Photographer : Pauline Haber
Social networking sites are great for Generation Y dubbed ‘net natives’. We can live dual lives, never really going offline. As participants of Youtube, MySpace and Facebook we make public our privates (get your mind up out of that gutter and read on). All you, all now 24/7! But you have to ask yourself is it worth ‘Cory-ing’ your life?
On social networking sites you can upload your private thoughts, private activities and private contact details (to varying degrees on different sites). Your life can be readily shared with those who are important to you, which can help strengthen your core social support network. For example, you can keep in touch with people from your highschool, sports club, university, spiritual organisation, or other common interest group. You can even sign up to work or volunteer for a myriad of organisations that will beef up your resume and help your community.
Social networking sites can be a platform for social change where people can form positive social connections. So why has the popular media labelled them as dangerous, citing examples of young people becoming exposed to invasions of privacy and cyber bullying?
Are these sites really unsafe or do we just need to take control of the technology and become informed users?
Using social networking sites safely and effectively
Tip 1: Understanding privacy settings
When you create a social networking profile you can select to keep your personal contact details private. The American Federal Department’s advice for safely socialising online warns users to be cautious ‘about posting information that could be used to identify you or locate you offline. This could include the name of your school, sports team, clubs, and where you work or hang out’.
You might think that only your friends can see your details, but remember that when you join a network or a group on Facebook or MySpace members of that group can also access your private details (without seeking permission to be your friend) if your profile is set to public.
In regards to Youtube, once you upload a video it will automatically be viewed publicly, so you might want to check that it doesn’t contain personal contact details.
MySpace and Facebook, like most internet sites, carry a small degree risk when it comes to leaving you open to viruses that can record your personal details.
Tip 2: Understanding the ‘social’ aspect of social networking
There has been much media hype about the dangers of young people chatting online to strangers. However, The Pew Research Centre for The People and The Press recorded that '91 per cent of teens are using social network sites to stay in touch with friends they see in person while only 49 per cent are using them to meet people (ever).’
In Australia, measures were taken in 2007 to further protect young people online, when Senator David Johnston, Minister for Justice and Customs and Helen Coonan, Minister for Information Technology and the Arts announced the formation of a Consultative Working Group to ‘address the potential serious abuse of social networking sites by sex offenders to contact children‘. Senator Johnston stated, ’the government is committed to exploring any workable mechanism to eliminate the misuse of social networking sites by those seeking to exploit children.’
If you do choose to meet someone in person, it is vital to chose a popular public place, bring a parent or another adult with you and tell at least one person of your whereabouts.
Tip 3: Understanding cyber bullying
Cyber bullying is of concern to schools but it actually happens more on instant messaging applications then in social networking sites.
Dr Barbara Spears of the University of South Australia's School of Education said, ‘kids feel unsafe, violated and threatened' because of cyber bullying occurring on social networking sites’. However, according to a study by child health researchers from Internet Solutions for Kids and The University of New Hampshire (in which 1600 young people aged 10-15 were surveyed) 96 percent of harassments occurred in instant messaging services.
Social networking education
Ultimately, the negatives of social networking sites are disproportionately misrepresented when compared with the positives.
Australian psychologist and author, Michael Carr-Gregg, says that limiting technology should occur only if it is disrupting study, sleep and social patterns. He suggests minimising the risks without limiting a young person’s freedom to ‘learn, explore and communicate online’.
Simon Sheikh the National President of Vibewire Youth Services agrees. 'Teens need to express themselves. There’s value in allowing someone the time to formulate their own ideas in a better way,’ he said. In fact, according to the Joint Information Systems Committee in England, social networking sites support learning, have the potential for skills development, and increase interactive ways of learning.
So rather than fearing these sites, we should be educating young people, as well as teachers, about how to use these sites safely.
For further online safety advice check the Australian Institute of Family Studies which has some handy hints:
http://www.cybersmartkids.com.au/cyber-rules_young-people.htm
How do I know this?
Senator Johnson and Senator Coonan, 13 September 2007, ‘Government Announces Taskforce on Social Networking Sites’, Internet Industry Association,
http://www.iia.net.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=590&Itemid=32
Federal Trade Commission (US), May 2006 ‘Social Networking Sites: Safety Tips for Tweens and Teens’,
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/tech/tec14.shtm
Mcdougall, B, 14 January 2008, ‘Schools counter cyber bullying in class’, news.com.au,
http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,25642,23048377-5014108,00.html
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Victoria, 2006 ‘Recommendations for Schools to Minimise Internet Risks’, Website Toolkit
http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/toolkit/protect/recommend.htm
Griffith G & Roth L, 2007 ’Protecting Children from Online Sexual Predators’, Parliament of NSW,
http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/publications.
nsf/key/ProtectingChildrenFromOnlineSexualPredators
Chan S, 11 January 2007, ‘Latest Pew Report - Teens and social networking usage’, fresh + new(er) (discussion of issues around digital media and museums)
http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/dmsblog/index.
php/2007/01/11/latest-pew-report-teens-and-social-
networking-usage/
Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC), 2007 ‘In their own words: understanding the issues and benefits of social software’
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/programmes/elearning
pedagogy/iowpersonalsoftwarepdf.pdf
