Earlier this month, a 16-year-old boy was fatally shot outside a North Las Vegas strip mall. The boy, LaMadre Harris, was allegedly gunned down by a man who approached him outside the mall at around 2pm on November 13. His death is one of many attributed to youth crimes in the same area in recent months, and one of many tied to gang violence.
After frenzied investigations, the FBI and North Las Vegas Police at last tracked down and arrested his alleged killer – 18-year-old Al’Dijon Williams – who has since been booked on a count of murder. The sad truth about the tragedy is that it all began with a social media post, making it one in a spate of fatalities linked to social networking in recent months.
LaMadre and Al’Dijon aren’t the only ones who became tragically caught up in the rapid escalation of violence spurring from online media. In 2014, two teenagers from Wisconsin allegedly dragged their best friend into the woods before stabbing her 19 times. When asked what incited their rage, they simply responded that ‘Slenderman’ – a fictional internet character – made them do it. The girls were sentenced to 40 years in a mental institution for their crime.
The purported link between social media and youth violence isn’t a new phenomenon. Earlier this year The Guardian covered the issue in depth, making a case for youth workers who were supposedly ill-equipped to deal with gang and youth-related violence arising from online arguments. It claimed gangs were increasingly using social media sites to taunt each other and spark debate, and that arguments between pupils at school were more often than not linked to something that was said online.
Dr Simon Harding, a senior lecturer in criminology, pointed out that it was roughly four years ago that researchers, criminologists and youth workers began noticing the correlation between crime and social media – and that since, the stats have doubled year on year. Dr Harding makes a case for greater investment in specialized training for social workers, teachers and other youth workers in light of the growing phenomenon.
Is it true though? Can there really be a correlation between violence and online social platforms? Is there not enough attention being paid to the blurring of fiction and reality – and between the real world where law applies and the virtual one, where anything goes? Or is it much the same violence we have seen and experienced up until now, simply appearing in a different form?
There has been limited research to date exploring the issue, however it has been found that an increased number of hours on social media correlates directly with aggressive behavior – with certain types of online usage more prone to correlate with aggressive behavior. For example, young people who viewed violent content online were more likely to commit serious crimes and their potential for copycat violence was increased. Young people who spent a lot of time browsing their friends’ social networking pages were found also to be significantly more likely to demonstrate traits associated with violent behavior.
Some governments are going so far as to take action on social media-fueled violence. The Odisha Government of Bhadrak, India, blocked access to social media for 48 hours following a series of allegedly abusive posts against Hindu deities that were posted on social media. Its spokesperson said the move was designed to “prevent rumour mongers from instigating people and escalating tension”. The violence began when a group of demonstrators protested for the immediate arrest of those involved in posting offensive remarks on social media, and culminated with the arrests of 43 people in connection with the violence, damaged vehicles and the demolition of several shops. But should it be up to governments to reign in those mouse-happy social media users seeking to incite violence and hatred? Or should social media platforms themselves be responsible for monitoring users’ activities and blacklisting those doing the wrong thing?
One Snapchat spokesperson said the platform was dedicated to creating a safe environment for its users and has integrated new and easy ways for reporting violence and threats via the platform. Other social media platforms are also taking small steps to preventing the spread of violence and hate speech, although the largest and richest firms continue to be described as “shamefully far” from tackling illegal and dangerous content appropriately.
Some social workers and sociologists argue education should play a greater role in addressing the issue. Understanding the physical and mental impact of excessive online browsing and social media use could go a long way in preventing teenagers from developing the obsessive habits so prolific among millennials and young people today. Education specifically targeted toward dealing with the approaches of gangs and terrorist recruitment platforms could go even further in preventing youths from being recruited and groomed for violent causes. Whatever the best solution may be, at the very least a conversation needs to be had about our young people and the true impacts of their online activities – an offline conversation, preferably.
