Benefits of YouTube - Essay Example

Running Head: SAFETY OF YOU TUBE FOR TEENAGERS Name Course Instructor Date Contents Contents 2 1.0Introduction 3 2.0 Benefits of YouTube 4 2.1 Educational benefits 4 2.2 Psychosocial benefits 6 3.0 Negative impacts of you tube on teenagers 7 4.0 Safety of Youtube for teenagers 9 5.0 Conclusion 11 6.0 References 12 1.0 Introduction Many parents dread the day their children will grow up and become conversant with the internet. This is because the internet has been perceived as destructive and has a potential of causing moral erosion in children and more so teenagers. Recent days have witnessed increasing number of teens who flock social sites such as the Facebook, Twitter, MySpace as well as other internet sites such as the YouTube. This issue has been of particular interest in the public as demonstrated by constant reports by the media on the “digital danger” that teenagers might purportedly face. To many parents, the internet is a place where predators lurk and there has been ongoing intervention by governments as well as individuals to alleviate the situation. In the United States for instance, Donna Rice Hughes together with the U.S. Department of Justice launched the ‘National Internet Safety Awareness and Parental Empowerment Program’. This programme is aimed at educating parents on ways of limiting their children on the use of the internet and how to monitor their online behaviour. The YouTube has particularly presented a lot of contention over its use by teenagers. Research reveals that YouTube has greatly contributed to an avalanche of sexual immorality among teenagers. This underscores the need for internet safety a move that has been endorsed by many governments and parents across the globe. Previous studies indicate that internet safety produced considerable positive outcomes as sexual solicitation among teenagers has decreased tremendously since inception of the intervention. However, complete banning of teenagers from use of the internet closes them off from cognitive and psychosocial benefits that are available on YouTube. According to Tynes (2007), internet safety on teenagers should only go to a certain extent so as to avoid denying them of the psychosocial, educational and emotional benefits offered by the internet. The purpose of this essay is to provide a comprehensive understanding of safety of the internet for teenagers. It begins by giving the benefits of YouTube more so in educational and psychosocial matter. It will further give ways in which the internet can be made safe without completely barring them from the use of the internet. 2.0 Benefits of YouTube 2.1 Educational benefits Participation of teenagers in social online environments such as YouTube can foster a sense of learning that complements and reinforces what has been taught in classrooms. Many of these sites offer training on how to develop argumentation skills and critical thinking; aspects that are normally not taught in mainstream classrooms (Tynes, 2007). Although this form of learning is usually informal, it can prove to be effective if it is delivered via peer interaction. For instance, when taking part in a discussion forum where one is needed to make a presentation through YouTube, a student will need to undertake a deep reflection of his work and construct it in a way that will be relevant and sensible for public viewing. Some lectures and tutorials are offered on YouTube. This provides students with the chance to understand what they failed to grasp in class. Furthermore, sessions provided in YouTube are more explanatory. For instance, many processes taught in chemistry are usually demonstrated on YouTube thus making it easy to understand. Teenagers often ask for assistance on homework and advice concerning choice of course from their online friends. They do even form discussion groups on particular academic courses or subjects. This is particularly helpful for teenagers who do not have older siblings or probably have parents who are too busy to assist them in schoolwork. Even so, members of the group might not always have solutions to all the problems presented hence the assistance of others would be valuable. However, many parents contend with this as they would prefer that their children only interact with people they already know. Research also suggests that online games mainly found in YouTube enhance development of cognitive skills in teenagers (Greenfield et al, 2006). Such skills include analog representation, spatial visualization and visual attention. Analog representation refers to the ability to read images while visual attention is the ability to manage multiple tasks at once in a single visual field. These skills are fundamental in school subjects such as mathematics, science, music and language arts. Tynes (2007) maintains that although no direct link has been established between academic performance and online games, the skills obtained from online games are the same ones used in measuring of non-verbal IQ tests such as the Stanford-Binet. Another form of learning developed through social environments is interracial and cross-cultural interactions. Many teenagers in Australia and most of the Western countries live in segregation and they rarely get to interact with people of colour. Their principle exposure to such kind of people is only through the television where caricature and stereotypes of minorities is predominant. In addition, schools are becoming more segregated, that is, they are only admitting children of a certain colour. As a result, students from different races can only interact during special occasions. In online social environments, teens can make acquaintances with people across borders and around the world. Consequently, learning and teaching becomes apparent as they talk about their different cultural backgrounds. According to Subrahmanyam et al (2001) this is an important kind of education that goes beyond that of textbooks as it brings about cohesion amongst communities of the world. Baumer (2006) describes YouTube as a learning tool that is multifarious and multi-voiced. Her investigation reveals that YouTube has greatly impacted the way in which teenagers learn political topics such as the Iraq war and they are able to engage in public political opinion in such sites. Access to alternative political opinions and media has the potential to engender new ideas of the civil society (Laura, 2007). 