By Katrina Gabrielian
Sitting in class early Monday morning, you overhear a group of students talking. One student sits there and says, “Oh my gosh! You had to see my breakfast this morning. I put the blueberries in a symmetrical circle and placed the bowl aesthetically next to a pair of my trendy sunglasses.” The other student explains how she posed in fifteen different ways in front of her mirror in order to show off her new outfit. The last student brags about how he jumped from the top of the stairs in order to get more views than his friends.
This may seem ridiculous to those listening from the outside, but would be unsurprising for most teens today. Teens will go to any length to post popular videos and pictures in order to get likes. As a new generation of social media users emerges, the social norm is trending away from normality. From never talking about politics at the dinner table and to presenting oneself in the highest esteem, users on social media defy these social rules by oversharing and embarrassing themselves on the internet.
When scrolling through Instagram, you can find nearly anything, from what someone ate for lunch this afternoon to another person’s innermost thoughts. Oversharing is popular among teenagers who irresponsibly post too much information on the internet.
Apps such as Tik Tok encourage kids to post 15 second long videos that have either funny or embarrassing content, which may get them likes, shares and reposts all over the internet.
It seems strange that people would embarrass themselves for 15 seconds in order to get a few measly likes on an app. The only thing funnier than watching these short videos is watching the way in which they are made. Teens lip sync to songs, flail their arms, and dance humorously. Well, as silly as it sounds, it is not uncommon for teenagers to seek fame in any way possible. Kids have always sought fame and fortune; however, social media provides a faster and more accessible medium where people can achieve this fame.
Not only have manners changed since the early twentieth century, the revolutionization of technology has incentivised criminals as well. Hackers and internet predators are disadvantages that come along with such advanced technologies.
Although most content posted is innocent, a large quantity exposes vital information such as sensitive opinions and personal details.
Sensitive opinions can be used against a person if they are taken out of context. Universities and future employers are able to access students’ social media accounts and can use this information to a person’s disadvantage. Often times, students use vulgar and derogatory language which can be poorly interpreted later on. For example, students can make joking threats with their friends under one of the pictures they post. Although the students involved know it is for fun, university executives or law enforcement can interpret it as violent and dangerous behavior.
Despite the risks, teens continue to post irresponsibly on the internet, and do not take into consideration the effects of posting on social media. However, not all hope is lost with teens of this generation: they have the opportunity to use social media to their advantage instead.
The Plaid Press 