Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-3-2015
Abstract
A stranger, in simple terms, is best defined as a person with whom one has no personal acquaintance. Society constantly warns children from a young age to not accept candy from, get in a car with, and most importantly talk to strangers. Even after growing up, adults are still warned against going places alone, meeting people online, and putting their trust in people they have never met. The underlying message is this: strangers equal danger. Despite these frequent warnings, social media has found a way to glamorize strangers and make it socially acceptable to interact with them. Disguised under the pretense of becoming more cultured, adolescents and young adults are increasingly willing to connect and interact with strangers through social media. On the social networking site, Instagram, these strangers appear attractive, captivating, and flawless. They attract the attention of others because their lives allude to something better, something other users viewing their profile will then strive to attain. Although the people that Instragram users follow may not seem as threatening as a stereotypical stranger, they still pose an entirely new danger to their followers; a danger whose magnitude has yet to be evaluated.
Recommended Citation
Kong, Sarina, "Instagram: The Real Stranger Danger" (2015). Pop Culture Intersections. 5.
https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/engl_176/5
Included in
American Popular Culture Commons, English Language and Literature Commons, Film and Media Studies Commons, Nonfiction Commons