Unit 6 Assessment - Written Proposal

7

Running Head: UNIT 3 RESEARCH A SOCIAL ISSUE

The Impact of Internet Wrongdoings

Brandon Coleman

Social Issues and Technology

Herzing University

The Impact of Internet Wrongdoings

Introduction

Problem statement: The online sphere has created immeasurable opportunities to expand human experiences and social networks, thus creating new risks and threats. Young people confront numerous negative effects offline that need to be considered. The prevalence of online hate crimes has increased over the past three years globally.

Thesis question: What are the psychological and sociological implications of online hate crimes on young people in society?

Thesis statement: Internet Wrongdoings through social media platforms have increased the individual and social harms, particularly among young persons. Internet Wrongdoings and harassment have escalated to psychological and sociological consequences.

Topic 1 (Main idea sentence) – Psychological Impact

.Depression has become a growing issue when it comes to the use of social media platforms.

a. Depression is a mood disorder that is life-threatening because 90% of the people that have committed suicide are associated with a mental disorder. Depression is a common psychological impact of online hate crimes through social media networks

b. Social media podiums are online services that provide individuals with an opportunity to interact with others through verbal and non-verbal communication. Young people aged 18-34 years use social media for interactions as compared to older people (Müller & Schwarz, 2019). The exposure of young people to online hate material that targets sexual orientation, ethnicity, physical appearance, gender, disability, and religious differences (Rohlfing, 2017). Victims of internet wrongdoings are connected with high online activities, poor family attachments, and physical online harassment. The young people exposed to online wrongdoings find the material very disturbing and it affects their mental health. These young people may develop depression as a result of psychological distress emanating from content based on discrimination, prejudice, and body shaming (Krylova, 2017). Stereotypes also play a pivotal in internet wrongdoings and cyberbullying incidents. The impact of the hateful messages based on prejudice and discrimination on an offline scenario is associated with depressive major disorders and other mental health-related problems. Jealousy on social media podiums such as Instagram adds to depression between young people.

c. According to a study that was conducted “in 2016, 79% of the internet users in the United States use Facebook and 32% use Instagram and the usage rate of these podiums among people aged 18 has increased over the past decade” (Krylova, 2017). Research shows that when individuals engage in social comparisons that make them feel inferior their psychological health is affected negatively.

Topic 2 (Main idea sentence) – Psychological Impact

Anxiety is a common psychological consequence triggered by online hate crimes and harassment on social media podiums such as Instagram, Youtube, and Twitter.

a. Anxiety disorder refers to excessive fear and worry that can cause symptoms of panic and difficulty to breath in some cases.

b. Social media networks remit content and material daily that can be accessed by many young people. The new generation is more engaged in social interactions and spends most of their time on diverse social media podiums (Rath, 2018). Content or material on internet wrongdoings that target the disabled populations or sexual orientation has a higher psychological impact which can lead to anxiety disorders. Disabled hate crimes invoke feels of unrest and anxiousness when they are exposed to materials that entail discrimination and prejudice regarding disability status. Individuals with mental health problems when they are victimized they tend to develop new psychological health problems that are significant. Comment on Facebook about a person’s physical appearance can lead to serious mental health issues and lowers their self-esteem because they feel that they are not good-looking especially when a comparison is made.

c. The internet wrongdoings material that has been encountered by 53% of users was on social media podiums such as Facebook and Twitter. Victims of internet wrongdoings experience anxiety when they are exposed to live videos and written content that is purely hate based on the race, nationality, gender, or physical disability of a target audience.

Topic 3 (Main idea sentence) – Sociological Impact

Internet Wrongdoings done via social media podiums have an impact on gender relations and differences in society.

a. Gender refers to cultural distinctions that are associated with being male or female. Gender is a social construct where the societal expectations of the behaviors and attitudes of people are based on whether they are female or male.

b. Gender-based internet wrongdoings are rooted in the ancient chauvinist discourses that insist that women are inferior to men (Nadim & Fladmoe, 2019). The internet wrongdoings and harassment of women especially on social media platforms are perpetrated to reinforce the differences that exist between men and women in society. Women are vulnerable to online harassment as compared to men. As internet wrongdoings and harassment against women upsurge, gender differences increases. Women are viewed as inferior creatures which affect other aspects of interactions, participation, and representation. Women are underrepresented in political and economic arenas due to the attitudes instilled in our social systems, which are aided by advanced technologies that have the potential to reach a wide range of populations. These social systems and beliefs are passed on to young generations and the virus is embedded in our sociological structures for generations.

c. A study shows that the reason men engage in gendered internet wrongdoings is due to the behavior presented by women on social networks. Women in society have lived with a belief that they are weaker than men physically and that they belong to a vulnerable group (Nadim & Fladmoe, 2019). Online harassment can lead to the silencing of certain groups in society because they have no freedoms to articulate their concerns or participate in social institutions.

