Running head: Social Media 5 Social Media Thesis Statement The emergence of social media has led to new perspective on the public domain about privacy issues: it has changed the debate about right to privacy. Annotated Bibliography Bauerlein, P. (2011). The Digital Divide: Arguments for and Against Facebook, Google, Texting, and the Age of Social Networking. New York: Penguin Group. Having been a professor of communication, the author explores various arguments that are raised against and for the social media. The book will be instrumental in this research since it tackles the issues surrounding privacy apparent in the emerging age of social media. In particular, the first part of the book is dedicated in analyzing various aspects of privacy that the new media has touched on specifically, Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. The author also includes essays from various renowned authors such as Douglas Rushkoff as well as Todd Gitlin just to mention but two. The author also divides the book into various sections that will be very instrumental in unveiling the security and privacy issues raised by the book. For instance, the book has section name, ‘social and personal life’ that informs the research. In essence, the book is an important primary source of information that will help in approving or disapproving the thesis statement. Bill, H., Reyns, W. & Fisher, B. (2011). Security in the 21st century: examining the link between online social network activity, privacy, and interpersonal victimization. Criminal Justice Review, 36(1),251-153. This scholarly article is important and critical as a primary source of information since it synthesizes information from three acclaimed authors and professors. The authors attempt to establish a correlation between contemporary social networks with privacy. The journal also seeks to examine the link between the social networks with interpersonal victimization. Throughout the journal, it is apparent from the inferences made by the authors that there is exists a correlation between social media and the manner in which people perceive their security. As such, the book will not only provide insightful information about new social networking sites but also how they may affect the public perspectives on security. As the authors posit, the social media has also led to privacy issues that do not affect the physical domain of the users but have unprecedented impact on the emotional and psychological aspects of the users. To that end, the journal answers the question, ‘Does social media raise privacy issues especially in the wake of 21st century?’ Gleibs, H. (2014). Turning Virtual Public Spaces into Laboratories: Thoughts on Conducting Online Field Studies Using Social Network Sites. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 1(1), 1-19. Gleibs is a renowned author in the field of interpersonal communication. In this journal that provides information not only to public but also shapes the publi.

1. Running head: Social Media 5
Social Media
Thesis Statement
The emergence of social media has led to new perspective on
the public domain about privacy issues: it has changed the
debate about right to privacy.
Annotated Bibliography
Bauerlein, P. (2011). The Digital Divide: Arguments for and
Against Facebook, Google, Texting, and the Age of Social
Networking. New York: Penguin Group.
Having been a professor of communication, the author
explores various arguments that are raised against and for the
social media. The book will be instrumental in this research
since it tackles the issues surrounding privacy apparent in the
emerging age of social media. In particular, the first part of the
book is dedicated in analyzing various aspects of privacy that
the new media has touched on specifically, Facebook, Twitter
and other platforms. The author also includes essays from
various renowned authors such as Douglas Rushkoff as well as

2. Todd Gitlin just to mention but two. The author also divides the
book into various sections that will be very instrumental in
unveiling the security and privacy issues raised by the book. For
instance, the book has section name, ‘social and personal life’
that informs the research. In essence, the book is an important
primary source of information that will help in approving or
disapproving the thesis statement.
Bill, H., Reyns, W. & Fisher, B. (2011). Security in the 21st
century: examining the link between online social network
activity, privacy, and interpersonal victimization. Criminal
Justice Review, 36(1),251-153.
This scholarly article is important and critical as a primary
source of information since it synthesizes information from
three acclaimed authors and professors. The authors attempt to
establish a correlation between contemporary social networks
with privacy. The journal also seeks to examine the link
between the social networks with interpersonal victimization.
Throughout the journal, it is apparent from the inferences made
by the authors that there is exists a correlation between social
media and the manner in which people perceive their security.
As such, the book will not only provide insightful information
about new social networking sites but also how they may affect
the public perspectives on security. As the authors posit, the
social media has also led to privacy issues that do not affect the
physical domain of the users but have unprecedented impact on
the emotional and psychological aspects of the users. To that
end, the journal answers the question, ‘Does social media raise
privacy issues especially in the wake of 21st century?’
Gleibs, H. (2014). Turning Virtual Public Spaces into
Laboratories: Thoughts on Conducting Online Field Studies
Using Social Network Sites. Analyses of Social Issues and
Public Policy, 1(1), 1-19.
Gleibs is a renowned author in the field of interpersonal
communication. In this journal that provides information not
only to public but also shapes the public policy on social issues,
it is evident that the author is infuriated by the use of virtual

