Within today’s society, the media’s presence is seemingly more unavoidable than ever. Whether its regarding the upcoming presidential election or covering the latest phenomena that’s happening in the Middle East, we are constantly being informed of new information at rapid speed. With the invention of smart phones, we have truly redefined the meaning of having the world at the palm of your hand, perpetuating the constant need and desire to be connected to our mobile devices everywhere we go. This form of communicating and networking can take us away from the present moment and distract us from our reality in the physical world. However, this same form of communicating has allowed us to gain access to endless information and resources,
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Adolescents who are still confused about their sexual identity can use different websites to aid them on their journey to self discovery. It can act as means of self expression for kids who don’t have access to guidance counselors at school or even someone to talk to in their family. An excerpt from the journal, The Computers in Human Behavior, states that “early research revealed that LGBTQ users often found safe and accepting environments online, and that these interactions were often beneficial to users’ psychological well-being” (Fox Ralston 2). In addition, their findings also reported that, “the scope of information on the internet as well as the ability to access it anonymously is invaluable.” (Fox, Ralston 2). This source helped me to look at this topic from another perspective in which I had overlooked before. It makes known the importance of the anonymity aspect online, which serves as an outlet where users can hide their identity. This is so crucial to teens specifically in the LGBTQ+ community because so many are still unsure of this personal identity. Having the option to be anonymous online, and not having to declare an identity allows users to explore their individuality without fear of judgment or discernment from others. Furthermore, according to an article that takes a deeper look into how individuals develop their identity through social media platforms, “it has been suggested that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth in particular are able to cultivate a sexual minority identity online while their offline lives may require them to present as heterosexual or limit the presentation of their ideal sexuality in some way.” (Harrison Hillier 83) This source reiterates how the online world can be a place where teens can be
Adolescents who are still confused about their sexual identity can use different websites to aid them on their journey to self discovery. It can act as means of self expression for kids who don’t have access to guidance counselors at school or even someone to talk to in their family. An excerpt from the journal, The Computers in Human Behavior, states that “early research revealed that LGBTQ users often found safe and accepting environments online, and that these interactions were often beneficial to users’ psychological well-being” (Fox Ralston 2). In addition, their findings also reported that, “the scope of information on the internet as well as the ability to access it anonymously is invaluable.” (Fox, Ralston 2). This source helped me to look at this topic from another perspective in which I had overlooked before. It makes known the importance of the anonymity aspect online, which serves as an outlet where users can hide their identity. This is so crucial to teens specifically in the LGBTQ+ community because so many are still unsure of this personal identity. Having the option to be anonymous online, and not having to declare an identity allows users to explore their individuality without fear of judgment or discernment from others. Furthermore, according to an article that takes a deeper look into how individuals develop their identity through social media platforms, “it has been suggested that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth in particular are able to cultivate a sexual minority identity online while their offline lives may require them to present as heterosexual or limit the presentation of their ideal sexuality in some way.” (Harrison Hillier 83) This source reiterates how the online world can be a place where teens can be