GEN499 Part 2 of week 3 assignment social media (e.g., privacy)

Thesis Statement

The emergence of social media has led to new perspective on the public domain about privacy issues: it has changed the debate about right to privacy.

Annotated Bibliography

Bauerlein, P. (2011). The Digital Divide: Arguments for and Against Facebook, Google, Texting, and the Age of Social Networking. New York: Penguin Group.

Having been a professor of communication, the author explores various arguments that are raised against and for the social media. The book will be instrumental in this research since it tackles the issues surrounding privacy apparent in the emerging age of social media. In particular, the first part of the book is dedicated in analyzing various aspects of privacy that the new media has touched on specifically, Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. The author also includes essays from various renowned authors such as Douglas Rushkoff as well as Todd Gitlin just to mention but two. The author also divides the book into various sections that will be very instrumental in unveiling the security and privacy issues raised by the book. For instance, the book has section name, ‘social and personal life’ that informs the research. In essence, the book is an important primary source of information that will help in approving or disapproving the thesis statement.

Bill, H., Reyns, W. & Fisher, B. (2011). Security in the 21st century: examining the link between online social network activity, privacy, and interpersonal victimization. Criminal Justice Review, 36(1), 251-153.

This scholarly article is important and critical as a primary source of information since it synthesizes information from three acclaimed authors and professors. The authors attempt to establish a correlation between contemporary social networks with privacy. The journal also seeks to examine the link between the social networks with interpersonal victimization. Throughout the journal, it is apparent from the inferences made by the authors that there is exists a correlation between social media and the manner in which people perceive their security. As such, the book will not only provide insightful information about new social networking sites but also how they may affect the public perspectives on security. As the authors posit, the social media has also led to privacy issues that do not affect the physical domain of the users but have unprecedented impact on the emotional and psychological aspects of the users. To that end, the journal answers the question, ‘Does social media raise privacy issues especially in the wake of 21st century?’

Gleibs, H. (2014). Turning Virtual Public Spaces into Laboratories: Thoughts on Conducting Online Field Studies Using Social Network Sites. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 1(1), 1-19.

Gleibs is a renowned author in the field of interpersonal communication. In this journal that provides information not only to public but also shapes the public policy on social issues, it is evident that the author is infuriated by the use of virtual spaces to inform academic inquiry and research. The author claims that use of social media in the long term will provide background information of the user to such companies as Google and Facebook which in turn might use it to study human behavior over a period of time. Gleibs articulates that using information stored in various social media platforms to conduct research on the users’ behavior without their consent is an infringement of right to privacy. The central point of the author’s inferences is the fact that majority of the users are being monitored by the social networking sites in order for the companies to use the information for marketing research and other intentions. In fact, the author is convinced that people should be wary of the social media in order for them not to compromise their rights to privacy.

Roessler, B. & Mokrosinska, D. (2013). Privacy and social interaction. Philosophy & Social Criticism, 39(8), 771-791.

The authors take a philosophical approach to the question of privacy and the modern platforms of social interaction. In particular, the journal discusses the issues of privacy especially in the wake of social networking sites. In the journal, it is apparent that the author attempt to question whether the issue of privacy matters anymore if the users of social media allow their privacy to be taken away from them by providing personal information. As such, the philosophers attempt to show that there has been a significant in definition of rights to privacy as it seems majority of the social media users have sacrificed their right for the sake of personal and social interaction. The journal is useful to my research owing to the fact that it illuminates ways through which the social media has influenced public debate on privacy. To that end, this journal will be instrumental in shaping the thesis and arguments provided in the final research paper.

Smith, C. (2010). Serial Sex Offender Admits Using Facebook To Rape and Murder Teen. The Huffington Post, p. 1-3.

In this article published in the Huffington Post, Smith explores the negative effects of social media in the society. In particular, the article’s main theme is the fact that a serial sex offender has used social media to prey on his victims. The author cautions the readers on the negative effect of sacrificing their privacy for the sake of social interaction. In fact, it is apparent that the serial killer used the information left by his victim on Facebook to track her down and murder her. This article is instrumental as a secondary source of information that will provide illustrations on the privacy and social media in addition to arguing that the social media has shaped the definition of privacy. This is just an illustration of the level of which the information left in the social media platforms can impact on individual physical and emotional security. Overall, the article provides important information about social media and privacy.

Straub, S. & Netwich, M. (2013). Social network sites, privacy and the blurring boundary between public and private spaces. Science and Public Policy, 40(6), 724-732.

Straub and Netwich have a long history of analyzing social media and privacy especially in science related fields. In this journal, they analyze the nature of contemporary social networking sites and the relationship that exists between them and privacy. Indeed, the journal points out that social media has eliminated the preexisting boundary between public space and personal space. The rationale is that many of social media users have little if any negative perceptions about sharing their personal information online. The authors point out that the issue of privacy can only be considered in the context of public and private spaces. Given the fact that social media has almost eliminated the distinction of the two, the authors argue that the social media has influenced the debate on social media. To that end, the journal is important source of information for this research paper.