There
are millions of people on the internet who are looking to meet other people and
to gather and share information and experiences on a variety of topics. Because
of this, hundreds of social networking sites have been created, and they have
attracted millions of users in the few short years that social networking has
become a phenomenon. Most of the key features of these sites are very similar,
yet the cultures that form around the social networking sites vary in many
different ways. Some of the sites target diverse audiences, while others
attract people based on common language, race, sexual preferences, religion, or
nationality. The sites also vary the ways in which the show and incorporate new
information and communication tools, like mobile access, blogging, and photo
and video sharing (Boyd, Ellison, 2007).
{Socialnomics09. (2011, June 11). Social Media Revolution 3 [Video File]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0EnhXn5boM&feature=player_embedded#at=11}
{Socialnomics09. (2011, June 11). Social Media Revolution 3 [Video File]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0EnhXn5boM&feature=player_embedded#at=11}
Social Networks are Web-based
servies that allow people to:
- construct a public, or somewhat public, profile
- articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection with (i.e. friends, family, etc.)
- look at and traverse their list of connections and connections made by others in the system.
Social networks not only allow people to meet and communicate with strangers, but they also let users organize and visible their social networks (Boyd, Ellison, "Social Network..").
{The Social Media Image Retrieved From The Growth of Social Media http://mashable.com/2010/05/07/social-media-stats-video/}
According to Andy Carvin (2008), the
act of social networking includes:
- Podcasting
- Folksonomies
- Rating Tools
- Vlogging
- Geotagging
- Aggregation
- Discussions
- Personas
- Blogs
- Tagging
- Instant Messaging
- Social Voting
- RSS Feeds
- Reviews
- Wikis
- and much more!
Even though social networks'
popularity seems to begin in the late 90's, the Internet's earliest online
communities did have major implcations for education.
For example, USENET was established in 1979 and was a bulletin board system popular with universities. E-mail discussion lists were created in the 1970's and listervs launched in 1986. EDTECH, WWWEDU, among others were popular in the education community. Al Rogers created FrEdMail, free eudcation mail that was used at 12,000 schools. This system pioneered student-generated content such as student newswires. The International Education and Resource Network was originally developed in 1988 as a Cold War collaboration between schools in New York and Russia. However, the IEARN has grown into a network of 20,000 schools in over 115 countries that shares student- and teacher-created content and projects. Other more recent ones include Big Sky Telegraph and TappedIn.
The more recent social network sites are what we see developing in education curriculum today. Below is a timeline of major social network sites:
{The "Launch Dates of Major Social Networking Sites" Image Retreived from Social Networking Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship.}
According to eBizMBA, the top 5 most popular social networking sites, based on unique monthly visits for July, 2011 are:
For example, USENET was established in 1979 and was a bulletin board system popular with universities. E-mail discussion lists were created in the 1970's and listervs launched in 1986. EDTECH, WWWEDU, among others were popular in the education community. Al Rogers created FrEdMail, free eudcation mail that was used at 12,000 schools. This system pioneered student-generated content such as student newswires. The International Education and Resource Network was originally developed in 1988 as a Cold War collaboration between schools in New York and Russia. However, the IEARN has grown into a network of 20,000 schools in over 115 countries that shares student- and teacher-created content and projects. Other more recent ones include Big Sky Telegraph and TappedIn.
The more recent social network sites are what we see developing in education curriculum today. Below is a timeline of major social network sites:
{The "Launch Dates of Major Social Networking Sites" Image Retreived from Social Networking Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship.}
According to eBizMBA, the top 5 most popular social networking sites, based on unique monthly visits for July, 2011 are:
- MySpace
- Ning
To view the entire top 15, please visit the article here.
As social networking continues to make ground in the education world, the opportunities for learning continues to grow.
According to a study by Business
Insider, social networking is becoming popular with a wider audience.
However, the popularity leans towards the young, female user.
{The "Habitual Social Networkers Lean Young, Female" Image Retrieved from A Comprehensive Look At Who Uses Social Networks And How
http://www.businessinsider.com/a-comprehensive-look-at-who-uses-social-networks-and-how-2010-6#-3}
In addition to over half of social networking uers being ages 12-34, over 66% of the users are white, compared to other ethnicities.
{The "Frequent Social Networkers - Ethnic Composition" Image Retrieved from A Comprehensive Look At Who Uses Social Networks And How
http://www.businessinsider.com/a-comprehensive-look-at-who-uses-social-networks-and-how-2010-6#-5}
In addition, frequent social networkers have mobile devices capable of social networking, are active consumers of online video, watch less television, watch television through non-traditional ways (series on DVD, iTunes, Internet, on demand, etc.) listen to online radio, and more likely to own DVR receivers for television.
{The "Habitual Social Networkers Lean Young, Female" Image Retrieved from A Comprehensive Look At Who Uses Social Networks And How
http://www.businessinsider.com/a-comprehensive-look-at-who-uses-social-networks-and-how-2010-6#-3}
In addition to over half of social networking uers being ages 12-34, over 66% of the users are white, compared to other ethnicities.
