Professional Documents
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English 115 Final Draft
English 115 Final Draft
English 115 Final Draft
Professor Rodrick
English 115
4 October 2017
Many aspects form identity. As people grow older, they find their true identity through
experiences. But when someone is born, parts of their identity is given to them such as, their
gender, their family, and their culture. And as they grow older they try to find who they truly are.
Many people play a big role in shaping somebodys identity and some people have more impact
than others. The people that make the biggest impact are the people they spend the most time
with, which is the people they go to school or work with and their family. But the biggest thing
that has played a big role in shaping identity is technology and social media.As technology
develops, social media is developing around the world and there are billions of users on each
platform. People as young as 11 years old are on these social media platforms connecting to
different types of people around them and even around the world. Through these platforms,
many people connect with friends and family around the world in order to keep up with what
they are doing. Even though technology and social media has helped people connect, but it has
At a very young age, when kids enter elementary school and middle school, many kids
are trying to find themselves and finding who they truly are. They are experiencing new things
and finding new trends that ensure that they fit in. Through these times, many kids and
teenagers are trying to find the friends that accept them for who they are and they would do
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anything in order to fit in. At times, people do not meet the certain qualifications to fit in with
certain groups because of how they look or because of how they perceive themselves. Because
these young teens and kids are finding who they truly are and if they are not accepted by the
people they mostly want it from, they find their insecurities. The majority of the reasons why
people are not accepted for who they are is because of their body image. They get their ideal
body images through social media. As Robert and Lina say, through social media, there is
affect that results from viewing unrealistic images of the body; social comparisons; interactions
with peers and other normative influences; the adoption of appearance management behaviors
and body change strategies to improve oneself; and compensatory motivations such as disordered
eating as a way to validate ones self-concepts. At times the bullying begins in the place where
the spend the most time, in school. When they go home it is not over. Because technology has
advanced, many kids and teenagers are involved in the world of social media, so when they go
Cyberbullying can occur within different age groups, but it occurs most often with
adolescents. Because parents or higher authority do not know what their children are posting on
public social media sites, children take advantage and communicate their feelings through social
media. Since these children have power about what they post and what they say online, they
often bring down other people that do not match the same personalities and social construct as
their group of friends. Things such as a single act such as posting an insulting comment or a
compromising picture may result in continued and repeated humiliation for the victim as said by
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Zhang (Kernaghan & Elwood, 2013). At often times, many children are being bullied at school
and cyber bullied at home, but do not often speak upon their feelings towards what is happening
to them. The words they are being called, the isolation they are being put through, and the
unacceptance leaves an emotional impact on these kids because they feel like they will never
Not only does technology shape the identity of billions of people around the world. Many
aspects play a role in shaping identity and shaping a person the way they are today. The main
source of technology many people have a cell phones, more specifically smart phones. As smart
phones develop overtime, so does the media sites that are available for people to use despite their
location. Identity is able to be seen through the smartphones of people because many people
personalize their phone by changing their wallpaper to something that has a meaning to them or
something that sparks their interest. Including their social media sites. On their social media
sites, they post photos or statuses that match who they truly are or who they are trying to be.
Some people judge others on what they post or what they see. Often when somebody is being
cyber bullied or bullied in general for posting what they want, the victim does not often speak
upon it. Not because they are embarrassed, but because they feel like if they speak up, it will
Believe it or not, identity can be created through any aspect of technology and social
media, whether they are being affected or not. In the article Friend or Foe: Cyberbullying in
Social Network Sites, Zhang, Liang Yu, Wakefield, and Leidner speak upon the forms of identity
that both the victim and the perpetrator pick up due to cyber bullying. The victim is the main
person that is affected when it comes to cyber bullying. They become the target and they are
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attacked to the point where they come to their breaking point. Once the victim is targeted, the
victim because quiet and insecure. Once somebody, usually with higher power than them, has
targeted their insecurities, they no longer feel comfortable with themselves. Often victims who
have reduced power, increased demands and, in particular, problems with classmates negatively
affect health (Clausson). The victims health is often affected such as symptoms of illness,
such as recurring headaches and nervousness, and feel even more stressed(Clausson). They
often feel this way because they feel like they have to worry about more thing. When their health
is affected, they begin to give up on life. On the other hand, the perpetrator is not directly
affected. The perpetrator is the one that is attacking the target. The perpetrator makes an effort
to absolve himself [or herself] of responsibility, the delinquent may attribute his harmful
People that bully others often experienced neglect prior to them bullying. The perpetrator does it
Social media can have a positive and negative effect in a society. Through social media,
many people can connect with people that they have not seen in a long time and they can share
their moments with others online. On the other hand, people take advantage of social media and
use it to attack people in order to build their own self confidence. The identity of victims of
cyberbullying develop through these acts because they are being targeted. They develop weak
personalities and they find no point to their life, while the perpetrators develop what seems to be
a strong and confident character. Social media can affect how someone defines themselves. Even
though social media can be used to promote and share with loved ones, it is often misused and
Works Cited
Brianna, director. Cyberbully - Suicide Attempt Scene. ** SAD PART. Cyberbully, ABC Family,
Einberg, Eva-Lena, et al. Awareness of Demands and Unfairness and the Importance of
Connectedness and Security: Teenage Girls Lived Experiences of Their Everyday Lives.
2017.
Williams, Robert J, and Lina A Ricciardelli. Sex Roles. 1st version, vol. 71, ser. 11-12, Springer
October 2017.
Zhang, Sixuan, et al. Friend or Foe: Cyberbullying in Social Network Sites. Baylor University ,