Persuasive Essay On Oversharing

Many people use social networks everyday as a way to share their personal lives with their friends or followers. Many people are culprits of oversharing personal information on social networks. Oversharing is when one reveals an unacceptable amount of information which may or may not be inappropriate. Also what most seem to fail to remember is that whatever is posted online, stays online forever. The main social networks that are victims of oversharing include Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. “Communities are outraged by the personal information posted by young people online and colleges keep track of student activities on and off campus. The posting of personal information by teens and students has consequences” (Barnes 1). While oversharing

For example, the government supports oversharing because it is a way for them to gather personal data and spy on citizens. Other supporters include adults or parents because it gives them a way to share their lives, embarrass their children and gives them a sense of youth. But the main supporters are teenagers because it allows them to receive attention, share their lives with others, as well as, express themselves in ways they feel incapable of doing in the real world. “Adults tend to use the Web as a supplement to real–world activities while teenagers tend to ignore the difference between life online and off–line” (Barnes 3). Anyone is capable of revealing too much of their personal lives; however, there might be some

However, depending on the severity of the post serious repercussions could be in order. If someone posts an inappropriate picture of themselves or others that might be deemed pornography or sexual harassment and or assault, jail time could be a possibility. “The personal information revealed by teenagers on these sites also attracts sexual predators” (Barnes 1). Posting private personal details online is an open door to allow predators to stalk. “There have been a number of reports of sexual predators locating victims through social networking sites” (Barnes 1). Inappropriate posts can result in people losing their jobs or getting denied hire due to content on their social media profiles. Teenagers can also be denied entry into a college or if currently enrolled, get kicked out of school when an inappropriate post surfaces.

Actions to take to support the disapproval of oversharing include censuring what is posted on social network. In 2006, Congress passed a bill designed to protect teenagers:

“The newly proposed Deleting Online Predators Act of 2006 (Fitzpatrick, 2006) states the term “commercial social networking website” means a commercially operated Internet Web site that allows users to create web pages or profiles that provide information about themselves and are available to others users; and offers a mechanism for communication with other users, such as a forum, chat room, email, or instant messenger”