Social Networking from a Teen Perspective

Good morning everyone,

U.K. EdTech innovator and general boy wonder Terry Freedman just published the results of a study he recently conducted regarding teen social networking. Though based in the U.K., the responses are, I’m willing to bet, fairly representative of teens in the U.S.A. At least that is the impression I got. The teen comments (sans U.K.-specific colloquialisms) are consistent with anecdotal evidence I’ve seen myself. In short: teens have told me the same things.

Terry’s article is long, but it’s a good read. Among the findings/comments/things that struck me:

• We (adults, particularly young adults [not me, ha]) don’t always lead by example. We are the largest user of social networks (78% of adults according to a Financial Times study [edit: I looked but can't find the study link].) The amount of inappropriate material posted, particularly on sites like MySpace, YouTube, and, to a lesser extent, Facebook, speaks for itself. Think of it as the 21st-century version of “do as I say, not as I do.”
• Teens acknowledge but are largely unconcerned about the dangerous people that lurk online. My own teenage daughter has herself said words to the effect of, “if you’re stupid enough to talk to a weirdo on the internet what do you expect?” This scares me because some kids are clearly emotionally susceptible to grooming. [N.B.: my daughter laughs at me when I say that online relationships and friendships - many of which I myself have developed in Second Life - are, in fact, real.] When you combine susceptibility with accessibility and lack of parental involvement/supervision, you’ve got a prescription for disaster.
• Motivations for social network use include: a) Learn new things; b) Do homework together with friends; c) Play games. This to me reflects a very healthy balance of real-world needs that are universal for every teen.

Terry concludes with several recommendations at the end which include: “Teens are not as savvy as they and we might think. They are not able to fully assess risk, and even when they do assess risk they don’t necessarily behave accordingly.” So it is a mixed bag; some act in safe & responsible ways, some do not. Some listen to what we have to say, some tune us out. Some are opinion and social leaders, others follow.

What does this mean for schools? I’ve personally been beating the drum about this issue in my district for years. We are making progress but it’s not getting the traction I think it deserves. Maybe I need a bigger drum? Or a different drum? Or someone else needs to deliver the message?

In any event, Terry’s study is worthy reading for anyone who, like me, cares about children and protecting them online.

-kj-