Reflective Essay: Why Youth Love Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life – By Danah Boyd
Teenagers are fulfilling a need to hangout and socialize through social networks like MySpace and Facebook. The needs addressed through social networks are driven by teens desire to negotiate public life as they become young adults. These social networks have become the new place to hangout just like roller-skating rinks and malls used to be in the past. Societal issues such as predators and stranger danger have resulted in the Nations teenagers searching for alternative hangouts that are located inside and safe. Society, parents and teenagers have developed safety factors throughout history.
Safety in the social networking system meeting the social needs of today’s teenagers was developed by our Nation’s need to protect our youth throughout history. Historically our society wanted to socialize teenagers but in a safe manner. There were three phases in history that resulted in societal changes made to protect or occupy our Nations teenagers’ socialization time.
The first phase of the socialization started through the work forces. Many teenagers were required to work starting at the age of 14 to contribute and support their families’ finances. The work force socialization placed young teens in the adult world where they learned how to become adults and contribute to society.
The second phase of socialization started when the youth were taking jobs from the adults and our society felt there was a need for them to continue their education and to keep teenagers off the streets. During this phase teens were only socializing with their peers through school and local hangouts i.e., skating rinks. This phase narrowed the teenagers’ opportunity to interact with adults.
The third phase of socialization or anti-socialization started when society wanted to keep their teenagers safe and maintain control of their associations with the public. This phase was driven by fear of predators in society. Therefore, all these phases were societies way of dealing with teenagers. However, each phase became more and more restrictive all in the name of safety. Historically societal changes and safety factors are why many teens now utilize social networking to gain outside perspectives on how to become an adult with very little adult interaction. The need to explore and experience adult concepts in a safe environment has been met through social networks.
In conclusion, the desire to negotiate public life, as they become young adults through social networking has been driven by societal changes. The needs to keep our teenagers safe throughout history has resulted in teens searching for alternative locations to hangout and socialize in a safe manner through social networking on MySpace and Facebook. The safety of social networking has also caused many parents including myself to wonder, “How safe is it really?” I guess time will tell.
Please visit the NBC News Report "Why parents must mind MySpace," 2006 by Rob Stafford, Correspondent. Safety and Concerns
Hi Kim,
ReplyDeleteDo you think that we will see more social networking among teenagers? Also do you see many rural students using it and finding new "friends" on these sites. I wonder what the difference between rural vs. urban students usage is. I know our district has banned access to these sites completely. Most of my students have access to the internet at home. I know many rural and low ses students use school to be there access point. Also with new video games I see many more of my students hanging out on xbox live and world of warcraft online vs. facebook. This could be parents not understanding they too are forms of social networking.
Michael,
ReplyDeleteYou ask some great questions. My son spent the whole summer interacting with a group of his friends playing warcraft online. I really feel that their is a huge difference between the two genders on what is preferred. My sons friends were all male and had quite the social network of game playing going on. He would only use Facebook to talk to girls. Rural students have to be more creative and organized to arrange access to online social networking. However, I feel they have managed to get engaged and seem to enjoy the process.
Kim and Michael,
ReplyDeleteYour discussion begs the question, "What loss is there for kids who grow up with limited access to technology? What knowledge and abilities are lost? What basic skills are really necessary?
In my travels to third world countries I am constantly amazed when I see someone in a shack by the side of a jungle road surfing the internet. And cell phones are everywhere and accessible to everyone no matter how rich or poor.
Socialization and global connectivity is changing the world as we know it. Can our youth handle it?