1. An Analysis of Facebook’s Impact
on Youth.
By Nicola Austin
c3130276
2. Contents
• Definition of Social Networks
• Brief History of Facebook
• Facebook – In Simple English
(YouTube clip)
• Facebook Pie Graph
• Facebook Statistics
• Pro’s & Con’s
• Influences on Education
• Initial Problems
• How do we adapt?
• Profile Viewing
• Privacy
• Teen Behaviour
• Identity Management
• Conclusion
3. Definition of Social Networks
According to Merchant (2012), “The social network is a way of conceptualising social
groupings and interaction;…In an era of technologised sociability, this conflation of
everyday human experience with mediated communication is significant in itself as
social interaction becomes almost synonymous with, and is some cases
indistinguishable from, the technology that enables it.”
Pempek et al. (2009) defines social networks in a more specific sense, “such
as Facebook, MySpace, Friendster, LiveJournal and Bebo, are member-based
internet communities that allow users to post profile information, such as a
username and photograph, and to communicate with others in innovative
ways such as sending public or private online messages or sharing photos
online.”
4. Brief History
Acquisti & Gross (2005) explain, “In
recent years online social networking
has moved from niche phenomenon
to mass adoption. Although the
concept dates back to the 1960’s,
viral growth and commercial interest
only arose well after the advent of
the Internet. The rapid increase in
participation in very recent years has
been accompanied by a progressive Facebook was launched in February
diversification and sophistication of 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg. The Harvard
purposes and usage patterns across University student launched the
a multitude of different sites.” program from his dormitory room.
5. Facebook – In Simple English.
Click on either the Facebook
icon or YouTube link!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJJN
M2KWYtc
6. “ Online social networking could be seen as a newer
way of enhancing or modifying pre-existing
relations- with the term probably best used as a
way of capturing, in a rather general way, the use
of web-based communication to build or maintain
such things as friendship or interest groups,
extended family ties, and professional, political or
religious affiliations.”
(Merchant, 2011)
7. Facebook users per age group in Australia
2012
4% 5%
7% 6%
13-15
12%
16-17
23% 18-24
25-34
35-44
17%
45-54
55-64
26%
65+
http://www-958.ibm.com/software/data/
cognos/manyeyes/visualizations/percentage-
of-facebook-users-per-a
8. Fun Facebook Stats!
•Approximately 100,000 new •Brisbane is the most Facebook-
Facebook accounts were created obsessed city, with the highest
each month in 2011. percentage of Facebook penetration,
•There are over 10.7 million followed by Perth, Sydney,
Australians actively using Facebook Melbourne and Adelaide.
(log in at least once every 30 days) – •Three areas of Melbourne Airport
over 60% of the online population were included in the top 5 most
•54% of Australian Facebook users popular places to check-in in
are female, 46% are male. Australia for 2011 (including number
•The largest age group of Facebook 1 and 2)
users in Australia is 25-34 year olds, •The average Australian user spends
followed by 18-24 year olds. 26 minutes and 27 seconds on
•In 2011, more than 28% of all Facebook every time they log and
Australians on Facebook were will spend 6 hours and 46 minutes on
between the ages of 35 and 54 Facebook per month
<http://thesocialskinny.com/100-social-media-statistics-for-2012/>
9. PRO’S
o Meeting new people.
o Connecting with family and
friends in different countries.
o Ability to receive news and
gossip in a rapid time.
o Share pictures and stories
about your life with others.
o The ability to share data,
interesting facts and
educational findings with
others.
o New way of learning.
10. CON’S
o Identity theft.
o Time consuming and
distraction.
o Excessive gossip.
o Strangers.
o Online bullying.
o Teens searching for the
wrong attention.
11. Influences on Education
As the everyday use of web 2.0 and
social networking sites increase, it
has been debated as to how much
educators should be incorporating
this new way of socialising and
learning into their curriculum.
“Some of the difficulties that
educators face in tapping into their
students’ experiences in the context
of formal education may be beyond
their control, constrained by
curriculum and assessment regimes
as well as institutional policies…”
(Merchant, 2011)
12. Initial Problems
According to Merchant, (2011) some
of the difficulties educators may face
in regards to their students and
social networking sites (SNS) are:
- Open and unfiltered access to
online interaction.
- Perceived notion that teenagers
are more expert than their
teachers when it comes to
popular culture.
- Lack of knowledge or familiarity.
13. However…
“SNSs clearly do provide opportunities for
geographically and temporally dispersed groups
and individuals to communicate, exchange
information and develop ideas, and from this
perspective, we may be able to glimpse some
new ways of structuring learning communities.”
(Davies & Merchant, 2009b).
14. So, how do we adapt?
The main priority for educators is to be able to engage
with and understand their students. The problem being
many of our teachers are unfamiliar with this new way of
learning, as they have not grown up in a technology
dominant society.
Merchant, (2011) suggests three solutions for our
teachers:
1. Learning about SNSs
2. Learning from SNSs
3. Learning with SNSs
15. Learning about SNSs
“This is crucial in understanding the worlds that
our students inhabit as well as identifying the
knowledge, skills and dispositions involved as
social and cultural capital.” (Merchant, 2011).
Having the knowledge to create awareness about the
internet and it’s resources is helpful for teachers so
they are able to educate students on important issues
which may sometimes be overlooked such as; privacy,
safety and responsibility.
16. Learning from SNSs
One advantages of SNSs is the fact it has created a new way of
communicating and learning between, either individuals or
groups. It is a fresh approach to not only learning but also teach,
so learning to interact with these sites in an educational manner
can benefit students and teachers but offering a diverse learning
tool to expand our overall knowledge.