Topic 4 (Main idea sentence) – Sociological Impact

Stereotypes affect cultural beliefs and social groups among diverse groups due to the increased internet wrongdoings experienced on social media podiums.

a. Cultural stereotypes refer to shared beliefs about the characteristics of a target group without providing facts about that specific individual.

b. Cultural stereotypes content is available on online podiums and young people that are exposed to this content have a different perspective about their culture and other cultures (Williams, et.al, 2020). There are endless stereotypes that exist on social media podiums and have affected how young people interact with one another. For example, black people are perceived as drug dealers and gang members. Young people who are exposed to this content might be tempted to join gangs and commit violence in their communities (Oksanen, et.al, 2014).

c. In London studies, the police recorded internet wrongdoings speech that targeted race based on 2,000 tweets. Cultural stereotypes that focus on race are higher in the United States to target people of color.

Conclusion

a. Internet wrongdoings have cause psychological implications such as depression and anxiety in young people and sociological effects such as gendered wrongdoings and cultural stereotypes perpetrated through social media networks. Technology has brought positive aspects that have improved our lives but they have also caused harm to individuals’ psychological health and interactions in social systems and cultural diversity.

b. The realistic evidence supports the psychological and sociological impact social media wrongdoings have on an individual and society through the statistical analysis to ascertain that the scope of internet wrongdoings on society is valid and there is a need to pay attention to these issues. The evidence provides significant and reliable answers to the thesis question.

References

Ashta, A. (2018). Lessons from Microfinance for Social Entrepreneurship Theory: The Life Cycle of The Social Enterprise. Available at SSRN 3136710.

Krylova, D. (2017). The Impact of Social Media On Depression In 18-34-Year-Olds In The United States. Impact of Social Media On Depression. May. http://fgcu.digital.flvc.org/islandora/object/fgcu%3A30517/datastream/OBJ/view/The_Impact_of_Social_Media_on_Depression_in_18-34-Year-Olds_in_the_United_States.pdf

Müller, K., & Schwarz, C. (2019). Fanning The Flames of Hate: Social Media and Hate Crime. Available at SSRN 3082972. file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/Fanning.pdf

Nadim, M., & Fladmoe, A. (2019). Silencing Women? Gender and Online Harassment. Social Science Computer Review, 0894439319865518. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0894439319865518

Oksanen, A., Hawdon, J., Holkeri, E., Näsi, M., & Räsänen, P. (2014). Exposure to Online Hate Among Young social Media users. In Soul of Society: A Focus On The Lives of Children & Youth. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. file:///C:/Users/user/Downloads/Oksanen_et_al_2014_Online_Hate_pre-print.pdf

Rath, M. (2018, April). An Analytical Study of security and Challenging Issues In Social Networking As An Emerging Connected technology. In Proceedings of 3rd International Conference On Internet of Things and Connected Technologies (ICIoTCT) (pp. 26-27). https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3166509

Rohlfing, S. (2017). The Role of Social Networking In Shaping Hatred: An Exploration Into User-Responses To and Influence and Permissibility of Online Hatred (Doctoral Dissertation, University of Portsmouth). https://researchportal.port.ac.uk/portal/files/7697057/Sarah_Rohlfing_Thesis_Post_Viva_corrections_final.pdf

Williams, M. L., Burnap, P., Javed, A., Liu, H., & Ozalp, S. (2020). Hate In The Machine: Anti-Black and Anti-Muslim Social Media Posts As Predictors of Offline Racially and Religiously Aggravated Crime. The British Journal of Criminology, 60(1), 93-117. https://academic.oup.com/bjc/article/60/1/93/5537169