3. spaces to inform academic inquiry and research. The author
claims that use of social media in the long term will provide
background information of the user to such companies as
Google and Facebook which in turn might use it to study human
behavior over a period of time. Gleibs articulates that using
information stored in various social media platforms to conduct
research on the users’ behavior without their consent is an
infringement of right to privacy. The central point of the
author’s inferences is the fact that majority of the users are
being monitored by the social networking sites in order for the
companies to use the information for marketing research and
other intentions. In fact, the author is convinced that people
should be wary of the social media in order for them not to
compromise their rights to privacy.
Roessler, B. & Mokrosinska, D. (2013). Privacy and social
interaction. Philosophy & Social Criticism, 39(8), 771-791.
The authors take a philosophical approach to the question of
privacy and the modern platforms of social interaction. In
particular, the journal discusses the issues of privacy especially
in the wake of social networking sites. In the journal, it is
apparent that the author attempt to question whether the issue of
privacy matters anymore if the users of social media allow their
privacy to be taken away from them by providing personal
information. As such, the philosophers attempt to show that
there has been a significant in definition of rights to privacy as
it seems majority of the social media users have sacrificed their
right for the sake of personal and social interaction. The journal
is useful to my research owing to the fact that it illuminates
ways through which the social media has influenced public
debate on privacy. To that end, this journal will be instrumental
in shaping the thesis and arguments provided in the final
research paper.
Smith, C. (2010). Serial Sex Offender Admits Using Facebook
To Rape and Murder Teen. The Huffington Post, p. 1-3.
In this article published in the Huffington Post, Smith
explores the negative effects of social media in the society. In

4. particular, the article’s main theme is the fact that a serial sex
offender has used social media to prey on his victims. The
author cautions the readers on the negative effect of sacrificing
their privacy for the sake of social interaction. In fact, it is
apparent that the serial killer used the information left by his
victim on Facebook to track her down and murder her. This
article is instrumental as a secondary source of information that
will provide illustrations on the privacy and social media in
addition to arguing that the social media has shaped the
definition of privacy. This is just an illustration of the level of
which the information left in the social media platforms can
impact on individual physical and emotional security. Overall,
the article provides important information about social media
and privacy.
Straub, S. & Netwich, M. (2013). Social network sites, privacy
and the blurring boundary between public and private spaces.
Science and Public Policy, 40(6), 724-732.
Straub and Netwich have a long history of analyzing social
media and privacy especially in science related fields. In this
journal, they analyze the nature of contemporary social
networking sites and the relationship that exists between them
and privacy. Indeed, the journal points out that social media has
eliminated the preexisting boundary between public space and
personal space. The rationale is that many of social media users
have little if any negative perceptions about sharing their
personal information online. The authors point out that the issue
of privacy can only be considered in the context of public and
private spaces. Given the fact that social media has almost
eliminated the distinction of the two, the authors argue that the
social media has influenced the debate on social media. To that
end, the journal is important source of information for this
research paper.
Running head: Social Media 1
Social Media 7

5. Social Media
Introduction
The emergence of social networking sites and use of social
media have polarized public perspectives on privacy. While the
21st century has become synonymous with the use and overuse
of social media, many experts argue that privacy ought to be
maintained in online platforms as way of respecting individual’s
right to privacy (Bill et al., 2011). To the contrary, others point
out that privacy is long gone and social media users should not
have any expectations of privacy. They assert that social media
users are always willing to provide private information by
revealing their locality, uploading photos of family members
and providing intimate information about their lives. Such users
should have apparently low expectation of privacy. In fact,
Gleibs (2014) discerns that social media users are unconcerned
about their privacy and whether they are tracked down.
As such, the emergence of social media has led to new
perspective on the public domain about privacy issues. This
paper explores the various dimension that the debate about
social media has taken.
Social Networking Sites have Influenced Public Debate on
Online Privacy
At the outset, it is important to mention that right to privacy is
one of fundamental human rights and invasion of which can lead
to many legal issues. In the social age, however, privacy has

6. reduced significantly given the fact that information sharing is
the mainstream activity of social media. As elucidated by
Straub & Netwich (2013), there is a thin line between using
social media and expectation of privacy. However, new
perspectives on privacy have emerged as the social networking
sites continue to evolve. Social media has now become a source
of data mining activities by majority of sites such as Google and
Facebook. Given the fact that such sites store numerous
amounts of information gathered across the world, it is easy for
them to gather such information as a way of comprehending
individual behavior and patterns of interaction in the online
platforms (Gleibs, 2014). Such information is aimed providing
companies with an upper hand when designing, developing and
producing products aimed for online users.
Gleibs (2014) asserts that online virtual spaces have turned into
laboratories where companies monitor the behavior of the users
for a period of time. This does not only happen without the
consent of the users but also at the expense of right to privacy –
a fundamental human right. Gleibs (2014) articulates that
majority of online users have no idea that big social networking
sites retain their information. This is aimed at furthering their
profit making objectives. Despite apparent complains raised by
the users, the companies contend that sharing information is the
essence of the social networking sites.
Besides, they asserts that they have put up privacy settings
where the users can choose who views what information. Thus,
they exonerate themselves from accusations and blame the loss
of privacy to the users. Gleibs (2014) argues that despite the
presence of privacy settings in almost every social networking
site, the companies can access information even to the users
who have applied them. This in essence raises the public debate
on privacy primarily in regard who is responsible for online
privacy.
In their journal, Straub & Netwich (2013) contend that the issue
of privacy lies solely on the regulators as well as the owners of
social media sites. In particular, they argue that mining data

