Social Media Alleged Cause Of Severe Beating At McDonald’s
Social media likely played a key factor in a severe beating involving teenagers that took place at a McDonald's.
The NYPD released video footage from a cell phone that captured a brutal assault outside a McDonald’s in Queens, NY. The video depicted four teens beating up and tasing two teen girls with a stun gun. Police say the alleged brutal assault against the 14 and 15-year-old victims was fueled by a disagreement that began on social media.
According to NBC New York, three of the four suspects, ages 14, 16, and 17-years-old were arrested and charged with second-degree assault, and harassment. The 16-year-old suspect has additionally been charged with criminal possession of a weapon for the alleged use of the stun gun. One suspect still remains at large. Police said the heated disagreement that began on social media and turned into a violent attack against the two young teens on Thursday on Springfield Boulevard, in a Queens Mcdonald’s parking lot was recorded. The 14 and 15-year-old victims can be seen in defensive positions as they are pushed around by a group of teen girls around 4:15 pm outside the fast-food restaurant.
The two young victims were then repeatedly punched and eventually one of the victims was tased with a stun gun. The victims suffered bruising, swelling, cuts, and lacerations to their heads and all over their bodies, as a result of the alleged assault. Both the 14 and 15-year-old victims were taken to Cohen Children’s Medical Center in stable condition and treated accordingly for the injuries they had received from the attack in the Mcdonald’s parking lot. A backpack belonging to one of the victims was taken after the attack. The backpack contained AirPods, Money, and a school ID valued at $170 and was usurped by the teen who still remains at large.
The alleged assault on the two teens outside the Queens Mcdonald’s is not one of the first to happen or be recorded. However, it’s concerning to think that social media was the cause of this particular incident. That being said, there is very little research or analytics to support if increased hours on social media directly correlate to aggressive behavior in young teens.
There are, however, research findings that indicate certain types of internet use can be connected to an increase in aggression and violence. Young teens that have viewed violent online content were apt to more likely be found guilty of serious crimes. Major social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram allow young teens to freely communicate their thoughts, ideas, and beliefs. This can potentially serve to provide an outlet from which potentially violent incidents could erupt.
For instance, back in June of 2014, two young Wisconsin preteens lured one of their best friends into the woods and stabbed her 19 times. Following this horrible violent crime, when the two preteens were asked why they did such a horrific thing to their best friend, they both stated “slenderman” made them do it. The common denominator between the slenderman incident and the young victims of the alleged assault outside of McDonald’s in Queens was internet and social media use.
While there is no corroborative evidence that social media was a definitive catalyst, it’s certainly concerning to make the connection. Concerned parents can monitor their teens’ devices and social media via free social media monitoring apps located in the app stores on any smart devices. These available options can help watch over what kind of social activity your teen is participating in.