{The "Frequent Social Networkers - Ethnic Composition" Image Retrieved from A Comprehensive Look At Who Uses Social Networks And How
http://www.businessinsider.com/a-comprehensive-look-at-who-uses-social-networks-and-how-2010-6#-5}
In addition, frequent social networkers have mobile devices capable of social networking, are active consumers of online video, watch less television, watch television through non-traditional ways (series on DVD, iTunes, Internet, on demand, etc.) listen to online radio, and more likely to own DVR receivers for television.
There are many social networking
tools, both do-it-yourself and mass-produced, that create educational
opportunities. Facebook, You Tube, and blogging are
all ways to incorporate social networking in education. However, which of these
make the most sense to use in the educational setting? Facebook contains over
1600 education apps. From IQ tests, philosophy, to good read recommendations,
Facebook does have the potential to share more than just the narcissism that
comes with status updates. Another great example of Facebook's use in learning
is educational groups created for students to interact with and learn from.
You Tube is more than a modern day video store- it is a chance to redefine traditional education. It engages students in a format that the current generation is used to. While there are downfalls to You Tube such as the chance that younger students may view content that is not age-appropriate, sites such as TeacherTube allow educators to post instructional videos and share thoughts and lesson plans with colleagues across the globe.
However, beyond Facebook and You Tube, there are more do-it-yourself social networking tools. The question remains, are these more productive for classroom use? These can be tools that allow you to build sites from scratch and allow the user more flexibility in use more than Facebook or Twitter. Some examples of the DIY social networking sites include Ning, KickApps, CrowdVine, and GoingOn. The flexibility allows the network to be open and public or private and invite-only. With over 2 million created Ning networks, there is obviously the potential to create an education network that will benefit your own education agenda. Networks for individual classes, collaboration with other classes and schools, study groups, and professional development networks are just some of the benefits of using social networking in the classroom.
You Tube is more than a modern day video store- it is a chance to redefine traditional education. It engages students in a format that the current generation is used to. While there are downfalls to You Tube such as the chance that younger students may view content that is not age-appropriate, sites such as TeacherTube allow educators to post instructional videos and share thoughts and lesson plans with colleagues across the globe.
However, beyond Facebook and You Tube, there are more do-it-yourself social networking tools. The question remains, are these more productive for classroom use? These can be tools that allow you to build sites from scratch and allow the user more flexibility in use more than Facebook or Twitter. Some examples of the DIY social networking sites include Ning, KickApps, CrowdVine, and GoingOn. The flexibility allows the network to be open and public or private and invite-only. With over 2 million created Ning networks, there is obviously the potential to create an education network that will benefit your own education agenda. Networks for individual classes, collaboration with other classes and schools, study groups, and professional development networks are just some of the benefits of using social networking in the classroom.
Benefits
of Social Networking in the Classroom
Developing
Skills
According to Science Daily,
the University of Minnesota found that students using social networking sites
were developing 21st century skills they need to develop to be successful
today. "Students are developing a positive attitude towards using
technology systems, editing and customizing content and thinking about online
design and layout. They're also sharing creative original work like poetry and
film and practicing safe and responsible use of information and technology. The
Web sites offer tremendous educational potential." While the study proves
that social networking sites aren't just for personal or professional
fulfillment, educators now have the opportunity to support students and their
learning through these sites.
In addition, digizen.org has created a list of additional benefits of learners using social networking. They include:
In addition, digizen.org has created a list of additional benefits of learners using social networking. They include:
- Young people as social participants and active citizens.
- Young people developing a voice and building trust.
- Young people as content creators, managers, and distributors.
- Young people as collaborators and team players.
- Young people becoming independent and building resilience.
- Young people developing key and real-world skills.
All of these skills developed using social networking properly help prepare students for professional experiences outside of the classroom.
There are many ways to use social
networking in the classroom to develop the skills necessary to succeed in the
21st century. Some ways include:
- Developing literacy and communication skills through blogging.
- Developing e-portfolios to collect examples of work.
- Using real-time communication such as instant messaging to collaborate.
- Lean how to properly display work through various digital mediums.
- Learn about e-safety issues and how to be positive digital citizens.
- Form communities of practice through sites such as Ning or Second Life.
- Learn time management with online calendars.
These are just a few ideas on how to use social networking effectively in the classroom to engage learners and develop 21st century digital skills.
{UniversityofMinn. (2009, October 2). Social networking sites have educational benefits [Video File]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxrlrbP4UNo}
Because students have
used social networks in their free time, their expectations of social
networking in an educational setting will be different. However, to keep the
use of social networking in the classroom educational and engaging, be sure to
define rules, goals, and the necessity to stay on topic.
A large hurdle of social networking in the classroom will be to overcome the school's acceptable use policy. An examlple of a social networking acceptable use policy discusses copyright infringement, harrassing, proper uploading of media, and other issues that may arise with implementing social networking in the classroom. Talk to your administration about networking in the acceptable use policy so that your curriculum is solid and student expectations are clear.
A large hurdle of social networking in the classroom will be to overcome the school's acceptable use policy. An examlple of a social networking acceptable use policy discusses copyright infringement, harrassing, proper uploading of media, and other issues that may arise with implementing social networking in the classroom. Talk to your administration about networking in the acceptable use policy so that your curriculum is solid and student expectations are clear.
