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Kelsi Parker
English 2010
James K. Beatty
February 26, 2014
Facebook: Fact and Fiction
People seldom think that what they post on Facebook will ever come back to them.
However there are many different social media sites that have recently been created, a lot of
which resemble one of the more popular websites like Facebook, such as Twitter, Meet Me,
and many other sites. Facebook connects people to old friends or ones that live far away, to
share pictures and post about your life and comment on others posts as well. Though
Facebook seems like a friendly website, people dont realize what they put on Facebook can be
seen by people they never wanted to have ever see their post or comment. There are
1,310,000,000 billion active Facebook users and out of that amount there are 81,000,000
million fake profiles. (Facebook Statistics) Because of the potential privacy risks we need to be
careful who we befriend what we post and what our children are doing on social media sites.
This is one of the many reasons that Facebook has been blocked in most Elementary, Middle,
and High schools across the country.
Teenagers are the most at risk for negative effects of Facebook, with cyber bullying,
theft, and false sense of privacy. No longer is bullying and rumors spread by hand written notes
passed in class or during lunch or recess. They are spread for the whole world to see via sites
like Facebook and Twitter. Parents, teachers, and even teenagers are not aware of how much
cyber bullying happens. Cyber bullying happens more than parents, teachers and even
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teenagers are aware of. Some may not take certain comments or posts as a form of bullying but
many of them can be considered as such. Facebook has evolved into something where we still
compare pictures and how many friends we have on Facebook. In fact Facebook was set up
originally as Face Smash to compare females to one another on who was prettier. How many
of those people do any of us really know that we have met personally? I have not met every
single person Im friends with Facebook, yet they can see what I post to my wall and who my
other friends are. By having friends that you dont know personally on Facebook not only
endangers you it affects your friends as well by the recommended friends list that pops up
when you enter the site.
These so called friends of ours have access to very private information and will use it
to not only steal others our identity but also to steal our actual friends identities as well. I
recently had my Facebook hacked and that person was able to access my email. The person
sent a fake link to all my friends that allow the person to access their computers. Because of
this I am careful about who I add on Facebook and on other social media sites as well.
Teenagers and the majority of Facebook users have a false sense of privacy, thinking
what they put on social media sites wont later affect them. The majority of Facebook users
perceive benefits of online social networking as outweighing risks of disclosing personal
information. The users seem to be unaware of the use of their private data, their searches in
browsers, products they acquire or links they visit. This information is stored and used without
any consent or knowledge. As we examine, Facebook technology for Information Monitoring is
specifically invasive in this field. Its architecture contributes to the reduction of users control of
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their privacy though some settings and measures such as privacy policy changes, collecting
tendencies on consumption, the use of private data, a new Face Recognition feature and
revealing the users confidence. (Tello 3 ) When people post something on Facebook it can be
seen by numerous people, so even if you delete it people still could have made screen shots
and the damage has already been done that you cant take back what you put.
Facebook does have its positive qualities about it as well such as connecting to relatives
that live in another country or friends in another state. Social Media can be used in a positive
way to help raise money for those in need and has been used as a very effective tool for
teachers in colleges to have the students connect and get information. Many people use
Facebook or some other type of social media site on a daily basis 640,000,000 is how many
minutes are spent on Facebook a month. (Facebook Statistics) Facebook is an amazing tool for
connecting as long as we connect and take precautions about it. Many children lie about their
age to get on Facebook. Consumer Reports magazine found that more than 7 million active
users of Facebook were under the minimum required age of 13; over 5 million were 10 or
younger.
For children who are 13 to 18, parents should be aware of who their kids are talking to
on Facebook and who their friends are. Also talk to your kids about being safe and privacy, that
whatever they post they cant take back even if they do delete it there are still ways to access
that information. Make sure the settings for privacy on their Facebook is only accessible to
friends only otherwise anyone anywhere can see their personal information. Most importantly
just talk with your children about the good and bad things of Facebook. Recent studies suggest
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that many learners are increasingly turning to information and communication technologies as
learning tools outside of school. (Erjavec 118)
Teachers can use Facebook as a positive tool yes but be careful also about Facebook
because employers look at it as a guide to personal character. Many people have lost their jobs
or not gotten a job because of comments and posts said on Facebook. While some district
leaders have banned the use of social networking sites altogether because of fears over
inappropriate use and/or goofing off among students, others are puzzling over what to do
about the brave new world of social media, and weighing its potential use by students and
teachers inside and outside of the classroom. (SCHACHTER)
Facebook can be used for good and bad things, but we all need to take precautions to
ensure that the information that we put on Facebook or any other social media sites wont
affect our lives negatively. Think before you type something, although it sounds good now it
could have repercussions later on. Be safe with which your children are friends, if you havent
met them in real life dont have them as a Facebook friend. What you put on your wall today
could change someone elses life so think before you type.





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Works Cited
1. Tello, Luca. "Intimacy And Extimacy In Social Networks. Ethical Boundaries Of Facebook."
Comunicar 21.41 (2013): 205-213. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Mar. 2014
2. Erjavec, Karmen. "Informal Learning Through Facebook Among Slovenian Pupils." Comunicar 21.41
(2013): 117-126. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.
3. SCHACHTER, RON. "THE SOCIAL MEDIA Dilemma." District Administration 47.7 (2011): 27-33.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.
4. STROM, PARIS, and ROBERT STROM. "Growing Up With Social Networks And Online
Communities." Education Digest 78.1 (2012): 48-51. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Mar.
2014.
5. FACEBOOK STATISTICS Statistic Brain.Statistic Brain Research Institute.(2013).Statistic
Brain. Web. 1 Jan. 2014.http://www.statisticbrain.com/facebook-statistics