The Dangers of Social Media: Using Technology to Terrorize

The Counselor’s Casebook “Dangers of Social Media: Using Technology to Terrorize” presented at the LIU Hudson at Rockland Campus by  Professor Travis Jackson on Monday, February 10, 2014 was a real eye-opener for LIU Hudson counseling students, as well as members of the community.

The threat of social media has not only taken over the way we communicate with each other, it has taken over the way that students and adolescence are communicating and relating with each other. Being an invisible bully is common with apps like Form Spring and ask.fm, and parents, educators, and mental health professionals need to be educated on how these social media sites work and terrorize. Cyber-bullying and sexting is at an all-time high, with no end of these different sites in sight.

Inappropriate use of technology has led to different laws being implemented such as the Dignity for All Students Act. No longer do kids go home after a day of school and have the bullying end; it continues online and it’s even more ruthless than face-to-face. DASA makes sure that no student gets away with cyber-bullying without serious consequences. Parents and students also need to know that sexting isn’t something that is taken lightly.

The sending and spreading of inappropriate pictures can be devastating to students, and there is no telling when that quick Snapchat will be “screen shot” and spread around school. An underage student who spreads photos of another underage student can ultimately be criminally prosecuted for child pornography. Since the devices students are using aren’t technically theirs, liability could fall to the parents, something most parents don’t even realize.

 Being educated on these matters is very important for the mental health of youth today. As technology advances and changes, there will only be more and more platforms for students to bully each other. Being aware of cyber-bullying, applying laws and carrying out severe consequences will hopefully prevent future evolution of this growing problem.

By Hilary Rosen, School Counseling Masters’ Candidate at LIU Hudson at Rockland

 For more information about issues related to bullying, cyber bullying or would like someone to talk to your organization or school, contact: Jeffrey McDowell at Jeffrey.mcdowell@liu.edu or by calling 845 450 5414.