While we are familiar with Facebook
and You Tube, there are some cross-platform social networks that can benefit
education. As popularity grows, these social networking tools will begin to be
integrated into the classroom. Beginning with Twitter, it is a form of
microblogging that allows for continuous conversation that keeps students and
teachers connected. However, is it too connected? Utterz is a network that allows users to post
podcasts via voicemail. Users can follow others and reply with voicemails as
well. Real-time video social networking allows users to post short videos
straight from a mobile device. Qik was recently acquired by Skype and allows for
live mobile video to be streamed to your user site as it is being recorded.
What a great way to include parents in on fun educational happenings in the
classroom! Seesmic is considered a Swiss Army Knife of the
social networking world by combining all social media services in one place for
comprehensive management.
Because DIY social networking sites have the greatest flexibility, it has the clearest potential as an educational tool. Newer audio/video social networks such as Utterz and Qik have potential; however, in the classroom, they still are largely untested in the education world. Look for these to make an impact in the next few years as their ability to engage students catches fire. Overall, today's students are widely comfortable with networking socially, and schools need to see these as potential free resources to create an education movement- a social one.
Because DIY social networking sites have the greatest flexibility, it has the clearest potential as an educational tool. Newer audio/video social networks such as Utterz and Qik have potential; however, in the classroom, they still are largely untested in the education world. Look for these to make an impact in the next few years as their ability to engage students catches fire. Overall, today's students are widely comfortable with networking socially, and schools need to see these as potential free resources to create an education movement- a social one.
Problematic Social Networking: Over-sharing and
Cyberbullying
Over-sharing
Fears
According to the Internet Safety
Project, "Oversharing is willingly, but naively, posting information on
the Internet that puts you or your family at risk" (Over-sharing, n.d).
Over-sharing is a rising issue and was Webster's New World Dictionary
word of the year for 2008 (Over-sharing, n.d).
While it would be common sense to think about the information before you decide to share it, social networking sites are actually set up to encourage the user to share as much as possible about themselves. "That's intentional: these sites succeed by increasing the activity within the network. Yes, there are privacy settings, to limit access to some data- but these settings are never the default. Only a tiny minority of users make the effort to opt out. Everyone else shares with the world" (Over-sharing: problems with social networking and privacy, 2010).
The rise in popularity of social networking has given online confidence to its users. However, that wasn't always the case. In the late 1990's. "many people didn't even use their real names on the Internet. Email addresses were usually aliases or nicknames in an attempt to retain as much privacy as possible" (Jordan, 2010). Where does this confidence come with the new Internet generation? "The premise is that everyone in your social circle not only wants to know but NEEDS to know when you are buying that tall frappuccino from @starbucks. That they need to know precisely where you are and what you are doing every minute of the day" (Jordan, 2010). This is how the phenomenon of over-sharing has developed, however, people don't realize the implications of this posted information.
What gives with over-sharing on social networking sites? What we decide to put out for others to view can hurt us in the long run. Going on vacation? You may come back home to find your house broken in to. Pictures from Christmas posted on Facebook is a great way for thieves to prune their next crime location. Teenagers also have no problems posting too much information online making them vulnerable to predators. With adults, identity theft is prevalent because they are sharing their date of birth, children's names and date of birth, and other information such as work history.
While it would be common sense to think about the information before you decide to share it, social networking sites are actually set up to encourage the user to share as much as possible about themselves. "That's intentional: these sites succeed by increasing the activity within the network. Yes, there are privacy settings, to limit access to some data- but these settings are never the default. Only a tiny minority of users make the effort to opt out. Everyone else shares with the world" (Over-sharing: problems with social networking and privacy, 2010).
The rise in popularity of social networking has given online confidence to its users. However, that wasn't always the case. In the late 1990's. "many people didn't even use their real names on the Internet. Email addresses were usually aliases or nicknames in an attempt to retain as much privacy as possible" (Jordan, 2010). Where does this confidence come with the new Internet generation? "The premise is that everyone in your social circle not only wants to know but NEEDS to know when you are buying that tall frappuccino from @starbucks. That they need to know precisely where you are and what you are doing every minute of the day" (Jordan, 2010). This is how the phenomenon of over-sharing has developed, however, people don't realize the implications of this posted information.
What gives with over-sharing on social networking sites? What we decide to put out for others to view can hurt us in the long run. Going on vacation? You may come back home to find your house broken in to. Pictures from Christmas posted on Facebook is a great way for thieves to prune their next crime location. Teenagers also have no problems posting too much information online making them vulnerable to predators. With adults, identity theft is prevalent because they are sharing their date of birth, children's names and date of birth, and other information such as work history.
You Can't Take it Back!
According to the site Retrevo, 35%
of Americans have social media regret, with various levels of personal static
caused by information that has been shared online. iPhone users top the
over-sharing stats, followed by Blackberry users at 45%, and 43% of Android
users.
{The "Have you ever posted anything online about yourself that you regretted?" Image Retrieved From
http://socialnewsdaily.com/635/study-35-of-users-reported-unwanted-info-online/}
In addition, Retrevo published a breakdown of those 35% of Americans and the after effect of their social media ober-sharing regret.
