Phones And Teens

It used to be you go to school, you have a nice day and come back. For some it used to be that maybe you get bullied at school but you get through a day, and when the school day is over you can escape it, your home is refuge from the bullying. Now with phones added into this equation, there is no escape, no matter how far away you are from the bullies they can still get to you. So how safe is it really to own a phone?

Middle school can be a tough time for kids as they are constantly changing, physically and mentally. Most kids are given a phone when they are in middle school. To a kid receiving a phone is like winning a lottery ticket. The main reasons why kids are given a phone is because of safety reasons, it’s a way parents can be aware that their kids are safe wherever they are, but are the kids really safe? Approximately 9 in 10 teens have a phone, and around 1 in 5 are victims of either cyber bullying or text bullying. Only 1 out of 6 adolescents parents are aware of the intensity of cyberbullying, and therefore don’t consider the risk in handing a phone to their child.

Imagine this: You are a pedestrian waiting for the light to go green. In front of you see cars zooming past at full speed. To your right you see that most cars have stopped waiting for the traffic light to go green, in the distance you see car on your right heading straight towards the junction but did not seem like it was in the condition to stop. The driver was a teenage boy was driving his car at full speed but was paying absolutely no attention to the road in front of him as he was on his phone and seemed to be getting distracted. You can guess what this led to next. He drove ahead blindly, and ran a red light, a big truck rammed into the passenger side of his car, and his car rolled over several times, breaking glass and inflating the safety bag. He was dead. If only he was not on his phone. If only he payed attention the the road ahead. If only, but he did not.

Phones have not only made it easier for teens to get bullied but have also led to many driving accidents. 56% of teens have admitted to talking on their phones while driving, and 13% of teens have admitted to texting while driving. According to statistics teenagers are the most involved in car accidents. Irresponsible behaviour such as the one listed above, and lack of respect for the necessary safety precautions have been the main reason for the cause of such accidents.

These are definitely some very significant issues with some teens owning a phone, but is it the phones fault of the teens fault? Do parents need to take aways their kids phone because of these reasons, the answer is no. Michele L. Yabarra of Internet solutions for kids inc. agrees, she said, “There is no reason to become distressed or take kids cell phones away.” there is no reason to get too worried but parents should definitely be more aware of the way their teen uses their phone. Phones were made for communication, now they have become much bigger and have more than 1 purpose but that does not mean that it is okay for people to use their phone irresponsibly. Alongside the parents, teens should also start to take more responsibility, and be more cautious of their phone use. If you are getting bullied via your phone report it to your parents, they can help you. All in all, there is no harm in using a phone as long as you use it safely.

By: Aarushi Sachdeva

The Distress Through Social Media

Have you ever experienced the true world of social media? The words themselves make some shudder and many ecstatic. There will never be an answer to whether it's beneficial or not...

The world has advanced. The word “iPhone” and “Samsung Galaxy” has become a trend. It’s like the same feeling to people when the world cup starts but the question is, why smartphones? Why not other phones? Well, it’s mainly because of two words, “Social Media”

Picture yourself at home, on your phone, on facebook and having a fun time scrolling. Do you really think that you are achieving or gaining something from it and did you know that the people who have the time to care about you, are just being ignored by your lazy and antisocial behaviour. Are you aware that a human spends about an average of 3 hours a day on social media? The implication isn’t that social media is unbeneficial” but the people who are trying to be active with you shouldn’t be neglected. Maybe you or your friends are being mature on social media but there are others who aren’t. Cyberbullies, trolls and scammers are like the dons of social media.

Youngsters, generally from the age thirteen to sixteen, are tormented by these cyber bullies on social media, however there are few who know how to deal with such dilemmas. Michael Hamm, researcher in pediatrics at University of Alberta, cited that “parents, need to be addressed that there child is being cyber bullied.” Alerting parents play a big role in these aspects. Remember, social media is much more distinctive than the real world and we should use it with caution.

Philip Haryanto, an 8th grade student, conceded strongly, “Social media is something that should be handled maturely. It needs to be utilised cautiously. There are many hazards involved, and I think that the most effective method is to avoid it entirely. I don’t have any experiences of any severe cases but I am acquainted with people who have and it was abhorrent and wistful. It is best to use social media when matured”

Cyber bullying not only affects us, but also the people amongst us and that is what caused desolation. “Once cyberbullied, it will be a rough experience to accept and prevent”, added by Philip Haryanto.

When surveyed, 8th grade students at UWCSEA reported firmly that roughly fifty percent of the people who they knew, have been cyberbullied and went through that atrocious process. Most peers, when surveyed, also responded that the first thing they would do is to alert their parents, but if we rely on our parents so much, then why do we use social media? This justifies that social media is meant for the matured and cyber bullies purposefully target young adolescents because they know that they can’t fight alone.

As we know, social media is a good way of spending free time and hanging out but we should be aware of its dangers. Sometimes, children can get influenced by the methods of cyberbullying and can start to do it which can be inimical to many. At the ages spanning from thirteen to sixteen are very crucial as that is when our brain starts to develop, and function better and faster and if we are influenced by these practices, not only it affects others, but if affects us the most and is precarious to our body.

Again, social media and the real world are complete two different things and both have its dangers and safety. It is like comparing cyber bullying and terrorism which again, is two bizarre and different things. If cyber bullying approaches to you, either block the account or let your parents know as soon as possible but, could cyberbullying be a lesson to teach youngsters not to use social media?

By: Aditya

"The Scientific American." Social Media, Cyber Bullying. N.p., 23 June 2015. Web.