Article #1 “Teens’ social media experiences largely positive: Study” The following is an article from the NetFamilyNews.org website posted on November 10, 2011. The author Anne Collier explores the positive side of social media and teens. Social media spaces are positive spaces for the most part, Amanda Lenhart of the Pew Internet Project reported at the annual Family Online Safety Institute conference today. “People in social network sites are generally kind,” she told the audience as she shard the findings of a Pew report released today, adding that the vast majority of teen social networkers said that a friendship had been strengthened or they felt good about themselves as a result of online social networking. I found it interesting that, though many adults are concerned about negativity in teen social networking, based on their own experience in social sites, 85% of adult social networkers feel people are mostly kind in them, compared with 69% of teen social networkers. Of course they’re referencing their own experience, but I suggest that adults compare that – or even teens’ lower number – to what they’re hearing in the news about some sort of epidemic of cyberbullying! As if punctuating the Pew findings, later in the conference, keynote speaker Paul Howard-Jones of Bristol University’s Graduate School of Education, said, “Social network sites generally stimulate teenage social connectedness and psychosocial well-being” and “cyberbullying and abuse appear linked to issues beyond social network sites.” Low online bullying numbers In the past year, 8% of US 12-to-17-year-olds have been bullied online and 9% via text messaging, Pew found. In-person bullying is still far more common, but even that has gone down in recent years, both Pew and Crimes Against Children Research Center at the university of New Hampshire have reported. When asked if they’d experienced online meanness or cruelty themselves, 15% of

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12-to-17-year-olds said yes and 85% said no (0% said they didn’t know). And asked if they’d witnessed mean or cruel behavior, 12% of teens said frequently, 29% said sometimes, 47% only once in a while, 11% said never, and 1% said they didn’t know. As for what had been done about this online mean or cruel behavior by others, 55% observed that people just ignore what’s going on. (Amanda told her audience that in some cases “it’s possible that ignoring what’s going on is an appropriate response, some parents teach their children not to get involved, and the closer a person is to the person being harassed, the more likely s/he is to step in”). Pew also found, though, that 27% of teens said they’d defend the targeted person, 20% tell the aggressor to stop, and 19% said they’d seen others join in the harassment. ‘Parents matter’ Amanda also told us that “these slides should have the title “Parents Matter,” because when Pew asked teens, “Who has been the biggest influence on what you think is appropriate or inappropriate when you are using a cell phone or going online?”, 58% of respondents said their parents, followed by 18% saying their friends. However, influence and advice are two different things, and Pew also found that, when asked who they turn to for advice after witnessing online cruelty, 53% said a friend or peer and 36% said a parent, followed by a sibling or cousin (5%). And “girls are more likely than boys to receive advice from people other than parents,” the study found. Pew covered so much ground with this study – including teen privacy practices, sexting, more on parenting, and age, ethnic, and income breakdowns – that I urge you to check out the report. But some general social networking findings show that teen use of social media has increased 25% since 2006 to 80% to US teens overall, with 93% of those social networkers using Facebook. Twitter use by teens has doubled in just two years. Not much on digital citizenship The subhead of the Pew Report is “How American Teens Navigate the New World of Digital Citizenship,” but the only aspect of digital citizenship that’s covered at all in it is the part about norms of behavior – what many people refer to as “good citizenship” and sometimes “Netiquette.” Certainly that’s not the whole of what’s emerging from scholarship on the subject around the world. Article #2: “Is Social Media Sabotaging Real Communication? : )” The following is an excerpt from the Forbes website posted on April 30, 2012. The author Susan Tardanico explores the negative side of social media and teens. On a crisp Friday afternoon last October, Sharon Seline exchanged text messages with her daughter who was in college. They ‘chatted’ back and forth, mom asking how things were going and daughter answering with positive statements followed by emoticons showing smiles, b-i-g smiles and hearts. Happiness.

