Title of the Essay, Author, Date

Effects of Graphic Photo Use in Social Media by Mary T. McCarthy (April 16, 2014)

Title of the Reflection

Outcomes of Using Graphic Photo in Social Media

First Impression

Consequences that we faced if we using graphic photos is social medias.

Quote

Trigger warnings are a good idea to use on social media because of the public way in which content is being shared. When an author is writing on a sensitive topic—whether it’s suicide, eating disorders, or violence, it’s certainly considered professional and courteous to warn readers in advance that they might find the material sensitive.

Reflection Paper

I feel that Facebook has taken the best approach in this situation and has handled the situation tactfully. People should responsible to whom they share their photos.  The Facebook user has control over what content pops up on their news feed and has just as much control to
delete/unfriend if one of their “friends” posts a “disturbing” photo. If you don’t like it, then unfriend that person. Second, when graphic photos are posted with the intent to condemn the subject of the photo that is doing something unethical, then the face book user has all the freedom to unfollow whoever uploaded the photos. The user has all the power to unfollow to whom he did not like. Because for me these are people who wants attention. Once their photos ae being subject for criticism, they feel elated.  So why give them the satisfaction of being an audience. One thing I do feel that Facebook can improve on is what they consider pornographic. These girls are advertising themselves wrongfully and putting themselves in harm’s way. I feel that because Facebook is family-focused, it should be stricter on pornographic-like photos and put in a greater effort to remove these photos.  Maybe Facebook can develop a system wherein all photos should be scrutinized first before posting, especially the pornographic photos.  Face book should change policies after petitions and forced age minimums show that the sites are listening to public outcry resulting from a wide diversity in moral standards. Whether the effect of posting a graphic image to a social media site is positive, creating an negative, it’s clear that posting polarizing images has the potential to have an impact beyond the social media profile of an individual.

5 things I learned

1. Users of social media choose to post graphic images for different reasons. 
2. Facebook did not ban the woman’s photo, it was her own social network that chose to unfriend her as a result of the images. But she found support as well: Her “Under the Red Dress” Facebook page has nearly 60,000 likes and her message “your scars aren’t ugly; they mean you’re alive” resonates on her website.
3. “Facebook takes threats of self-harm very seriously. We remove any promotion or encouragement of self-mutilation, eating disorders or hard drug abuse. Facebook also work with suicide prevention agencies around the world to provide assistance for people in distress.”
4. Facebook’s community standards are clear on its policy of dealing with graphic images:
5. Bans on porn vary by social media site. Instagram and mother Facebook are very clearly on the side of family-friendly.

5 integrative questions

1.  Why what was the reason social media changed policy determinations over time to reflect changing moral systems and how do these policies affect users?
2. Why attention to an illness or social issue is a very different motivation from posting an image because of its sexually explicit nature, yet can these two choices have the same outcome of potentially being banned from social networking sites?
3. Why what was the reason Facebook banned the account of a woman using a different kind of graphic image to tell a story?
4. Where people turn to share their experiences and raise awareness about issues important to them?
5. Why there are times when trigger warnings are necessary for graphic image content on social media sites?