7. from such sites has helped such companies as Google to identify
problems and struggles of specific social group. For instance, it
is through the use of this apparent intrusion of privacy that
Microsoft was in a position to identify various women who
suffer from postpartum depression (Straub & Netwich, 2013).
Although possibilities of using online data mining to identify
such conditions seems elusive and minimal for researcher,
Gleibs (2014) argues that it was the rationale that led to the
convention of social and personality psychologists. However,
the question of monitoring behavior of online users has
increased the spectrum of studying human collective behavior.
Bill et al. (2011) point out that majority of online data mining
especially in social mediums could be helpful and identify
trends that could provide insights to entire ‘online society’. To
this end, the concept of data mining by accessing user’s data
could also be helpful in monitoring anti-social behavior
amongst individual and may be a major boost to the entire
safety of online users and counter crime.
Another perspective of social media that comes out apparently
and may seem to influence the public debate about online
privacy is the emerging trend of cyber stalking (Bill et al.,
2011). Given that majority of the social media users in sites
such as Facebook and MySpace give personal information on
the internet, some of them might not be aware of how the
privacy settings work. In other words, they are usually prone to
cyberstalking where stalkers use the online platforms to identify
their victim’s location and other personal information (Roessler
& Mokrosinska, 2013). In fact, the growth of social media has
also come along with the increase of applications whose main
aim border’s cyberstalking. According to Bauerlein (2011),
cyberstalking is a new crime that has emerged as a result of
social media yet new regulations and laws to counter the vice
are still in the pipeline. To this end, it is worth mentioning that
this concept has shaped the public discussion on online social
media.
Social media platforms do not only reflect a collection of data

8. and private information but they are also organized in such a
way that they catalyze increased participation of the users while
at the same time ensuring that they collect as much information
from the users as possible (Bauerlein, 2011). This raises the
privacy issue of the main objective of the sites. Apparently, the
companies are able to study individual behavior of online users
ensuring that they can create applications aimed at inducing the
users to remain glued to their respective sites (Bill et al., 2011).
They also use this method to entice users to divulge as much
information as possible. As espoused by Roessler &
Mokrosinska (2013), the social networking platforms and
companies do not care whether the users own particular brand of
cars, hairstyles and smartphones. To them, what matters is that
the users reveal that information. For instance, they might use
the information about cars and sell it to car makers who will be
able to understand their target market as well as the social
profile of such people. Profit making motives of companies and
social media sites has led to the loss of privacy further
influencing the public debate about privacy (Roessler &
Mokrosinska, 2013).
Finally, the debate has now started to draw attention of the
people who hold the argument that the online users are to blame
for the apparent invasive activities of social media sites. Smith
(2010) postulates that majority of social media users who
genuinely provide their information on internet platforms have
little if any concern about their privacy (Bauerlein, 2011). In
fact, when they provide such information as physical locations,
their phone numbers, the name of their spouses and share
pictures of their close relatives are not concerned about privacy.
As such, Smith (2010) articulates that such users have low
expectations of privacy and suppose that the actual intention
and essence of social media is to share information. Hence,
nobody should force them to set up privacy settings since it is
their choice for their personal information to be in the public
domain (Bill et al., 2011). This influences the debate as to
whether those who are willing to disclose their information

9. should be coerced not to.
Conclusion
In essence, popularity of social media has increased
exponentially since late last decade. Numerous sites have
emerged to provide users with platforms where they can share
information about their feelings on any issue. Equally, this has
influenced the public debate about social media and online
security. Various perspectives of invasion of privacy have
emerged. Most significantly, the fact that social networking
sites access information of all users through data mining
activities without the consent of the users. Their main objective
is to sell the data and information to marketing researchers
among others (Bill et al., 2011).
Besides, the emergence of social media has brought about the
increasing trend of cyberstalking that is a crime. According to
studies, companies that own these sites are also proactive in
enticing the users to divulge the personal information and
participate in the platforms provided. However, some scholars
argue that sharing information is a choice of the users and
majority of them are unconcerned about their privacy (Smith,
2010). From whichever angle one might think of it, it is clear
that social media sites have influenced and shaped the public
debate about online privacy in the contemporary world.
References
Bauerlein, P. (2011). The Digital Divide: Arguments for and
Against Facebook, Google, Texting, and the Age of Social
Networking. New York: Penguin Group.
Bill, H., Reyns, W. & Fisher, B. (2011). Security in the 21st
century: examining the link between online social network
activity, privacy, and interpersonal victimization. Criminal
Justice Review, 36(1),251-153.
Gleibs, H. (2014). Turning Virtual Public Spaces into
Laboratories: Thoughts on Conducting Online Field Studies
Using Social Network Sites. Analyses of Social Issues and

10. Public Policy, 1(1), 1-19.
Roessler, B. & Mokrosinska, D. (2013). Privacy and social
interaction. Philosophy & Social Criticism, 39(8), 771-791.
Smith, C. (2010). Serial Sex Offender Admits Using Facebook
To Rape and Murder Teen. The Huffington Post, p. 1-3.
Straub, S. & Netwich, M. (2013). Social network sites, privacy
and the blurring boundary between public and private spaces.
Science and Public Policy, 40(6), 724-732.