{The "Have you ever posted anything online about yourself that you regretted?" Image Retrieved From
http://socialnewsdaily.com/635/study-35-of-users-reported-unwanted-info-online/}
A staff member at Retrevo reminds users of the existence of screenshots:
"'The information people post to sites like Twitter and Facebook can easily go on to have a life of its own,' says Jennifer l. Jacobson, Director of Public Relations and Social Media for Retrevo.com. 'You don't always know who's following you and just about anyone can take a screenshot of your post, save it, and share it with the world.'"
In February 2010, a Web site called Please Rob Me was launched and contained a live feed from people "checking in" at locations via Four Square and cross-referencing the information from their Twitter feed. By publicly telling others where you are via a social networking site, you are in essence telling them you are not home, creating the potential opportunities for criminals to take advantage of it. While the create of Please Rob Me create angry buzz, the creators, Groenveld, Orsboom, and van Amstel, discussed their logic:
"Our intention is not, and never has been, to have people burgled... The goal of the website is to raise some awareness on this issue and have people think about how they use services like Foursquare, Gowalla, BrightKite, Twitter, Google Buzz, etc. Everybody can get this information (Jordan, 2010).
Many people are becoming too relaxed about their privacy and safety. While the tech crowd may claim that experts are overreacting to too much information being posted online, the fact remains that social networks have become increasingly intertwined. According to Groeneveld, Orsboom, and van Amstel, relaying messages between the various sites makes it easy to lose track of the information shared and how many people have access to it. "It is important to be aware of privacy settings, to control the reach your messages have. If you allow your messages to travel between different social networks, this becomes more complicated. Information you trust to your friends might end up somewhere else." (Groeneveld, et. al)
By teaching others about social media literacy, it can help protect them and broaden their knowledge base of technology. Just because the social networking sites are there, we don't necessarily have to use it. However, if we do, it must be responsibly.
The Internet Safety Project has the following tips to keep from over-sharing:
{The "Have you ever posted anything online about yourself that you regretted?" Image Retrieved From
http://socialnewsdaily.com/635/study-35-of-users-reported-unwanted-info-online/}
In addition, Retrevo published a breakdown of those 35% of Americans and the after effect of their social media ober-sharing regret.
{The "Have you ever posted anything online about yourself that you regretted?" Image Retrieved From
http://socialnewsdaily.com/635/study-35-of-users-reported-unwanted-info-online/}
A staff member at Retrevo reminds users of the existence of screenshots:
"'The information people post to sites like Twitter and Facebook can easily go on to have a life of its own,' says Jennifer l. Jacobson, Director of Public Relations and Social Media for Retrevo.com. 'You don't always know who's following you and just about anyone can take a screenshot of your post, save it, and share it with the world.'"
In February 2010, a Web site called Please Rob Me was launched and contained a live feed from people "checking in" at locations via Four Square and cross-referencing the information from their Twitter feed. By publicly telling others where you are via a social networking site, you are in essence telling them you are not home, creating the potential opportunities for criminals to take advantage of it. While the create of Please Rob Me create angry buzz, the creators, Groenveld, Orsboom, and van Amstel, discussed their logic:
"Our intention is not, and never has been, to have people burgled... The goal of the website is to raise some awareness on this issue and have people think about how they use services like Foursquare, Gowalla, BrightKite, Twitter, Google Buzz, etc. Everybody can get this information (Jordan, 2010).
Many people are becoming too relaxed about their privacy and safety. While the tech crowd may claim that experts are overreacting to too much information being posted online, the fact remains that social networks have become increasingly intertwined. According to Groeneveld, Orsboom, and van Amstel, relaying messages between the various sites makes it easy to lose track of the information shared and how many people have access to it. "It is important to be aware of privacy settings, to control the reach your messages have. If you allow your messages to travel between different social networks, this becomes more complicated. Information you trust to your friends might end up somewhere else." (Groeneveld, et. al)
By teaching others about social media literacy, it can help protect them and broaden their knowledge base of technology. Just because the social networking sites are there, we don't necessarily have to use it. However, if we do, it must be responsibly.
The Internet Safety Project has the following tips to keep from over-sharing:
"Concerns
for Parents:
- Giving away too much information can put it at risk for identity theft.
- Letting other Web users know that you'll be away from home puts you at risk for having your house broken into.
- Children and teens who over-share may attract the attention of online predators.
- Potential employers often look at person's social networking accounts, blogs, and so forth as they make hiring decisions. Posting inappropriate material online could hurt your professional information.
How
Can I Keep my Child Safe?
- Edit the settings of your child's social networking accounts to make updates viewable only to friends and family.
- Talk to your kids about what information should never be shared online, Things you and your kids shouldn't make public include full names, addresses, phone numbers, age, and financial information.
- Practice what you preach: consider carefully what you choose to make public on your own social networking accounts. Adults over-share too, especially on blogs. If you do blog about your friends or family, make your blog private so that you can post pictures and include the names of your loves ones without worrying about privacy issues. Good blogging services like Blogger and WordPress allow you to make your blog visible only to specific friends and family members that you invite, and we encourage you to take advantage of this smart feature" (Over-sharing, n.d).
The most prominent and detrimental after effect of over-sharing is bullying.
Cyberbullying
One problem with social networking is that it can lead to cyber
bullying, which affects students in and out of school.
- Did you know that nearly 1 in 3 students are involved in bullying?
- Did you know that while school violence as a whole is declining, bullying behaviors have increased by 5%?