2.2 Psychosocial benefits Online social environments such as YouTube can provide social cognitive skills like perspective talking facilitate identity exploration and fulfil the need for autonomy, intimacy and social support (Ortiz, 2003). Whether creating and posting videos on YouTube, constructing profiles on facebook or chatting in chat rooms, teenagers are usually honing, creating and recreating their identities which are primary objectives in adolescence development. As a result, they have to constantly reflect on who they are, who they want to become and on their weaknesses, strengths and values. Identities, in part, also evolve out of comparison and evaluation with others. Reflection consequently leads to positive and more developed self-structure and in turn prepares the teen to get along in the world (Berson et al, 2002). In addition to nurturing self identities, online environments enable them to become more sensitive about others. Research indicates that through interaction with people of different races and ethnicities via computer-mediated interactions, teenager’s perspective-talking skills are ultimately improved. Besides that they are able to view things in the view point of others. According to Suzuki and Calzo (2004) this has a long term implication as it will enhance relations especially among the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. Social support is another important benefit of YouTube. Participants can enter into the site to find out what others have done concerning issues that might be affecting them (O’Keeffe and Clarke-Pearson, 2011). Besides that, the internet allows teens to think in abstract, anticipate consequences, prioritize thoughts and control impulse; factors which make up the developmental stages of adolescence stage. Research also shows that teenagers are able to open up and seek advice concerning sexual health issues and ways of navigating through romantic relationships. These are issues which are of great importance to teens yet they are rarely discussed in schools. The positive impacts of YouTube and other online social environments discussed above underscores the importance of the allowing teenagers to use the internet. However, this does not imply that excessive use and misuse should not be regulated (Heath, 2008). 3.0 Negative impacts of you tube on teenagers Evidently, even with the rapid growth of technological advancement and use of internet there are many negative impacts that are associated with the use of internet with main focus on Youtube by teenagers. Firstly, teenagers become addicted to internet which is considered to be the major negative impact towards the use of Youtube by teenagers. In literature such extreme use of Youtube are synonymous with the terms, problematic internet use, compulsive internet use, internet dependence and computer addiction (Li and Bernoff, 2008). Youtube addiction here can be defined as the use of internet especially Youtube links over a long period with less desire to stop which automatically lead to both self and other individual conflictive due to excessive use. Evidence indicates that the constant use of internet with main focus on Youtube has negative impact on teenagers especially in their education whereby their performance is below average. The poor performance may be caused by sleep deprivation due to spending a lot of time in Youtube. Other than reading or carrying out their academic research, internet addiction attracts teenagers to interact to social interaction through chat rooms and instant messages (Li and Bernoff, 2008). Read and Young (2006) maintain that, there are numerous of games found in Youtube which places a particular online addiction for teenagers. Online gaming in Youtube is considered to be a growing industry which brings estimated revenue of over $20 billion revenue annually. In a study the impact created by online gaming via Youtube on life satisfaction among teenagers’ gamers found presence of neuroticism in gamers thus creating negative influence on their life satisfaction. It is further evident that neuroticism has a significant negative effect on subject being of teenagers especially those addicted to online gaming. Online gaming has been found to create a negative relationship between life satisfaction of teenagers and web surfing frequency (Dunlap and Lowenthal, 2009). Youtube being a video sharing service that allows users upload files may be a breeding ground that exposes teenagers into various pornographic activities (Read and Young, 2006). Exposure to sexually explicit Youtube material is considered to be a growing concern whereby evidence indicate that exposure is widely related to greater sexual uncertainty thus creating more positive attitudes towards uncommitted sexual exploration among teenagers (Dunlap and Lowenthal, 2009). Teenagers who use Youtube for their academic research can be subjected to online victimization mainly from sexual solicitation. Sexual solicitation is defined as that instance that a teenager is requested to engage in sexual talk or activities normally from an adult. Research indicates that 33% of teenagers have reported to have experienced online harassment whereby 15% of these statistics having received a sexual solicitation while using Youtube for academic purposes (Read and Young, 2006). Finally, the constant use of Youtube by teenagers can expose them to harassment which is perpetuated through cyber bullying. According to Selwyn (2009), cyber bulling is defined as repeatedly inflicting harm to an individual through the use of the internet. It is quite evident that computer proficiency, Youtube and increased time spend online heighten the risk of cyber bullying among teenagers. Teenagers who spend most time in the internet faces higher risks of being abused which include spreading rumors, sending of malicious messages and finally making threat thus denying teenagers a more conducive environment to use Youtube for their lectures or educational purposes (Blossom, 2009). 