KiaraMayers

Mrs.Scaife
Comp.1
20November2015
Mayers1

IsFacebookAGoodInventionOrEndOfPrivacy

ThereareoveramillionusersonFacebookandhalfoftheusersthinkitsagood
invention.Facebookisainventionthathashadatremendousimpactontheworldthrough
communicatingwithoneanother,searchingforoldfriends,andevendoingonlinebusiness.
ThentherestheotherhalfthatbelievesFacebookistheendofprivacy.Facebookisgoodfor
sharingthoughtsandevenhappymomentsinlife.Butarepeoplesharingtoomuch?Manyusers
havegottentoocomfortablewithsharingnotonlyinformationanddifferentkinds,butmore
openlyandwithmorepeople.InthisessayImgoingtotalkabouthowFacebookmaybeagood
inventionbutmoreimportantly,itistheendofprivacyasweknowit.Therearethreemajor
waysFacebookdestroysindividualprivacy:theinabilitytopermanentlydeletepostings,the
abilitytotrackindividualslocations,andtheunsafeanddamagingrelationshipsthataremade
onFacebook.
Facebookhadquicklybecamepopularbackin2004amongallagegroups.Today,even
theelderlyaregettingthehangofit.Facebookhasbecometheultimatewaytoreconnectwith
friends,familymembers,andevenpeoplethatyouhaventseenforalongtime.Itisalsoaway
ofmeetingnewpeople.Forthoseuserswhohaveaflairforbusiness,Facebookwillfunctionlike
anintroductiontobusiness.Itisusedinhelpingtogrowbusinesses.Facebookcanbeagreat
innovationwhichalsohasdisadvantages.Itseasytogetintoproblemsbeingauseron
Facebook.Thereare83millionfakeprofiles(CNN).Itsveryimportantforuserstobecareful
andsmartwhenbeingonFacebook.24%ofusershavehadprivateorembarrassinginfomade
publicwithoutpermission(Taylor).Usershavetobecarefulwhotheysendtheirprivate

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picturesto.29%ofusershasbeenstalkedorcontactedbyastrangerorsomeonetheydont
know(Taylor).Userspagescanbeprivate,butthepeoplethatisnttheirfriendcanstillsee
certainstatuesandpictures.
Facebookisagreatsocialutilitythatallowspeopletotelleveryonewhatsontheirmind
andsharingthingsontheirpage.Butisalltheinformationprivatebetweenthemandtheir
intendedaudience?Thingsyouthinkthatareprivatecanbeeasilyseenbyjustabouteveryone
includingpotentialemployees.AprofessornamedKelliMatthewssaidOver70%ofemployers
useFacebookusebackgroundcheckforjobcandidates(Becker).Ifauserwastopost
somethingontheirpageandevenifchangeitordeleteit,itwillremainreachabletotherestof
theworldforadayortwoandmaybeforever.Thiscanaffectsomeoftheusersinthefuture,
becausemostjobscanstillpulluptheirpastonfacebook.
Facebookhasdamagedrelationshipsinregardtoprivacy.Facebookhasbeenalotof
couplesreasonforbreakingup.Ithasawayofunderminingrelationshipsinparticularby
causingfeelingsofjealousyorinsecurity.RusselClayton,adoctoralstudentinUniversityof
MissouriSchoolofJournalismdescribeshowapersoncanbecomejealousofwhattheirpartner
doontheirFacebookpage,themoreapersoninaromanticrelationshipusesFacebook,the
morelikelyaretomonitortheirpartnersFacebookactivitymorestringently,whichcanleadto
feelingsofJealousy.Whenthejealousycomesalong,sodoesargumentsconcerningtheir
partner(Fig2).ClaytonalsosaysFacebookusersaremorelikelytoconnectorreconnectwith
otherFacebookusers,includingpreviouspartners,whichmayleadtoemotionalandphysical
cheating(Lacapria).Whenmostcouplesgetintoafight,theytendtochangethestatusoftheir
relationshiptosingleandunfriendtheirpartner.Puttingupsadstatuesorsadpicturesthat

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expresstheiremotions.Theymightseethereisnothingwrongtoexpressyourself.Truthis,they
areinvitingpeopletocomeintotheirlifewhentheyaremostvulnerable.Thatthebesttimeto
getcarriedawaytosweettalk.Usersoftenmakemistakesbyexcludingourownpeoplebut
welcomingrandompeopletohaveaccessoftheirprofile.Itmakesmorepeoplereachableand
easilygetcarriedaway.

Fig.2.AcouplearguingaboutFacebookandwhattheyseen(ten57).
Facebookhasbecomeadiaryofsomepeopleslives.UsersonFacebooksharetheirgreat
memories,andtheirmostglamorousphotos.Rememberhowdiarieswereoncedsecuredbylock
andkey?Nowitseasilyavailable.Peopleshouldrealizethedangersofthepicturestheyre
postingandthestatuestheyremakingwiththeworld.Facebookhasthisthingwhereuserscan
turntheirlocationonandeverystatustheymakeorpicturestheypost,thelocationwillbe
underneathit.Peopletendtoturntheirlocationonjusttoseewheretheneareststarbucksaround
usareatorhowtogettoourdestination.
If you take a photo with your smart phone that has
location services enabled, you are very likely embedding your GPS coordinates unknowingly
to that image (Vinderine). Users dont realize this, because the coordinates dont appear on
the screen nor under the picture. This is a risk a lot of users take, because there are crazy

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people out there who can easily access software that allows them to track down information
from these photos. Users can easily avoid this situation from happening by going to settings
on their phone, then location services making sure their location is off on Facebook (Fig 3).

