Social Networking Today

Children on the Social Network Scene

2009-05-04T00:59:00.000-07:00

Many children and teens are now getting into the social networking scene. Most sites require a minimum age of 14, but this can be easily bypassed by changing your information. Having a profile is completely safe but there are extra precautions that should be taken when dealing with your young child or teen. Although they may not want to, talk to them about it. Ask them who they talk to online and what kinds of things they post up in their profile. Ask to see their profile to get an idea of how open they are with their personal information. It’s ok to set guidelines for them to follow, and would only ensure their safe “surfing.”

Another harsh reality is that many internet predators target children and sometimes even pose as one themselves. Make sure your child knows not to give out their personal information to anyone they do not know. And to always make sure they don’t talk to odd or suspicious users. Recommend that they set their profile to private and only allow people they have accepted as friends to view their page. Talk to your child, inform them of the risks and don’t be afraid to monitor their use of these sites, they should know the dangers that are out there.

Interesting results from a survey on social networking done by BBC:

• 49% of children 8-17 have an online profile
• 22% of 16+ have an online profile
• On average adults have profiles on 1.6 sites
• 63% of 8 to 17-year-olds with a profile use Bebo
• 37% of 8 to 17-year-olds with profile use MySpace
• 18% of 8 to 17-year-olds with a profile use Facebook
• 59% of 8 to 17-year-olds use social networks to make new friends
• 16% of parents do not know if their child's profile is visible to all
• 33% of parents say they set no rules for their children's use of social networks
• 43% of children say their parents set no rules for use of social networks

Waters, Daren. "BBC NEWS | Technology | Children flock to social networks." BBC NEWS | News Front Page. 28 Apr. 2009 .

Social Networking Dangers

2009-05-04T00:47:00.000-07:00

There are many negative sides of social networking. Although if used properly it’s a great way for people to connect, it can also harm. Many times computer hackers are able to assume an identity just by the information someone posts about them. And a lot of times fake MySpace or Facebook accounts are made for people that are not even aware of them.

Because of the dangers of people stealing your information, you should always follow some safeguards.
· Don’t accept friend requests from suspicious or unfamiliar people.
· Know how to use the sites privacy features.
· Do not list all personal information about yourself. (address – phone number)
· Be careful about the photographs you post up. (nothing risk-ay)

Following specific safeguards can ensure your information doesn’t get into the wrong hands. People will go to great lengths to steal your identity and its best not to give them the information they need to do it.

Brenner, Bill. "Not Among Friends: The Dangers of Social Networks - PC World." Reviews and News on Tech Products, Software and Downloads - PC World. 28 Apr. 2009

Social Networking

2009-05-04T00:28:00.000-07:00

Ask around, and most likely anyone you know has probably logged onto the internet today. It’s not just a trend it has become a natural part of everyone’s day. American people from the age of 8 to 80 all are exposed to surfing the web. It’s really more of a necessity than anything and has become part of the culture created in the U.S. The presence of the internet in the lives of Americans is inevitable, and is used for everything from social networking, banking, schoolwork, and work, catching up on the news or even shopping. With all its affect on the American people, one specific part, Social Networking has become a huge part of pop culture today.

For years engineers strived to perfect “cyberspace”, and make it easier for people to share information with anyone in the world. In the 1950’s Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) was launched and out nations computer science intelligence was boosted. Over the years it has advanced to what we have today. Now people millions of miles apart can talk with one click and even complete libraries and series of information can be found online with a simple online search. Talking to someone in a completely different country can be done effortlessly all while sitting in the comfort of your own home.

In the 90’s and into the 2000’s the internet boomed and everyone was using it. Social networking became a big part of people’s lives with websites and messenger services. Instant messenger programs like AIM, Yahoo, MSN messenger, Skype, and others made instantly chatting with someone simple and easy. Social networking sites are more popular than ever and aim to bring people together to chat and create personalized profile pages to show off their unique self. Sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Myyearbook, Blackplanet, Xanga, Yelp and many others serve this purpose.

People log on daily to chat with friends, family and meet new people over the internet. Social networking websites are used for a variety of purposes, including professional and social use. Many people create profiles to help make professional connections in other places. For example they now have many tutorials online explaining how to use your facebook to advance your small business or professional service.

For social use, people can meet new friends almost anytime. They can create a profile to introduce themselves to others and even browse other people according to similar interest and likes they may have. Many people also join singles sites which, just as social networking, match you too potential mates. This has also become a very big trend with people today.

Social Networking sites have become more popular in recent years and have worked its way into American Pop Culture. It’s a great tool that is helping people keep in touch and also create new friends. People can express themselves through their online blogs and profiles and can use these sites for a multitude of reasons. It’s not only become a part of our culture but it has become a normal part of everyday life.

Agre, Philip E. "Cyberspace as American Culture." UCLA Department of Information Studies. 28 Apr. 2009 http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/pagre/sac.html.

Strickland, Jonathan. "HowStuffWorks "How did the Internet start?"" Howstuffworks "Computer Channel" 28 Apr. 2009 .