4.0 Safety of Youtube for teenagers Watching as well as sharing videos combined with the idea that Youtube is free opens an attractive experience for both educators and students. Recently, the use of Youtube is finding a foothold in academic environment where more higher learning institution are adapting Youtube in their learning and teaching processes (Selwyn, 2009). The use of Youtube normally engages different users through drawing them into an environment which encourages them to meet new student whereby they share ideas as well as learning opinion (Greenhow, 2009). Many educators believe that the act displayed by Youtube in creating content in any virtual form is a desirable learning exercise that assists teenagers in developing a deeper understanding on the academic subject matter. It creates a potential that exposes students into new skills and insights in their learning process. It is therefore important that both parents and educators create a safety haven for teenagers who use Youtube in their studies and academic research (Wankel, 2009). Wankel (2009) maintain that, in an effort to protect teenagers from the negative impacts associated with the constant use of internet, parents and educators need to install filtering software such as NetNanny, IPrism and cyberpatrol to monitors as well as block any dangerous site that may be a threat to the teenage development. There is need for parents and educators to come with an agreement with their teenagers that internet with regard to the use of Youtube should strictly be for school related purposes. Melomey et al (2009) maintain that, this approach is more effective as compared to installing filters in that filters do not have a 100% guarantee that it will block access to risky sites (Greenhow, 2009). Safety of Youtube among teenagers should start from the teenagers themselves. Increasingly, tech-savvy teenagers are aware of the numerous risks in excessive usage of the internet and they are constantly developing their own strategies which will ensure that there are always safe from cyber crime. These strategies may largely involve the use of privacy setting to ensure that online risks are minimized (Wankel, 2009). To further encourage safety of Youtube among teenagers, parents and teachers can take the advantage as well as build on the recent increasing awareness and technological sophistication of teenagers who go online. Shen and Eder (2009) suggest that, these can be achieved by following the following key strategies; maintain both an open and honest dialogue with teenagers. Here, educators and parents need to engage the teenagers in a frank discussion of the numerous risks that are largely associated with internet not forgetting its potential benefits. Research indicates that girls who have discussed internet safety with their parents and teachers are less likely to meet a stranger encountered online. Secondly, it is important for both parents and educators to help the teenagers to protect their privacy online. Evidently, as a result of negative publicity about MySpace, Youtube have largely improved their user option for mainly privacy control. Therefore, educators and parents need to encourage teenagers to learn about the privacy control and greatly take advantage for this options and ensures that teenagers do not revive their personal information to strangers (Shen and Eder, 2009). Finally, it is important to develop an exit strategy to ensure safety of Youtube among teenagers. Here, as opposed to forcing teenagers to avoid certain internet sites, educators and parents can help teenagers to learn the behaviors of online predators. Parents should make their teens to understand that it is important to block a person whom they feel that they are threatening their life. Teenagers who are sexually solicited by an adult should be advised to report the act immediately (Melomey, et al 2009). 5.0 Conclusion It is quite evident that the use of internet is shaping our daily life from educational, social as well as political perspectives. The increased use of internet with main focus on Youtube has strengthened the relationship between technology and learning. It is very important to ensure that our teenagers are safe while using web applications such as Youtube. It is necessary for both parents and educators to come up with research about various methods that can be used to enhance internet safety. It is important that as teenagers are taught the importance of Youtube in enhancing their learning process. Further, it is important that are also made to understand there are negative effects that come along with excessive negative impacts that should be avoided. Educators need to develop unique approach towards safety when using Youtube which should be linked with internet technology and child development. 6.0 References Baumer, S. (2006). Informal learning and social development of American youth on YouTube. Retrieved April 3rd 2012, from http://digitalyouth.ischool.berkeley.edu/node/49. Berson, I., Berson, M., & Ferron, J. (2002). Emerging risks of violence in the digital age: Lessons for educators from an online study of adolescent girls in the United States.Meridian: A Middle School Computer Technologies Journal, volume 5, Issue 2. Blossom, J. (2009). Content Nation: Surviving and Thriving as Social Media Changes Our Work, Our Lives, and Our Future. Indianapolis: Wiley Chang, C. (2010). Internet safety survey: who will protect the children? Berkeley technology law journal. Volume 25, Issue 501, p. 501-526. Dunlap, J., & Lowenthal, P. (2009). Tweeting the night away: Using Twitter to enhance social presence. Journal of Information Systems Education, 20(2) Greenfield, P., Gross, E., Subrahmanyam, K., Suzuki, L. , & Tynes, B. (2006). Teens on the Internet: Interpersonal connection, identity, and information. New York: Oxford University Press. Greenhow, C. (2009). Tapping the Wealth of Social Networks for Professional Development. Learning & Leading with Technology, 36 (8), 10‐11 Heath, R. (2008). Technology and teens: can they handle it? Retrieved on 3rd April 2012 from http://184.72.251.154/resources/1/Principal/2008/M-Jp66.pdf. Laura, L. (2007). "Electronic Media Use, Reading, and Academic Distractibility in College Youth." CyberPsychology & Behavior 10.4 (2007): 560-566.  Li, C. & Bernoff, J. (2008). Groundswell: winning in a world transformed by social technologies. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing. Melomey, D., et al. (2009). 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