- Did you know that kids who are obese, gay or have disabilities are up to 63% more likely to be bullied than other children?
- Did you know that last month alone, there were multiple suicide deaths as a result of bullying? (Maiers, 2010)
What is Cyber Bullying?
Cyber bullying is a hard concept to define as more and more
technology becomes available to children. Many people believe that only
children can be involved in cyber bullying, but in fact a survey of the
Association of Teachers and Lecturers showed that 17% of teachers had been
cyber bullied . Teachers can be cyber bullied when students use technology to
harass a teacher in some way.
Cyber bullying is also complicated because there is direct cyber bullying, which most of us think of when we think of cyber bullying, but there is also cyber bullying by proxy, or indirect cyber bullying. The proxy bullying involves using other people to help cyber bully a victim, sometimes without the accomplice actually knowing what they are doing. It essentially is getting someone else to do the dirty work in bullying. Cyber Bullying by proxy also can occur when someone hacks into a victim’s account of some type and uses it to send out inappropriate content to the victim’s friends and contacts.
What really distinguishes cyber bullying from “playful teasing” is the aggressive intent behind the bullying. But again what makes it complicated is intent can be in the eye of the beholder, and someone can always claim they “were just joking.” But a basic definition of cyber bullying is when someone bullys someone else through the use of technology. The cyber bullying exists on a continuum of severity. When the bullying is on the lesser end of the spectrum it is very hard to identify that it is bullying. But on the more extreme end cyber bullying has led to murder and suicide ( Kowalski, Limber, and Agatston, 2008).
Cyber bullying is also complicated because there is direct cyber bullying, which most of us think of when we think of cyber bullying, but there is also cyber bullying by proxy, or indirect cyber bullying. The proxy bullying involves using other people to help cyber bully a victim, sometimes without the accomplice actually knowing what they are doing. It essentially is getting someone else to do the dirty work in bullying. Cyber Bullying by proxy also can occur when someone hacks into a victim’s account of some type and uses it to send out inappropriate content to the victim’s friends and contacts.
What really distinguishes cyber bullying from “playful teasing” is the aggressive intent behind the bullying. But again what makes it complicated is intent can be in the eye of the beholder, and someone can always claim they “were just joking.” But a basic definition of cyber bullying is when someone bullys someone else through the use of technology. The cyber bullying exists on a continuum of severity. When the bullying is on the lesser end of the spectrum it is very hard to identify that it is bullying. But on the more extreme end cyber bullying has led to murder and suicide ( Kowalski, Limber, and Agatston, 2008).
Types and Methods of
Cyber Bullying
- Flaming - Flaming is a brief, heated exchange that happens between 2 or more people using some sort of communication technology. It usually happens in a public space like chat rooms or discussion groups, rather then in private discussions like emails .
- Harassment - This is words, conduct, or actions being directed at a specific person with the intent to annoy, alarm, or cause emotional distress in that person. It is usually repeated messages or actions against one person.
- Denigration - This is information about someone that is derogatory and untrue. Online it can be posted to a website, sent via email, or messaged to someone else. This also included sending or sharing photos of someone that portrays them in a sexual or harmful manner. Online “slam books” which are created in order to make fun of others are also forms of denigration.
- Impersonation - This is when a person pretends to be another person, usually by using the victim’s password to gain access to their accounts. They then send communication to others that is usually cruel, negative, or inappropriate, posing at that person. In more extreme cases, impersonation has lead to someone giving out where a person lives to the wrong people, in order for them to be track down by said people.
- Outing and Trickery - Outing is sharing personal, and sometimes embarassing, information with others who were not meant to learn that information. Trickery is tricking someone into revealing personal information, and then sharing that information with others.
- Exclusion/Ostracism - Children, like most people, just want to be a part of a group and fit in with others. Being excluded can be seen as “social death”, and people can be excluded using online methods. The online exclusion could be being locked out of a password protected chat space, or just being de-friended on Facebook.
- Cyber Stalking - This is stalking via the use of electronic communication using repetitive harassing and threatening communication.
- Happy Slapping - This is a fairly new method of cyber bullying that has become popular in England. People, usually teens walk up and slap someone, while another person uses a phone or camera to record the incident. The video is then put on the internet for others to see, even though the victim may not be aware of it (Kowalski, Limber, and Agatston, 2008).
10 Examples of Social
Media Bullying for Parents to Watch Out For
- Rumor spreading – Sending false rumors to your child’s friends or acquaintances is one form. Watch for postings where your child is refuting the claims of another, or questions from their friends that may not mention the rumor specifically, but simply say, ‘Is it true?’
- Name calling – Watch for posts which place labels on your child or call them names. Your child may brush it off as ‘teasing’. Pay attention to their reactions to the messages. If it doesn’t make them laugh, then it is bullying.
- Insulting messages – Messages that degrade your child in some way are another form of cyber bullying. It may be regarding the way they dress, a physical feature or some mistake they made.
- Impersonation – Some bullies will go so far as to set up fake profiles pretending to be your child in order to get them in trouble or to make their friends mad at them.
- Threats of harm – Open, bold threats of physical harm should never be ignored. Even if they are not actually carried out, the trauma that results from the anxiety and fear can be even more devastating.
- Vulgar language – Cursing and other vulgar language sent to your child or posted on their wall can be another attempt to intimidate them.
