Exercise 4.3 "Three Ways In"

Today is the end of the fourth week according to Curious Researcher, written by Bruce Ballenger. In the last exercise for this week, Ballenger instructs us write three different introductions or leads into our essay. He suggests that each should be about a paragraph or two. While I have not entirely written my essay yet, here are my three tentative introductions. Enjoy!

1. Kelsey starred in disbelief at the screen before her. The words blurred in front of her as the tears began to form in her eyes and  trickle down her cheek, only to drip off her chin. Quickly she hit the exit button on the top right corner of the webpage. She was  no longer interested in what Facebook had to offer her. The hurtful words Kelsey's "friend", Laura, had written as her status had slapped Kelsey in the face. "You are a back-stabbing, no good, stupid girl and no one will ever like you. Not me, not a boy, no one...". The status continued on for a sentence or two more, but that was all Kelsey was able to read. "Laura is right", Kelsey convinced herself, "I'm nothing."
      As sad as this may be to read, this sort of thing happens all the time. Social media has caused many young people to second guess themselves. The pressure to be like someone else and not be ourselves can cause nearly anyone to re-think who they are. Nasty comments left by the "cool kids", peer pressure to be with the "in crowd", to have the most friends and "likes" each day, have caused problems with not only the person receiving the pressure, but also the family of the  oppressed. Social media can have lasting affect on a person and their family without them even knowing what is happening.

2.       We've all done it. Yep, that's right. We have all logged onto a social media website at one time or another. Whether it be Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Ask.fm, or a blog, we are all guilty. Many adults will plead innocent until proven guilty when accused of being with the “in” crowd; meaning they are involved in social media. However, adults are just as drawn to social media as teenagers and adolescents are. According to the Pew Research Center, a poll and research facility, nearly 78% of adult online users from ages 30-49 take part in social media; as well as 60% of adults ages 50-64.

        This may seem shocking at first, but then one might say, “So what? Why is that important?” The problem with adults using social media is that social media is no longer seen as a “teen” thing, it is now seen as a “family” thing. Teenagers are no longer the ones who spend too much time away from quality time with the rest of the family and their friends, now their parents are too easily distracted by a notification, tweet, or post. Each person of the family is equally drawn to social media. However, this can cause more problems than we may be aware of. 

3. As I sit here writing, I am guilty. I am one percent of the fifty percent of all people who sign onto Facebook daily. I have a Facebook tab sitting right next to my research tabs ready for me to click on it at any second to see what news has just been posted. Over one billion people have a Facebook page at their disposal. At their fingertips is the opportunity to see every picture posted by their friends, every status written in the last few days, and every piece of information that their friends decide to share. Teens are daily exposed to the drama between either themselves and others, or just others amongst themselves. 

    Now wait a second, one might say. Facebook is not bad, is it? No. Facebook is not bad. What is bad is the things that are said, done, or posted via Facebook. Now, not everything that is posted is bad. But what about the millions of posts that are posted each day that are bashing another Facebook user? What about the inappropriate pictures that people find amusing, so they post them for all to see? The things that have been posted on Facebook have caused countless tears, self questioning, and insecurities on all users, whether young or old. Sadly, this has resulted in problems socially amongst friends and amongst family members.

After I finished writing my three introductions, I read them to my mom who chose that the first introduction caused her to want to continue reading. She guessed that my paper was about the abuses that social media can have on a person and their family. She also stated that she thinks that I will be showing how this generation lacks discernment and how that can impact the posts that are put on Facebook. I hope you were able to come up with conclusions much like my moms and that you were able to figure out what my essay will be about. Which introduction did you like best? Were you able to figure out my thesis? Please feel free to let me know! Happy reading!