Copyright Date:
2024
Edition Date:
2024
Release Date:
08/01/23
Pages:
64 pages
ISBN:
1-678-20590-7
ISBN 13:
978-1-678-20590-4
Dewey:
302.23
LCCN:
2023014672
Dimensions:
24 cm
Language:
English
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews
Is social media more good than bad? That's easy to answer: It depends.The author's careful "both sides" approach is evident from the start, with mention of the jaw-dropping income of a young U.S. TikTok influencer followed by official concerns over TikTok's Chinese Communist Party links. In chapters examining online misinformation, harassment and trafficking, addiction, and political disinformation and suppression, the negative aspects have the upper hand. That's as it should be, since positive uses are readily summoned up, while social media's dangerous side is often hidden. "Media saturation overload" and other forms of psychological stress can result from excessive exposure to these negatives. Moderation and parental monitoring are suggested; government intervention might or might not help; and tech companies themselves have made some efforts toward user protection. Negatives are analyzed so that readers can recognize and potentially avoid them, sometimes by using other tech, such as apps. Of course, the connection, communication, and learning made possible by social media are positive things, and AI offers hope for identifying disinformation. The book also describes the online organization of social justice and pro-democracy protests, as well as entrepreneurial endeavors. Sidebars repeat key quotations. Stock photos show people of different ages and races. This is a concise and thought-provoking overview of a critically important subject.Clearly presented information on social media is helpful at any age: This book might benefit parents as well as teens. (picture credits, source notes, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)
Bibliography Index/Note:
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Social media offers the promise of bringing people together and enabling them to share ideas and information. However, social media also has a dark side, with malicious users peddling misinformation, harassing others, and running scams to defraud unwary victims. This book examines both good aspects and bad, and explores how social media platforms could be made safer and more reliable as sources of information.