Unlike: The dark side of social media

The deaths of teenagers Rehtaeh Parsons and Audrie Pott has put the spotlight back again on social media just a few weeks after the Stubenville rape case judge warned teens to watch what they tweet.

Image source: salon.com

The suicides of Parsons and Pott, and the Stubenville case highlight how crimes linked to the use of social media sites have increased remarkably since 2008, when the phenomenon of social networking crime was comparatively minor. These days, however, social media has revealed its “dark side,” as perpetrators have used sites such as Facebook and Twitter to further torment their victims.

Image source: feministing.com

Rebecca Campbell, a professor of psychology at Michigan State University wrote for CNN, “The ubiquity of cell phones with cameras and the power of the Internet make for faster, farther-reaching gossip, name-calling, character assassination, and ultimately, despair for the victim.” This became very clear in the cases of Parsons and Pott when evidence of their alleged sexual assault went viral, pushing the teens to end their own lives.

Image source: vimeo.com

The tragic deaths of Parsons and Pott have prompted calls for more stringent measures to curtail cyberbullying and other social media-related crimes. But since laws are not yet in place to protect young people from such acts, the best action for now is to educate the youth about the benign use of social media.

A member of the State Bar of Texas, Craig Seldin was voted Texas’ Wow Attorney of the Year for 2011. Learn more about his practice and areas of specialization here.