Facebook

Social media has changed throughout the years, but Facebook has made a great impact on society. Facebook allows people to communicate, stay up to date in friends and families lives, and to have an idea of events and news happening the world around you. It’s a website that offers so many things. With all things, there are positives and negatives, and Facebook has its advantages and disadvantages on society or individuals.

One positive effect Facebook has is the Safety Check feature. After natural disasters, or any tragedy that happens in your area, Facebook allows you to let your family and friends know you are okay and that you are safe. It’s a great tool to ease your loved one’s mind. Safety Check has been used more than 300 times in the last three years (Musil). After the recent Manchester attack, that was a moment the Safety Check was handy. After the attack, Facebook sent a message to users that were in the area of immediate danger to have them use the Safety Check feature. This is helpful to parents who were searching and wondering if their children were safe after the Ariana Grande concert. It allows people to not be in the dark and wondering if a loved one is safe or a victim of a natural disaster, mass gun shooting, terrorist attack, or any other sort of tragedy.

Another positive effect of Facebook is another form of looking out for one’s safety… it’s Amber alerts. Amber alerts are posted on Facebook by local police agencies and state police and it shows on people’s newsfeed. This Amber alert information is more widespread as people share the news so even more people will see it. This is a rapid and widespread effective effort. Not everyone watches the news, or listen to local radio to know about Amber alerts. With an Amber alert showing up on people’s newsfeed you’re able to instantly get the information, see the pictures or find out any details that are being offered. In 2014, an eleven-year-old girl was found because a motel owner saw the Amber alert on her Facebook (Vacher). The woman called the police, and the child was found unharmed… all because she saw the Amber alert her friend shared.

            There aren’t always good things that come out of using Facebook. A negative effect Facebook has on individuals is that it gives people envy and feelings of depression. A lot of people portray a glamorous perfect life online. They give people a glimpse of what their life looks like through a window with a perfect view. People brag about their successes and good fortunes. A study done by the University of Houston found a link between Facebook and feelings of depression. The feelings of depression were caused due to social comparison. The more time spent on Facebook, the more social comparison there is, and the more depressed a person feels (Houston).

            Another negative effect Facebook has on society and individuals, is the Facebook Live feature. This feature could be good for connecting immediately with people, but we have seen more negative than positive. People have livestreamed rapes, suicides, murders, shootings, and other violence. One example from April 2017, Steve Stephens filmed himself walking up to an old man that was just walking down the street, and shot and killed him while Facebook live streaming the murder (Elizadale). All because Stephens was angry that his girlfriend wasn't returning his calls. His reasoning for killing an innocent old man was senseless. Because of these disturbing videos, Facebook has had to hire an additional 3,000 workers to review videos (Molin).

            There are many benefits to owning a Facebook account, and to me, the positives outweigh the negatives. Facebook is a great source to stay connected with loved ones near and far. Facebook is also a great sense of community. People can come together to make a difference… whether it’s sharing Amber alerts and saving people, or reporting a horrible video that is inappropriate and helping it get off Facebook. It’s up to the users of Facebook to make it a safer environment. Share more positive things, and help get rid of the negative. When Steven Stephens (as mentioned above) was on the run after shooting the old man, everyone knew who to be on the lookout for. Not everyone saw the video, but thanks to screenshots and police updates being shared on Facebook, people knew what car to look out for and what Stephens looked like. For me, this had a major personal impact. I was driving out to Cleveland (where the shooting happened) alone with my kids, and had to pass through Erie (where they last pinged his phone). For a day they didn’t know where this man was, and I was terrified to make any stops off any exits… and Erie was usually the major stop on the way to Cleveland. I remember being near Rochester and getting the call from my husband that Stephens was found and had a shootout with the police, and he found out all through Facebook. My anxiety eased up and I felt safer about my drive and felt that it was okay to make a pitstop with the kids. To me, it’s just amazing that one social media site has so much to offer. Nowhere else can I watch funny videos, get the news, stay connected with friends and family, and feel relevant, all in one spot.

Works Cited

Musil, Steven. "Facebook Safety Check Activated after Deadly Manchester Blast." CNET. N.p., 22 May 2017. Web. 07 June 2017.

Vacher, Emily. "Introducing AMBER Alerts on Facebook." Facebook Newsroom. Facebook, 13 Jan. 2015. Web. 07 June 2017.

University of Houston. "Facebook use linked to depressive symptoms." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 6 April 2015. 08 June 2017.

Elizalde, Elizabeth, and Stephen Rex Brown."Ohio Cops Hunt for Man Who Broadcast Fatal Shooting on Facebook." NY Daily News. N.p., 16 Apr. 2017. Web. 08 June 2017.

Molina, Brett. "After Murders, Rapes Shown, Facebook Will Hire 3,000 to Check Videos."  USA Today. Gannett Satellite Information Network, 03 May 2017. Web. 08 June 2017.