NEWTON, NJ – Halsted Middle School students in Joseph Bolen’s English Language Arts classes have had the opportunity to hone their persuasive writing skills. They have been working on essays in response to the thought-provoking prompt of “the unplanned but prevalent topic of the role of technology in education and the workforce,” Bolen said.

Their journey has included developing the background information about the topic, annotating, analyzing and evaluating exemplary writing. They then developed and selected topics for their essays focusing on the driving question, “How can we write effective argumentative essays about relevant community, national and global topics,” according to Bolen.

Six of the essays will be presented here, selected by Bolen.

SIGNUPSCRIPT

Social Media: Controlling or Entertaining

Imagine you are getting bullied but on the computer, or an embarrassing photo you took years ago got leaked, and many other mortifying scenarios. These predicaments happened to 37% of people between the ages of 12 and 17. These insults and teasing occurred because of social media where children interact with one another on websites, apps, and tablets to stay connected for most of their waking hours. Teens have been losing control due to all this screen time and not any outdoor physical activities. As a result of this waste of potentially positive resources, teens and kids will spend all their time on social media trying to get more followers and liking their friends' Insta posts instead of what matters, such as developing hobbies or spending time with loved ones. Social media also causes low self-esteem and leads students to misguided views and relationships. Minors and kids should not be allowed to go on social media because of cyberbullying, discrimination of race or body, and getting victimized by strangers, friends, and classmates.

Minors shouldn't have access to social media because of TikTok. Some people believe that TikTok is a platform where you can watch videos of your favorite dancer, but that’s just the positive part. What their argument fails to consider is in 2022 there have been a total of 15 deaths due to kids doing the "Blackout Challenge”. This challenge is where kids or teens have to hold their breath until they pass out or kill themselves. The “Blackout Challenge” has been linked to the deaths of at least 15 kids aged 12 or younger in the past 18 months. According to data Businessweek compiled from news reports, court records, and interviews with family members, at least five children aged 13 and 14 also died at that time. Kids don't only try to do trends that they can get harmed but also inappropriate ones. Since CardiB made her new song "WAP," many adults have been making TikToks and younger kids followed. This trend is wildly inappropriate to the point where multiple people will say lewd comments to young girls about how nice they look and tell them to dance more. I am not saying that young children are at fault, but that social media is blamable, and the only reason that kids act dangerously or inappropriately is to get views and likes.**BULLSEYE

Moreover, if minors ever want to post a dance video on TikTok, there is a 75% chance that someone in the comment section would say something inappropriate or violent. An expert from CNN Health, Madeline Holcombe, took time and had multiple teens complete a survey on how they feel about social media. On a positive note, 80% of teens said social media gives them some level of connection to what is going on in their friends’ and loved one's lives, 71% said it is a place where they can show their creativity, 67% said social media makes them feel a slight bit better and that they have people to support them through challenging times, and about 58% expressed it makes them feel more accepted, according to this survey. This same survey also has a negative response for the same topic, as girls between the ages 15 to 17 were more likely than any other group to say that they don’t post things on social media because they are anxious about being embarrassed. And 60% of all teens report feeling little to no power over the data social media organizations gather from them. How can minors feel safe when people are making jokes about their race or body and other improper comments?

Another essential point, social media was a tool to keep in touch with friends but as of late, it has become a back alley where predators lurk, waiting for their next victim. Social media puts everyone on the same platform, allowing people to interact with whom they would've never met in person. For example, children can tell strangers where they live or their parents’ credit information. Almost 4,000 children found that 43% of those between 8 and 13 years old are talking to people they have never met in real life on social media and gaming platforms. But this also means people can hide their true identities and inconspicuously prey young children. Predators who say they're 'of age' post pictures of barely legal girls/boys to attract young users. These predators then use the attention they receive from these unsuspecting children to groom them for their disgusting desires. With many social media platforms having an age limit of 13+ but not enforcing it, surely something should be done about this.

Clearly, children shouldn't be entitled to go on social media because of cyberbullying, discrimination of race or body, and getting bullied by strangers, friends, and classmates. Lots of people who still talk to strangers or tell people their information are the ones who get harmed or put their family in danger. As you can see, kids can be told to do reckless things that revolve around social media, and they’ll do it. Also, if you accidentally post a photo that doesn't look that good, you would feel embarrassed because of the barrage of insults sure to follow. And this is why I say minors should not have social media.**STANDARD

This is the second of six essays from Bolen’s ELA students.