Students are no longer restricted to using their computers to access social media websites. They now have the power to access them wherever they are. Photo by: Shelby Harrell
By Shelby Harrell
The craze of new age technology has officially struck Plymouth High School. Iphones, ipods, ipads, are all making the lives of PHS students just a little bit easier. With all of the new technology, however, comes the newest way of interacting socially. Taken to a whole new level in some cases, social networking can be a fun hobby when time is spent responsibly. For example, junior David Walsh said that he “enjoys social networking, and his favorite is Facebook.”
As the “friend” numbers on teen’s facebook pages rise, people are reminded that while social networking is a fun activity that connects people from around the world, it is not entirely harmless, and can give way to vital information. When asked how careful she is regarding information, sophomore Abby Patrick said that she “had her name and city shown if you are confirmed as a follower.” There are extremely important boundaries to online interaction.
As technology develops and the store shelves become stocked with the newest and best items, student consumers are forced to ask themselves to define their boundaries, as well as a fine line that could be crossed very easily. The same thing goes for social media. Walsh has certainly developed his boundaries, as he said that “you shouldn’t give out too much personal information.” Again, teenagers today are forced to ask themselves if they volunteer too much information, and more importantly, if they are relying too heavily on social media as a means to stay connected.
In today’s times, students’ desires to see their “friend” numbers rise are continuously increasing. Perhaps this fact is the primary cause of the increasing numbers of users using social networking sites. When describing the use of social media, Patrick said “I think people nowadays are too afraid to speak face to face, so we text instead.” However, there was once a period of time when this was not the case.
As times change and the world develops, so does technology. When comparing the social interaction of today to that of ten years ago, Walsh believes that social media interaction has changed throughout the years. “There is more communication over social networking sites than in person nowadays,” said Walsh. In many cases, there is a certain connection between a person’s self esteem levels, and the words that are posted upon their walls.
In today’s society, everyone using the Internet needs to be aware who can access his/her material. As thoughts about the subject were provoked, Walsh gave his standings on the issue, when he said “ I believe they volunteer too much information on the web, because they give out personal information like where they live, where they go to school, and other things too.” As debates about giving information heat up, debates over the issue of the risks against the benefits of social networking seem to be rising as well.
As more and more of the world’s teenagers are now going online, students are receiving great benefits, such as new knowledge of technology. However, with more freedom and skills, comes more responsibility. When asked to give his position on the risks vs. the benefits, Walsh said “There are many hackers and creepers out there, who can get your personal information.”
Keeping that in mind, students are reminded that while social networking can be a fun and unique hobby that develops computer skills, it can also be very dangerous and potentially harmful if it is not done responsibly.