Teenagers observed harrasment on social networks- By: Sanna Nasser Sheikh

Study a report it has been proves that nine in 10 teenagers say they have observed cruelty by their peers on social networks. Face book is the most dominant social network that choice for every teen.

According to survey report by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, they conduct a surveyed 800 children between the ages of 12 and 17. They assumed that incidents of harsh and unkind behavior are spread at large scale and cut across all ages and backgrounds on social networks.

According to Pew, The data on Internet experiences for young people is not all bad. Eight in 10 teenagers said they have developed positive feelings about themselves and forged better friendships on social networking site.

 “For teens, these are exciting and rewarding spaces. But the majority have seen a darker side,” said Amanda Lenhart, a co-author of Pew’s report, “Teens, Kindness and Cruelty on Social Network Sites.”

Of course, bad behavior among children has been around as long as youngsters have stolen milk money and scribbled insults on bathroom walls, experts say. And online bullying is not as common as what takes place on the schoolyard or in the hallway, Pew said.

The report shows that cruelty among the teens spread due to their harsh behavior.  21 percent said they merged with the irritation. Three out of 10 girls ages 12 to 13 said they have to tolerate unkind treatment on social networks the most negative response of any group of youth.

Lenhart and other experts on social media said teenagers see themselves differently online than in the real world. Some assume a sort of “alter ego” on the Web, engaging in conversation with more bravado and taking more risks than they do when face to face with a peer, she said.

The most dominant social network Facebook has its 800 million user’s world wide. It has requires to identify its members with real identities. It has been thinks that it is the one way to avoid from harassment, and also permit users to block photos and comments themselves that they don’t like.

Rachel Simmons, an author and speaker on children and social media, said bullying occurs most in middle school, yet parents are often helping their children get online when they are younger than 13, the minimum age required for Facebook.

Simmons said, “The younger the kid, the meaner the peer group becomes, so this is an alert to parents that not every kid is ready for the independence of having their own social networking page."