- Humiliation – Posting information about embarrassing incidents is one way bullies try to humiliate other kids. It could be in the form of words, photos or videos.
- Group de-friending – Encouraging other kids to remove themselves from your child’s friends list on the social network is another way that cyber bullies try to intimidate kids.
- Mocking – Most kids know how to make home videos and post them online. Making videos where your child is being mocked in some way, such as foolish impersonation, is another tactic of cyber bullies.
- Intimidation of friends – Making fun of your child’s friends via the social network is another way that these bullies try to hurt your child. Other kids may withdraw their friendship to avoid the association with someone else who is being harassed, to avoid becoming a target themselves ("10 examples...", 2011).
What Educators Can Do
About Cyber Bullying
It is important that schools make
cyber bulling a part of their bullying prevention programs, since a study of
students has shown that 18% had been cyber bullied at least one in the last 2
months. In order to handle cyber bullying within a school, a school should:
- Assess cyber bullying - Determine how much cyber bullying could be going on at the school.
- Provide staff training on cyber bullying - This should involve training on "netiquette" and what cyber bullying entails.
- Define cyber bullying - Make sure students, administrators, teachers, and other staff members are aware of cyber bullying and the effects of the bullying.
- Define clear rules and policies about cyber bullying - Make sure there is a policy addressing this type of bullying in the student use of technology policy within a school or district.
- Share resources with parents - Make sure to give parents information about cyber bullying, and give them a clear channel of communication in which to report cyber bullying.
- Spend class time discussing cyber bullying
- Teach students "netiquette", safe blogging,
and how to monitor their online reputation
(Kowalski, Limber, and Agatston, 2008)
What Parents Can Do
About Cyber Bullying
When a child is being bullied on
social media sites, they may exhibit the following signs
- Child appears upset after being online.
- Child appears upset after viewing a text message.
- Child withdraws from social interaction with peers.
- Possible drop in academic performance.
- Child becomes visibly upset or withdrawn after being on
the computer in general.
(Kowalski, Limber, and Agatston, 2008).
- Save the evidence -Teach your children to print out any evidence of cyber bullying that happens to them online. If any material is offensive to them, teach them to turn off the monitor and get an adult. This evidence can also be shared with the school, because the school needs to be aware of the bullying situation.
- Teach when to ignore, block, or react - Work with your kids to know the appropriate response to cyber bullies. Many times ignoring or blocking bullies will make the issues go away.
- Trace e-mails and text messages - Harassing messages can be sent to phone or internet providers in an effort to turn off service to those who are harassing other children/students.
- Send requests to social networking or other websites to remove material - Often if material is deemed offensive, it can be removed from a site.
- Contact the parent of the bully - Most general bullying prevention programs do not think it is effective to contact the bully's parent. But because the dynamics of cyber bullying is so unique, parents may not be as likely to defend their child when presented with copies of the harassing/offensive language. School staff members could also be asked to assist in contacting the parents, or asked to serve as a mediator at a meeting between the parents.
- Ask school personnel to monitor the situation - Not only is it important that the school is aware of the situation, it is also important that parents advocate for help from the school with the matter.
- Seek legal help - The police should be notified if
bullying includes threats of physical harm, stalking or harassing,
pornographic images, or extortion
(Kowalski, Limber, and Agatston, 2008).
Walking the Social Networking Line: When Use Becomes
Overuse and Addiction
Social
Networking Overuse
One challenge with social networking
is the overuse of social networking sites by students. In fact Clay Shirky, who
teaches at the Interactive Telecommuncations Programat N.Y.U. said,
"Society has always carved out space for young people to misbehave. We used to do this by making a distinction between behavior we couldn’t see, because it was hidden, and behavior we could see, because it was public. That bargain is now broken, because social life increasingly includes a gray area that is publicly available, but not for public consumption." (Shirky, 2009)
Students have discovered a space to socialize using social networking and social media, and it's overuse can be something that is not very clear to outsiders because of the grey area involved.
Research has shown that one effect of the overuse of social networking is that students who use these sites excessively had low attention spans in class and thus scored low grades (Narang, 2010). Many have started to argue that the overuse of social media can be contributing to the observed rise in attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. They say that if children's' young brains are exposed early on to a world of fast action and reaction, the rapid interchange may accustom the brain to operate over such timescales (Mackey, 2009).
Many people confuse social networking overuse and social networking addiction. Social networking overuse is less severe and less life debilitating. Mark Fabbri who is the director of psychology degree program for South University cautions that there is a big difference between social media overuse and addiction.
"An addiction will cause the individual to lose out on other things on life. For example, spending so much time on social networks at work causes the individual to lose their job. A person can spend too much time in social networks but still are able to function adequately in life. Like any activity there is a need to find balance in what we do.” (Donley, 2011)
Addiction to social networks is categorized by life-impairing criteria, whereas overuse may not interfere with a person's or student's day to day life.
"Society has always carved out space for young people to misbehave. We used to do this by making a distinction between behavior we couldn’t see, because it was hidden, and behavior we could see, because it was public. That bargain is now broken, because social life increasingly includes a gray area that is publicly available, but not for public consumption." (Shirky, 2009)
Students have discovered a space to socialize using social networking and social media, and it's overuse can be something that is not very clear to outsiders because of the grey area involved.
