The internet is becoming a powerful force in advertising. But what about the security of the information we transmit?

The Dark Side of Digital

The incredible popularity of social media can mask some serious issues that are caused by overuse or misuse. Problems that were unheard of 10 years ago are now experienced by significant numbers of people, especially teens and preteens. What responsibilities do social sites share for these problems? And what about the advertisers and sponsors who support them?

Cyberbullying is, according to the U.S. government’s Stopbullying.gov website, “bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, Text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior.” Between 9 and 15 percent of U.S. students say they’ve been cyberbullied. Among LGBTQ students, the number is 55 percent. The U.S. government considers cyberbullying to be of special concern because it can be persistent (happen at all hours of the day), permanent (shared widely and publicly, impacting many personal and professional areas of life), and hard to notice (teachers and parents may not see bullying posts).

The issue of cyberbullying sparked discussion at the national level when college student Tyler Clementi killed himself after his roommate and another student recorded and shared on social media a video of Clementi kissing a male friend in his dorm.

Because young children are often the victims of cyberbullying, it is essential that parents, teachers, and older siblings work to prevent it. Warning signs include increases or decreases in texting, strong emotions in response to texts and posts, hiding a device when others come near it, deactivated social accounts, avoidance, withdrawal, depression, and isolation.

Kids can face threats from other uses of social media as well. A variety of sites have evolved to help people locate others interested in casual sexual relationships, including AdultFriendFinder, Tinder, Pure, Clover, Her, Match, and iHookup. Such sites may be appropriate for consenting adults who understand the risks, but they are clearly not for children below the age of consent.

Unfortunately, pedophiles need not use these sites to victimize kids. Many parents would be surprised to know that photos of children doing perfectly ordinary things are often found on the computers of criminals who downloaded them from Facebook and other traditional social media.

Pedophilia may seem to be a rare and unusual facet of modern life, but statistics suggest otherwise. The FBI reports child prnography is one of the fastest-growing crimes, and child prn arrests have surged 2,500 percent over the past 30 years. More than half of state prison sex offenders are serving time for crimes against kids. And the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates that 100,000 American kids are victimized by sexual exploitation.

How do the monsters who pursue children locate and gain the trust of their intended victims? Frequently through social media accounts where children post about their pastimes, hobbies, friends, likes, dislikes, and so on. This information also sometimes identifies the child’s school, home address, e-mail, and other social media accounts.

As the above makes clear, characteristics of social media that make them attractive to many can also lead to terrible kinds of misuse. Who, ultimately, bears responsibility for ensuring that kids can enjoy connecting with others in a safe, protected environment?

Questions

1.Is it ethical for parents to let children have private social media accounts? At what age?

2.Imagine a parent allows her or his child to have a social media account but secretly monitors it without letting the child know. Is the parent’s behavior ethical?

3.What responsibility, if any, do social media brands have for ensuring the safety of their users? Do advertisers who practice IMC on social sites have a role to play as well? (This is the question where your research will come into play.) Provide at least two links to your research in answering this question.