Should young children have smart phones? 

The other day when driving home from class at around 2:30 PM there was a group of grade school kids walking home from school. Four out of those five kids in that group were holding iPhones and talking about how they were going to text their friends.

There are two things about that situation that irked me.

One, These kids not only have cell phones at such a young age, but smart phones. When I was growing up I did not get a cell phone until I was a junior in high school. That cell phone was a flip phone that when I wanted to text on it I would have to type in T-9! So not only do these 8 and 9 year olds have iPhones but they all had iPhone 6's or later! These phones are valued at anywhere from roughly $500-$1000. The first time I had a phone with such a value it wasn't until I started working at a job where I got a discount on one and bought it myself.  I think it is wrong for a kid to be given a device with such a high value at such a young age. I think possessions like that should be earned to a certain degree.

Regardless these kids have these phones, so what does that mean? Growing up if I wanted to see what my fiends were up to I either had to pick up the home phone and call their house and ask their parents if they were home. Then if there was no answer on the phone I would have to walk or ride my bike down to their house to see if they could hang out. It was the same concept if you wanted to simply talk with your friends growing up. you weren't allowed to talk to them on the phone for too long because your parents didn't want you to tie up the phone line, so instead you would have to go down to their house or have then come over.

Today kids simply text or tweet their friends and can go days at a time without seeing them in person. Instead of hanging out with their friends in person they are hanging out them in the digital realm. Kids arent getting outside anymore and spending time with their friends their. I cannot recall the last time I have seen a group of kids in my neighborhood outside at night playing night games. Instead they are inside texting each other or talking to each other online.

I feel bad for kids in this generation because they are missing out on the way that we grew up. Getting to spend time outside and not focus on what is on their phones 24-7

Bystanders:

It is much easier to describe what a bystander would be to a physical fight or a verbal altercation. But what is the definition of a bystander when it comes to cyberbullying? In simple terms, a bystander is someone who witnesses an incident or incidents and doesn't do anything about it.

When it comes to cyberbullying this typically means someone who scrolls past the incident or reads through it and doesn't speak up or do anything about it. I would say the vast majority of us are bystanders to cyberbullying and half the time we don't even know it.

I think the ignorance that comes from people ignoring cyberbullying is the fact that what a lot of parents and teachers have taught us to do when we see something online like that is to not get involved. Most people have taken that as "ignore it". Where in actuality you should use the "report" button or tell a teacher or someone who is an authoritative figure.

By doing nothing that makes you a bystander. If you speak up you can help the situation. The one things parents and teachers have gotten right is don't get involved online. Don't add fuel to the fire or make the argument worse.

Today cyberbullying is arguably more common than physical/verbal bullying. With the amount of involvement todays youth has on social media it is natural that cyberbullying would occur there instead of out in the real world.

Social Media: Is it an accurate representation of your life?

Many schools, employers, and organizations keep a pretty close eye on their current and future members of their institutions. Some people find this as an invasion of privacy and believe that these places are their own private realm. But is that an accurate definition of social media in this current day and age?

Today people spend a large majority of their day online whether it be on a computer, a mobile devise, or a gaming system. When on these devices people post information about themselves, this information often being very detailed. Many people don't think twice before posting things online because it's just another place they can be themselves.

This is where that grey area begins. If people are allowed to be themselves online, and post the things they do and the things they believe in, shouldn't schools, companies, and other organizations be able to use this information before deciding if they want this person to be a part of their institution.

I personally believe that it is completely fair for anything you make public on the internet to be used to describe you as a person. I had been told from a young age to always think twice before you. I was told this for two reasons.

1. Everything you post on the internet is there forever. Even if you delete it.
2. Anyone can access the information you post on the internet no matter how private you think it is. With enough resources, money, and time, that information is accessible.

I guess with that state of mind I would consider myself lucky because I don't believe I have any information on the internet that I have posted myself that could hurt my future self. Not that there aren't embarrassing pictures from when I was young or some stupid things I have said. But nothing bad enough that it will effect me in the long run.

My biggest tip to people would be to educate yourself and your peers. Just remember the two reasons I told you earlier:
1. Everything you post on the internet is there forever. Even if you delete it.
2. Anyone can access the information you post on the internet no matter how private you think it is. With enough resources, money, and time, that information is accessible.

If you keep this in mind before you post something online then you should be okay.