When closing my eyes on the bus, all I hear is the silence and the sound of people tapping their fingers against their small screens. Ever since the apparatus of the internet, intertwining into Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat, a revolution in the world occurred. Furthermore, social networking and media sites are now used everyday with over 73% of youths posting photos, statuses, and talking to friends. Social media collapses the quality in people's lives and instead establishes cyber bullying, privacy issues, and social problems. It's almost impossible to imagine that in such a modern world today, however the risk and danger must be mentioned.
Privacy has become a major issue after the rise in social media/networking. Private information such as email addresses, home addresses, phone numbers and more can easily be posted to the public. Many believe posting this information is safe, without any doubt of the dangers and consequences that come along with this kind of activity. Common consequences of breach of privacy from social media include internet fraud, identity theft, cyber stalking, and even physical stalking. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Center (CAFC) reports that over 11 000 identify fraud reports were submitted in 2009, resulting in over 10 million dollars in loss. The dangers of misuse of private information must be taught more often, and safety measures should be practiced by everyone, especially youth today who find themselves deeply embedded in social media/networking services, in order to avoid diminishing quality of life .
After the development of social networking, came along the negative implication of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is an increasing method of bullying happening today, whereby people hide behind computers and social networks to bully and harass others . According to PEW research, over 15% of youths have been a victim of cyberbullying with alarming numbers from administrations like Kids Help Phone.