Users can turn their location off by going under settings in their phone

Manyusersreceiveshundredsoffriendrequestsfromallaroundandacceptsthemevenif
theydontknowwhotheyare.AgirlnamedSarahwasgroomedonlinefromtheageof12.
Sarahbeganusingtheinternetattheageof12,becausesheseenpeoplearoundherdoingit.My
sisterswereoftenontheinternetintheirroom,andallmyfriendswereonsocialnetwork,soI
wantedtodoit,tooshesaid.HerMomnamedJanetwasfinewithherbeingonthereaslongas
shewasonlyfriendswiththepeoplesheknew.Janethadwarnedherthedangersofbeingfriends
onlinewithstrangers.Sarahstartedoffbyonlytalkingtoherfriendsonline,becausehermom
wantedhertostaysafe.Afewmonthslatershehadreceivedafriendrequestfromanolderguy
namedPetershedidnotknow.Shedecidedtoaccepthisrequest,becausetheyhadmutual

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friendsandnobodymentionedtoheranythingbadabouthim.Sarahneverrealizedthather
friendsdidntknowthemaneither.Shekeptitasecretfromherfriendsandfamilybecauseshe
feltasifhewashersecretfriend.Theybegantalkingonlineeveryevening,andhewouldaskher
howherdaywas.Petermadeherfeellikeaspecialfriendthatcantellhimanythingand
everything.Hewasthefirstguythatseeminterestedinherlife,becauseshewasntpopularwith
boysandshewasbulliedmostofherlife.Sarahfeltgoodtalkingtoagrownupthatdidnttreat
herlikeachild,hetreatedmemorematurelyanditmademefeelspecial.Sarahbegan
spendingmoreandmoretimeonFacebooktalkingtoPeterandevensneakingintosisterslaptop
whentheyweregone.Afterafewmonths,Sarahslowlygainedhertrust.Shebegantorealize
Petersinnocentquestionswerestartingtobecomemoresexualandpersonal,Thequestions
wereinappropriateandintimate,thingsyouwouldntevenaskyourbestfriend.Sarahwasonly
12whohadneverhadaboyfriendsoshethoughtthesewerenormalquestions(Fig.1).The
questionsthenturnedintorequest.Shefeltasifshehadtodotherequest,becausehehadbeena
supportsystemtoher.Whenevershedsayno,hewouldsayNobodyhastoknow.Sarah
beganperformingthesexualactsinfrontofherselfonthewebcamnotknowingthatPeterwas
storingtheseintohislaptop.IffeltasifeverytimeIwentonline,Ihadtodothingsforhimthat
Ididntwantto,shesays.Afterawhile,SarahtriedavoidinghimbutPeteralwaysfoundher.
OneofSarahssisterswalkedintotheroomwhileSarahwasinthereandsawherconversation
withPeter.HersisterwrotethreatstoPeterandtoldSarahifhewritesheragaintotellher.Two
monthslaterPeterwroteSarahagainaskingtothesamerequest,shetoldhersisterandhersister
toldhermotherJanet.Janetcalledthepolicebuttheycouldntdonothingaboutitbuttheytold
hertogoontheCEOPswebsitewhereshereportedit.Thissparkedaninvestigationbythe

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CEOPandwhenthepolicewenttohishouseandfoundthousandsofimagesofyoungboysand
girlsonhiscomputer.Whentheywenttocourtaboutit,Peterpleadedguiltyandwenttojail.
SarahfeltempoweredknowingthatherreportingPeterwillpreventothergirlsfromhavingtogo
throughit(Topham).

Fig.1.Teenagersneedtobecarefulwhenacceptingfriendrequests(Monica).

Theeffectsofsocialmediahavebeensomewhatbalanced,tobehonest.Therearesome
goodthings,andmanybadthings.EventhoughtherearesomegoodbenefitsaboutFacebook,it
isreallybecomingtheendofprivacy.Isitveryimportantthatuserswatchwhattheyposton
Facebookandhowtheypostit.Usersshouldkeeptheirlifecenteredinrealityandusesocial
networkingasasmallpartofit.

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WorksCited
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Tedtalk.
Oct.2014.19Nov.2015
HowToTurnOffLocationServices.
TexasEliteAngler.
31Mar.19Nov.2015
Itsnotyou,ItsFacebook
ten57magazine.
19April2012.19Nov.2015
Lacapria,Kim.Facebookruiningyourmarriage,newstudyreveals(again).
inquisitenews
worthsharing.
10June2013.19Nov.2015
Monica.Facebookandprivacyoptionsforteens:areyouconcerned?
mommalogues
.18Oct.
2013.19Nov.2015
Thomas,Taylor.30statisticaboutteensandsocialnetworking.
10toptenreviews.
21.April.
2011.18Nov.2015
Tohman,Laura.Sarahsmotherthoughsheddoneeverythingtokeepher12yearoldsafe
online.
dailymail
.15Mar.2014.17Nov.2015