Status Update

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Status Update
“Tom Mullaney was a lively 15-year old boy with no history of being bullied, but all it took to shred his world apart was one night with 12 threatening Facebook messages from 6 of his classmates. His father found him in the shed at the back of the garden, hanged” (Doucet 1). Situations like this occur more and more as social networking grows in popularity, especially among adolescents. Though many individuals own accounts on social sites, privacy settings may not exist or are not enforced, leaving millions of users vulnerable to attack. By strengthening the privacy protocols of social networks, users will be capable of operating them securely without discomfort.
Communication and socializing with friends and family was the original idea of social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, however implementing privacy settings may hinder the opportunity for users to conversate. By adding profiles or following accounts, users can connect and form relationships with acquaintances. These sites also aid in “the transition from high school to college life”, giving students the advantage of knowing some individuals before the big move (Johnson 1). Enforcing the privacy settings will prevent students from introducing themselves to their future classmates; social networks give them the opportunity to avoid face-to-face confrontations. It gives a more comfortable approach to making friends. “These days, students increasingly come to freshman orientation knowing 30 or 40 people rather than being just vaguely acquainted with their roommate from the awkward phone call in which they decide who is bringing the microwave, Roche said” (qtd. in Johnson 1). Social networking websites serve as tools for people, young and old, to become ...

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...etroit: Greenhaven Press,
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Tremblay, Janic. "Twitter Has Transformed News and Reporting." What Is the Impact of
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