Rape culture in the United States has grown to miserable, dizzying heights. According to the National Women’s Study, approximately 683,000 rapes occur per year-only one-fourth of which lead to arrests. It has certainly changed with the growth of technology, media and especially social networking.

Social networking has greatly influenced the already disgustingly prominent rape culture in the U.S. In San Jose, California, 15-year-old Audrie Pott committed suicide after she was sexually assaulted (while completely unconscious) and photos of the event were put on Facebook.

What goes through someone’s mind when they post a picture of someone they sexually assaulted on the internet, I don’t know.

My only theory is that they thought that they would have received some sort of approval from their Facebook friends. Why do people release things onto Facebook, in the first place?

It’s no longer to keep people updated on what you’ve been doing lately. It’s become an approval machine. When someone uploads a picture on Facebook, they’re hoping to reel in a lot of “likes”- which is the reason that some people delete something if it doesn’t reach a sufficient amount of likes within a certain amount of time.

From the male point of view, television, music, and media pressures us fellas into pursuing sex, because of the social acceptance that comes with it. Sex, in a way, is a right of passage for some men. This sense of pressure can greatly effect men and their responses in social situations.

If a man is at a party and has another girl drunk, the social norm would be for him to pursue her sexually. After all, this is the mind state that men are exposed to in certain forms of music and television.

do not be confused. A rapist is a rapist. I am not justifying the actions of someone who forces themselves upon someone else. My point is that men are pressured into making brash decisions in terms of sex because of social norms portrayed by the media, music, tv, etc.

My only advice to the gals out there is to have a reliable ride home, keep your drink within sight and watch those around you. Some may say to watch what you’re wearing, but this is absurd. Some think that what you wear dictates that you were “asking for it.”

No woman buys something with the hope that it will get them raped. No one asks to be raped. Whoever may be reading this, stop using the phrase “she’s asking for it.”

Finally, forget social norms and use your God-given brain. No means no. If she can’t respond to you, the answer is no. Even “yes” should be approached with great sensitivity.

All four of the boys responsible for Audrie Pott’s attack are facing sexual assault charges. Be a gentleman, and think before you post something online.