The death of a student at Rutgers University in New Jersey sheds some light on the Internet and its effect on youth today. The Internet is an endless database of information and resources, and social media has exploded onto the scene. This social media has a huge effect on young people today because they share pieces of their lives that they maybe wouldn't through day-to-day conversations. Many students may forget social media isn't always private and they could be leaking information out into the public.
The death of the student at Rutgers also presents the issue of cyber bullying and targeting of the gay community. Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers student who took his own life after his roommate taped him secretly having a gay encounter and posted the video online is shocking, as stated on MTV.com. People should learn how to stay out of other peoples' lives. The lifestyle choices people make shouldn't have to be publicized or scrutinized. This act also brings up the potentially traumatic effects of cyber bullying and digital taunting. Many students across the country may be taking for granted the consequences of communication on their social media pages, such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.
It's sad to realize most students probably don't take cyberbullying seriously. Students don't take into account what they post, share or upload onto their profiles could be affecting someone they're "friends" with on the site. The death of the Rutgers student is one big example of how this can happen. It's even sadder to realize someone you live with — someone you should be able to trust — could secretly tape you and broadcast it over the Internet.
Technology is growing at a rapid pace, and young people today have yet to really catch up and notice the consequences of this privilege. Social media and the Internet is an amazing tool to have access to, but we still need to recognize what we're sharing and realize the consequences it may have on others in our social media communities.
Many of my friends, and I'm sure many of yours, have probably said things before like, "I feel naked without my phone" or "I don't know what I'd do without the Internet." It would be interesting to see what would happen if Facebook or your cell phone was taken away for a week, or even just a day. I know for me that would be hard. Our generation definitely takes the Internet and other technology, like cell phones, for granted.
Our generation is lucky to have these resources, but we also need to remember what we post can and most likely will have an effect on the people around us. Most of us probably don't intend to hurt or harm anyone by posting a picture, wall post or link on a social media website, but that harm still happens whether it's intentional or not. Many people post links to YouTube videos or articles on Twitter and Facebook probably without even thinking whether or not the article could offend someone they're friends with.
Cyber bullying takes this phenomenon to a new level. Stopcyberbullying.org defines the term as "when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones." Many people could post something that embarrasses someone else and never even realize or intend their post to have that effect. Many people might not even know the definition of cyber bullying. Words can have such an effect on the people around us and technology today can make us forget that.
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