"By understanding how students may be positively using these
networking technologies in their daily lives and where the as-yet-
unrecognized educational opportunities are, we can help make
schools even more relevant, connected, and meaningful to kids.“
(Greenhow, C. 2011)
17. Learning with SNSs
Merchant (2011) believes this strategy “involves making use of leaners’
existing online social networks to support and extend curriculum based work.”
Examples of ways in which we can extend the curriculum using SNSs are:
- By using it as a resource for collaborative learning
- Express different ideas and having the freedom to share links and other
interesting websites to others
"Think about not only incorporating technology into your lessons, but creating
more and more compelling assignments so that 21st century skills, the kinds
of things students will have to develop in terms of critical thinking, problem
solving, collaboration, global participation -- that these are incorporated into
assignments. The best spaces will incorporate social media, and interacting
with others.” (Cator,K. 2011)
18. Who is Viewing your Profile?
Privacy has been a major issue “Personal data is generously
when it comes to SNSs and the provided and limiting privacy
Internet. Many people are preferences are sparingly used.
oblivious or unconcerned over Due to the variety of richness of
the seriousness of personal personal information disclosed in
Facebook profiles, their visibility,
privacy. their public linkages to the
members’ real identities, and the
scope of the network, users may
put themselves at risk for a
variety of attacks on their physical
and online persona.”
(Acquisti & Gross, 2011.)
20. Privacy Proof your Page!
Simple tips to ensure your personal information is
secure.
Ensure your Facebook privacy settings are set
correctly. For example, set your profile to be viewed
by ‘friends only’. That way anyone you have not
agreed to be friends with on Facebook will not have
access to your information.
Don’t add or accept ‘friend requests’ from unknown
people.
Don’t display your house address or phone number
on Facebook.
21. “naming is always an exercise in power… The
future of cyberspace, therefore, will be
determined not only through the invention of
new hardware, but also through the names we
employ to describe it.”
(Gunkel & Gunkel, 1997:133)
22. Crying out for Attention?
Many people in the community
feel that social networking sites,
like Facebook, are just used for a
place for teens to whinge and
draw unnecessary attention to
themselves. This image is quite a
mild case compared to some of
the posts displayed about
committing suicide. Arguably, this
is a major factor as to why SNSs
can be viewed as an unhealthy
habit or influence on teens.
23. Why are teens behaving this way?
“It becomes apparent from relevant research
that online social networks simultaneously
suggest genres of behaviour through their
architectural elements to the behavioural idioms
of their users, who customize them to connect
better their offline and online interactions.”
(Papacharissi, 2009)
24. Offline vs. Online Identities
The impression we make of “In some sense, people have
ourselves to others and the more control online – they are
way we convey these identities able to carefully choose what
is a vital part of everyday life, information to put forward,
especially for teenagers who thereby eliminating visceral
are trying to work out who reactions that might have
they are and where they fit seeped out in everyday
into society. communication. At the same
time, these digital bodies are
fundamentally coarser, making
it far easier to misinterpret
what someone is expressing.”
(Boyd, 2007)
26. “While what teens present may or may not
resemble their offline identity, their primary
audience consists of peers that they know
primarily offline- people from school, church,
work, sports teams, etc. Because this direct link
between offline and online identities, teens are
inclined to present the side of themselves that
they believe will be well received by these
peers.”
(Boyd, 2007)
27. Conclusion
Research into the rapidly evolving world of digital culture will continue for many
years, the impacts it has on our teens in only one small aspect of this expanding
new world.
It seems evident, teens are slowly trying to work out where they stand in society
in both online and offline communities. Both, appearing to be completely
different worlds.
A dominant reason as to why the internet seems to be affecting teens is simply
because some of the older generation are unaware of the processes involved with
the online community. Therefore, drawing a line of division and providing a gap
between these two generations. Making it difficult to be able to communicate
and understand each other.
Education about SNSs seems to be a key asset in ensuring, not only our youth but
our community are aware of the impact of digital culture. However, the
importance of embracing this new phenomenon must not be over looked.
The forever expanding opportunities available from the internet will allow
individuals to expand their knowledge and skills in multiple ways. The use of
internet and the influence of digital culture is only going to grow, so it is our
responsibility to embrace this change in society and educate upcoming youth to
maximise our chances of a successful and technologically advanced future.
28. Bibliography
- Acquisti, A. & Gross, R. (2005) Information Revelation and Privacy in Online Social Networks
(The Facebook Case). ACM Workshop on privacy in the electronic society (WPES)
- Boyd, D. (2007) Why Youth (Heart) Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in
Teenage Social Life. MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Learning – Youth, Identity, and
Digital Media Volume (ed. David Buckingham). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
- Cator, K. (2011) Social Networking in Schools: Educators Debate the Merits of Technology in
Classrooms. Huff Post Education. Retrieved on 24/10/12 from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/27/social-networking-schools_n_840911.html
- Merchant, G. (2012) Unravelling the Social Network: theory and research, Learning, Media
and Technology, 37:1, 4-19.
- Papacharissi, Z. (2009) The Virtual Geographies of Social Networks: a comparative analysis of
Facebook, Linkedln and ASmallWorld. New Media & Society. Sage Publications at univ of
Illinois at Chicago Library.
- Pempek T, Yermolayeva Y & Calvert S. (2009) College Students’ social networking experiences
on Facebook. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology. Department of Psychology,
Georgetown University, USA.
- YouTube clip- Facebook in Simple English. (2010) Retrieved 10/10/12 from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJJNM2KWYtc
