Facts Here’s a fact I want everyone to think about. About 58% (more than half) of teenagers admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online. That means that if you take a look around, more than half of us in this room have been victims of online bullying. Introduction Good morning fellow peers. May I begin with how wonderful it is to be presenting to you today on a controversial but very significant debate. Today’s youth are being corrupted by a new and powerful source. Social media has flourished in the age of the Internet. When used responsibly and with caution, social networks can be a great tool for building social and professional relationships. When used immaturely or carelessly, social networks can be a dangerous medium capable of great damage. As I will convey to you today, social media is corrupting today’s youth by promoting two undignified characteristics including bullying and having shorter attention spans. As you will see, young people are becoming vulnerable to the corrupting influences of social media leading to unsuccessful and meaningless connections. Argument 1 Bullying Bullying has been a part of human life for all of recorded history, but social media is sparking a frightening increase. This disturbing trend is becoming more prevalent as social media has become accessible at all times in all places, increasing the opportunity for bullying and allowing harassment to take place on a 24/7 basis. Often, social media is blamed, as the victim has been attacked repeatedly on sites like Facebook and Myspace. Some claim that this attack on social networking is unfair and the sites are easy culprits. O’Keeffe and Clarke-Pearson, doctors in the American Academy of Paediatrics, disagree claiming “cyberbullying is quite common, can occur to any young person online, and can cause profound psychosocial outcomes including depression, anxiety, severe isolation, and, tragically, suicide” (2011). Social