Research has shown that one effect of the overuse of social networking is that students who use these sites excessively had low attention spans in class and thus scored low grades (Narang, 2010). Many have started to argue that the overuse of social media can be contributing to the observed rise in attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. They say that if children's' young brains are exposed early on to a world of fast action and reaction, the rapid interchange may accustom the brain to operate over such timescales (Mackey, 2009).
Many people confuse social networking overuse and social networking addiction. Social networking overuse is less severe and less life debilitating. Mark Fabbri who is the director of psychology degree program for South University cautions that there is a big difference between social media overuse and addiction.
"An addiction will cause the individual to lose out on other things on life. For example, spending so much time on social networks at work causes the individual to lose their job. A person can spend too much time in social networks but still are able to function adequately in life. Like any activity there is a need to find balance in what we do.” (Donley, 2011)
Addiction to social networks is categorized by life-impairing criteria, whereas overuse may not interfere with a person's or student's day to day life.
Social
Networking Addiction
Social networking addiction has
become increasingly debated among experts. "The American Psychology
Association (AMA) has been clear about their skepticism over social networking
addiction" (Rose, 2009). With recent abilities to become even more
connected with user-friendly platforms, the ability to become addicted to
social networking sites is becoming even more plausible. However, little
research has been conducted on the subject. "Psychiatrists often see
social networking addiction as a symptom of other underlying conditions
such as loneliness, depression, anxiety, and phobias. The AMA and other expert
organizations agree that there is a possibility, but require more in-depth
investigation and research" (Rose, 2009). According to the Social Times
(Rajdash, 2010), “social media addiction has gotten to the point where some
people prefer Facebook over sex, do status updates from the bathroom or upon
waking at night, or even utter threats to the President on Twitter.” It is
human nature for us to want to be social. However, doing such social behavior online
can lead to problems, which continue to grow with the growth of social
networking. Because social networking addiction is a relatively new concept,
understanding general addiction is a a start to understanding social networking
addiction and using general addiction coping skills to overcome the addiction
is a step in the right direction.
General
Addiction Description
In general, addiction occurs when an
elevation in a person's mood occurs. It is an emotional cycle. "For
instance, an addict is created by the need for more pleasurable feelings in
their life. They then begin to feel shame or guilt, the shame and guilt (being
a negative emotion) then causes them to look for more pleasure...thereby
creating a cycle of addiction. Addiction is a reaction to a habitual need to
act in a way to relieve stress, emotional discomfort, or levels of sadness.
Looking for healthy substitutes at the onset can help avoid addiction"
(Rose, 2009).
When,
Where, and How?
Before social media addiction can be
discussed, the usage of social media needs to be examined first. Recently,
Retrevo did a study to look at when, where, and how people use social
networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Social
Media at Night?
{The "Do you check/update Facebook or Twitter after you go to bed?" Images Retrieved from Is Social Media a New Addiction?
http://www.retrevo.com/content/node/1324}
"Not only do social media fanatics check Facebook and Twitter throughout the day, almost half of the respondents said they check in on the social media scene in bed, during the night or as soon as they wake up in the morning. Naturally, younger social media users said they tweet by night more than those over 25" (Eisner, 2010).
Social
Media First Thing in the Morning?
{The "Do you check/update Twitter, Facebook first thing in the morning?" Images Retrieved from Is Social Media a New Addiction?
http://www.retrevo.com/content/node/1324}
"Among social media users, it appears almost half are so involved with Facebook and Twitter that they check in the first thing in the morning. With 16% of social media users saying this is how they get their morning “news,” could we be witnessing the first signs of social media services beginning to replace "Good Morning America" on TV as the source for what's going on in the world? Can they also provide more stimulation than a morning cup of coffee?" (Eisner, 2010).
Social
Media Habit Forming?
{The "How long can you go without checking in on Facebook?" Image Retrieved from Is Social Media a New Addiction? http://www.retrevo.com/content/node/1324}
"Need more evidence that social media can be habit forming? How about the fact that 56% of social media users need to check Facebook at least once a day? Even more impressive are the 12% who check in every couple of hours" (Eisner, 2010).
Social
Media Interrupting Family Dinners?
{The "Can you be interrupted for an electronic message at any time?" Image Retrieved from Is Social Media a New Addiction?
http://www.retrevo.com/content/node/1324}
"Just to round out the picture, the Gadgetology study asked consumers how they felt about being interrupted at various times and occasions for an electronic message. With everyone texting away on their phones these days, we weren't surprised to see over 40% of respondents saying they didn't mind being interrupted for a message. In fact, 32% said a meal was not off limits while 7% said they'd even check out a message during an intimate moment" (Eisner, 2010).
While the data is clear that habitual social media use is on the rise, it shouldn't be too long before researches see the data and begin to make a case that social media addiction is an issue.
Social
Networking Addiction Symptoms
Social networking addiction is a
behavioral addiction. Because social networking interaction can lead to
elevation in moods, one may make the connection that social networking
addiction is a disease. According to Rose, "the following are some of the
most categorized symptoms of social networking addiction:
- Your social networking activities cause you to neglect your obligations such as housework, school work, and work.
- You hide the truth about how much time you're online.
