives (Kandell para. 32). Concluding the addiction section of the problems that the Internet can cause for college students is Deleon with a humorous comment, saying:
the big number, the number that will no doubt be yelled at the top of their lungs on always-shocked-about-something-FOX-News about is the amount of time spent viewing porn. That number is one hour and forty minutes a week, on porn. That's a heck of a lot of porn, if you consider that most porn-viewing sessions, one would think, is consumed in fits and spurts. That is, you're not sitting there for 50 minutes at a clip watching porn, more like three-and-a-half minutes at a clip, presumably. (para. 4)
Rounding out the issues of the Internet and the impact on college students is the problem of the employability of a student in the future because of what is posted on their Internet pages. In the article "Social Networking Can Be Perilous to Your Employment," Thomas Majewski discusses how having one's personal profile available to the public can be detrimental to one's employment, as "A recent study found that employment recruiters are getting into the act [of searching the Internet for profiles] on a regular basis," and that they do this to "expand their candidate profiles" (para. 2). Gregory Hessle, who is the managing director in Korn/Ferry International's human resources department, feels that it is okay to survey "MySpace or Facebook when evaluating new hires," he also feels that this action is also only okay when "it is done in what he considers a positive way" (Cuesta para. 30). In her article, Cuesta says "When asked if he thought whether the personal life of a new hire would affect his or her work life, Hessel replied, 'We are most concerned about ethics, integrity, and decision-making ability'" (para. 32). Although Hessel might be forgiving with his interpretations of a persons' ability to work based on the personal life of said individual, a Fortune 500 recruiter might not do the same. In his article, Majewski says that "a Fortune 500 recruiter was having a difficult time deciding between two well-qualified candidates," so she went onto MySpace and found one of the potential hires in a picture of herself "in a bikini" with her "interests listed as 'having a good time' and her sex as 'yes, please'" (para. 4). Because of this, college students who are reckless risk being undesirable in employment when they graduate college, thus the concern of the parents and professors.
A final group of individuals that have an express interest in college students and their use [and abuse] of the Internet are law and policy makers. The first step lawmakers take in passing laws is looking at what already exists. "Congress generally protects sites vendors from legal liability for user-supplied content" (Goldman para. 5), as a result, the users of the site end up with the legal ramifications of what is posted online. In fact, the United States Copyright Office says in 17 USC ยง512(c) that "vendors generally aren't liable for user-supplied copyright infringing content unless the copyright owner notifies the vendor and the vendor fails to promptly remove the infringing content" (Goldman para. 5).
Along with copyright laws, legal issues are also encompassed by the Community Decency Act. The act consists of many sections including section 230. Section 230 is used to prevent defamation, so "if a user posts defamatory or otherwise illegal content, Section 230 shields the social network provider from any liability" that may arise as a result of the users negligence (Fayle para. 8).
According to Mark Anderson, a legal writer for Business Law Today, a journal published by the American Bar Association, defamation is "the publication of a false statement about another that causes harm to reputation" (para. 14). Because of how trouble-free it is to post inflammatory comments about others on one's own blog, Facebook, MySpace, or other social networking page, "Users may be directly liable for the comments they post" (Anderson para. 14). Because of this, students in college, and anyone else who uses the Internet to talk about others, really need to consider what they are saying because once it is on the Internet, it will always be on the Internet.
With all of these statistics and information stated, it is clear that the Internet, and social networking sites cause much more harm than good. Although the Internet has had a positive impact on education, it leaves the privacy of the user open to being stolen. Even though the Internet enables a student to take distance education courses, it can also entice the student to plagiarize his work. Also, given that the student spends much more time online doing work for his distance courses, this leaves open the possibility that he will spend too much time using the Internet for purposes other than mild association and education, and have an end result of lower grades because less time is spent studying, while more time is spent socializing. With the ability to research others, the college student leaves himself or herself open to being researched as well. The student may think that the picture of herself in a bikini on the beach with a beer may be cute and funny for her and her friends, a perspective or current employer may disagree. The Internet may be able to help with one form of addiction; consequently, the Internet may also become an addiction in and of itself. A final aspect of the Internet being legal ramifications for comments said about others and information taken and claimed as one's own, the Internet has been proven to be a dangerous entity when not in the most cautious of hands.
If something is not done to extend the positive aspects of the Internet, and lessen the negative, the collegiate community could find itself using typewriters and spending hours in the library again because the Internet will have been made off limits by parents, the school, or even the government. Given that all of these issues are amuck without restraint, the Internet could one day become the ultimate tool in one's destruction, be it by one's own hand or not.
I find that it may be important to pass laws that are not only strictly enforced by local, state, and federal governments, but also levying a heavy penalty. If someone can lose their drivers license for speeding, driving while intoxicated, and even text messaging while driving that have an end result of someone being physically injured, then laws need to be passed that will restrict, or even eliminate a persons' ability to connect to the Internet entirely if they damage a person mentally or emotionally. The Internet is a device that is neutral, it can be used for good or not so good means. Because of this, an outside entity must come in and influence the balance, and help the citizens of the Internet world.
Work Cited
Anderson, Mark. "Social Networking and the Law."Business Law Today 18.4 (2009): n. pag. Web.
Bernhard, Debatin, Jennette Lovejoy, Ann-Kathrin Horn, and Brittany Hughes. "Facebook and Online Privacy: Attitudes, Behaviors, and Unintended Consequences." Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. 15. (2009): 83-108. Print.
Bobkoff, Dan. "Online Social Networking Has Altered the Rules of Social Interaction." Current Controversies: Online Social Networking. Ed. Sylvia Engdahl. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Ditial.
Bonneau, Joseph, Jonathan Anderson, and George Danezis. "Prying Data Out of a Social Network."University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory. University of Cambridge, Web.
Boyd, Danah. "Facebook's Privacy Trainwreck: Exposure, Invasion, and Social Convergence."Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies. 14.1 (2008): 13-20. Print.
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