SOCIAL MEDIA

Role of Social Media and its effects on Crime



Role of Social Media and its effect on Crime

Introduction

Social Media has had one of the greatest impacts on the twenty- first century. Websites such as Facebook and Twitter make it possible for people to contact family and friends across the globe at no cost. This has opened a brand new way for people of all ages to communicate with loved ones, meet new people, and express themselves freely and openly. While there are risks involving this new technology they can easily be avoided. Social media has gained a false reputation as a place for scams, fraud and predators but in fact these problems can be easily prevented.

A study is based on the concept of fraud, white collar crimes and other unfair means that are crimes .these crimes are usually done by the high profile people such as celebrities and the other high profile people .it further tells about all those ways in which they perform crimes (Brit, 2006).Some of these security measures include hiding your photos, avoiding publication of personal information, and controlling who can access profile content. Easy access to both safety and socialization provide a whole new world of communication. Prior to the social media, means of communication were limited. Social media makes communication fast, convenient, and free of charge. Users across the globe can connect with one another within seconds (Long, 2008).

Discussion

Types of Crime

The media report on violent crimes which include homicide, assault, robbery, sexual assault and kidnapping. Sexual assault has increased along with general assault, whereas homicide has decreased, yet the media tend to report homicide more frequently than assault cases. In Britain, 40% of crime news on BBC radio was murder or death. On television 53% of all crime stories on ITN and BBC were murder and death. Homicide in Britain is the most prominent crime in news stories. This may be due to the public's perception that they fear crime or are intrigued by the sensationalism portrayed by the media reporting of the crime. This public perception may also be influenced by television shows which highlight homicide as the master crime. Certainly, the explicit nature of these shows enhances a fear of crime in society (Crawford, 2008).

Types of Media

The types of media are:

Television

Radio

Newspapers/magazines

Internet

The television is considered as the most influential medium. The problem is not necessarily television itself but the games that can be played on television with a Play Station 2 or 3. Most of these games are violent in nature which influence the player's perception of violence and crime. Currently, television and the internet are well used sources of crime reporting from the media, but it is interesting to note that news reports highlight crime as much as possible for its sensational effect on the public to attract more viewers and users. AMBER helps in preventing the kidnappings and other harms being caused to the children through different means. The study gives a detailed explanation of the system and functioning of the ...