- You lose track of time when you're on sites like Twitter.
- Your social networking activities have caused negative issues at work or school, yet you continue those activities.
- Updating your Facebook status (how you're feeling) replaces 'talking it out' with friends or family.
- You sleep less, and avoid sleep regardless of fatigue, too spend time on sites like Facebook.
- Your discussions (offline) tend to include your posts, or the post of others, more than conversations about the other aspects of your life.
- You have gnawing feelings of guilt and shame over the amount of networking use.
- You become agitated or have mood swings when you're forced to spend periods of time away from social networks.
- You devote increased thoughts to what activities are, or could be going on, on Friendster or Twitter when you are not on them.
- You create an enhanced online personality-unrelated to your real person.
- You increasingly share information or become apart of online activities and discussions you KNOW are dangerous.
- You create an enhanced online personality-unrelated to your real person.
- You lie about relationships or children to encourage more interaction online by other users.
- You spend more time socializing online, and begin to avoid person to person interactions.
- You prefer interactions on social networking sites over various intimacies with your partner.
- You are too preoccupied with the posts of those you follow.
- You begin to lie in order to add excitement to your Facebook and Twitter wall.
- You define yourself, or feel inflated and deeply saddened, by the number of friends or followers you have collected.
Keep in mind that these symptoms may also be related to other situations that have nothing to do with social networking or addictions at all" (Rose, 2009).
Who's
At Risk for Social Networking Addiction?
There are many types of people,
including various ages, who are at risk for social networking addiction. They
include:
- The most obvious would be those with prior history of addiction.
- Stay-at-home mothers or housewives who use social networking for adult interaction.
- Teens due to adolescence and the natural pressure by peers.
- Individuals with depression, anxiety disorders, or loneliness.
- Individuals who see out social networking to develop a support system.
- Individuals with physical social phobias but use social networking to continue a social scene. (Rose, 2009)
Even though social networking
addiction studies have not occurred in-depth, many ways to help other
addictions can help with social networking addiction as well. These include:
- "Look for healthy outlets-create diverse choices and activities.
- Replace the addictive behavior with one that causes the same stimulation in a healthy manner.
- Look into behavior modification exercises.
- Create a support system.
- Create a system of steps to rid yourself of the addiction.
- Seek professional help" (Rose, 2009).
Specific to social networking users, Social Times (Rajdash, 2010) has written precautions to "keep addiction in check, thus leaving more productive or fun time available for real-life activities." Those precautions include:
- Focus. Limit the number of social networks you use to the most relevant to your life.
- Cull your network. Don't feel obligated to become "friends" with others because they have requested you. Make sure the connection is real and will benefit you.
- Use lists and filters. Both Twitter and Facebook offers list features, which if used correctly, let you quickly view information within that list that is relevant at that given moment. No need to read through everyone's information to find specifically what you are looking for.
- Use a schedule. Don't leave social networking sites up on the computer or phone. Hide the apps. These tend to be a huge distraction. Schedule the use of your social media.
- Set a timer. Try setting a timer to limit the amount of time spent on social networking sites.
Using a few of the aforementioned tips can help keep your social networking use in check and increase real-life connections with those that matter.
Additional ways to seek help would be to take the Net Addiction Test and to visit the Center for Internet Addiction to seek resources.
The Future
of Social Networking
It is safe to say that social networks will not be going anywhere in the near future, and will continue to expand as time goes on. In fact social networking will probably become a feature in everything we do. But what can we expect to see from the social networks in the future? Mark Suster who is an entrepreneur turned VC and general partner at GRP partners and who focuses on early stage technology companies, has theorized many directions that social networks will go in the future. First social graphs, which are who we are connected to and their key information, will become more portable. People will also start to form around "true" social networks. Right now most social networking sites lumps a person into one big network, when in reality they have several smaller networks around different groups of people and interests. So there will be a growth of social networks around topics, like StockTwits which is a social network site for people who are interested in stocks. Social networks will also create new business opportunities and let businesses embed social features in websites. The use of social networks will also make data reign supreme. Since web 2.0 had led to so many people creating more content online, the ability to sift through data, organize it, share it, analyze it, and share trends will become important and potentially profitable ( Suster, 2010). Overall future social networking seems to have a future in providing individuals and groups opportunities to develop their own interests and purposes online.
It is safe to say that social networks will not be going anywhere in the near future, and will continue to expand as time goes on. In fact social networking will probably become a feature in everything we do. But what can we expect to see from the social networks in the future? Mark Suster who is an entrepreneur turned VC and general partner at GRP partners and who focuses on early stage technology companies, has theorized many directions that social networks will go in the future. First social graphs, which are who we are connected to and their key information, will become more portable. People will also start to form around "true" social networks. Right now most social networking sites lumps a person into one big network, when in reality they have several smaller networks around different groups of people and interests. So there will be a growth of social networks around topics, like StockTwits which is a social network site for people who are interested in stocks. Social networks will also create new business opportunities and let businesses embed social features in websites. The use of social networks will also make data reign supreme. Since web 2.0 had led to so many people creating more content online, the ability to sift through data, organize it, share it, analyze it, and share trends will become important and potentially profitable ( Suster, 2010). Overall future social networking seems to have a future in providing individuals and groups opportunities to develop their own interests and purposes online.