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Later that night, her daughter attempted suicide. In the days that followed, it came to light that she’d been holed up in her dorm room, crying and showing signs of depression – completely different reality from the one that she conveyed in texts, Facebook posts and tweets. As human beings, our only real method of connection is through authentic communication. Studies show that only 7% of communication is based on the written or verbal word. A whopping 93% is based on nonverbal body language. Indeed, it’s only when we can hear a tone of voice or look into someone’s eyes that we’re able to know when “I’m fine” doesn’t mean they’re fine at all … or when “I’m in” doesn’t mean they’re bought in at all. This is where social media gets dicey. Awash in technology, anyone can hide behind the text, the e-mail, the Facebook post or the tweet, projecting any image they want and creating an illusion of their choosing. They can be whoever they want to be. And without the ability to receive nonverbal cues, their audiences are none the wiser. This presents an unprecedented paradox. With all the powerful social technologies at our fingertips, we are more connected – and potentially more disconnected – than ever before. Every relevant metric shows that we are interacting at breakneck speed and frequency through social media. But are we really communicating? With 93% of our communication context striped away, we are now attempting to forge relationships and make decisions based on phrases. Abbreviations. Snippets. Emoticons. Which may or may not be accurate representations of the truth. A New Set of Communication Barriers Social technologies have broken the barriers of space and time, enabling us to interact 24/7 with more people than ever before. But like any revolutionary concept, it has spawned a set of new barriers and threats. Is the focus now on communication quantity versus quality? Superficiality versus authenticity? In an ironic twist, social media has the potential to make us less social; a surrogate for the real thing. For it to be a truly effective communication vehicle, all parties bear a responsibility to be genuine, accurate, and not allow it to replace human contact altogether. In the workplace, the use of electronic communication has overtaken face-to-face and voice-to-voice communication by a wide margin. This major shift has been driven by two major forces: the speed/geographic dispersion of business, and the lack of comfort with traditional interpersonal communication among a growing segment of our employee population: Gen Y and Millennials. Studies show that these generations – which will comprise more than 50% of the workforce by 2020 – would prefer to use instant messaging or other social media than stop by an office and talk with someone. This new communication preference is one of the “generational gaps plaguing organizations as Boomers try to manage to a new set of expectations and norms in their younger employees, and vice versa. With these two trends at play, leaders must consider the impact on business relationships and the ability to effectively collaborate, build trust, and create employee engagement and loyalty.

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Further, because most business communication is now done via e-mails, texts instant messaging, intranets, blogs, websites and other technology-enabled media – sans body language – the potential for misinterpretation is growing. Rushed and stressed, people often do not take the time to consider the nuances of their writing. Conflicts explode over a tone of an e-mail, or that all-important cc: list. When someone writes a text in all capital letters, does it mean they’re yelling? Are one- or two-word responses a sign that the person doesn’t want to engage? On the flip side, does a smiley face or an acknowledgement of agreement really mean they’re bought in and aligned? Conclusions are drawn on frighteningly little information. Article #3 “The upside of selfies: Social media isn’t all bad for kids” In the following article from CNN Living website posted on November 22, 2013. The author Kelly Wallace continues to explores the positive side of social media and teens. (CNN)

I’ll admit it right at the start: When I think about teens and social media, I immediately begin to tally up the negatives

What good could possibly come from teens and tweens spending gobs of time on online networks, posting nonstop “selfies,” some in rather suggestive poses, and often communicating with people they don’t even know?

A running joke at home: My girls, ages 6 and 7, can’t get iPhones until they’re 40.

But then I chat with other moms, who always know best, and a picture emerges that social media is not always the scary enemy some of us might think it is for our tweens and teens.

Take the “selfie,” for example, which if you haven’t already heard has been named Oxford Dictionaries’ word of the year for 2013. Really!

Eileen Masio, a mom of two in New York, monitors her daughter Amelia’s Instagram account 24/7. Yes, most of the posts are “selfies,” but it’s the comments that make her think there is also a positive to this nonstop engagement.

“I think just as damaging as social media can be, it can … help to build self-confidence, too,” said Masio, during a recent interview including her husband, 13-year-old Amelia and 8-year-old son William.

“When they post selfies, all the comments I usually see ‘You’re beautiful,’ ‘You’re so pretty,’ ‘Oh my God, gorgeous,’” said Masio

Report: Teens say social media more positive than negative

In fact, according to a report last year by the nonprofit child advocacy group Common Sense Media, one in five teens said social media makes them feel more confident, compared with 4% who said it makes them feel less so.

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In the survey of more than 1,000 13- to 17-year-olds about how they view their digital lives, 28% said social networking made them feel more outgoing versus 5% who said it made them feel less so; and 29% said it made them feel less shy versus the 3% who said it made them feel more introverted. When it comes to relationships with friends, more than half (52%) of teens said social media has made them better versus just 4% who said it has negatively affected those relationships. “On the whole, teens said that they feel that social media has a more positive than negative impact on their social and emotional lives,” said Shira Lee Katz, Common Sense Media’s director of digital media. “They believe that social media helps their friendships, makes them feel more outgoing and gives them confidence.” News outlets focus on the negative The findings are likely to come as a surprise to most parents, including this writer, especially because most of what we hear about social media, especially in the media, are the negatives, such as how cyberbullying can turn tragic. “For every heartbreaking case of cyberbullying, there are many stories of teens using social media for good,” said Katz. Rebecca Levey, co-founder of a video sharing platform for tweens ages 7 to 12 called Kidz Vuz, has seen it firsthand. During a special partnership with the Tony Awards earlier this year, kids were encouraged to either make videos singing parts of their favorite show tunes or talk about why theater was so important to them. “The response from other kids was so awesome. I mean we had kids who were truly tone deaf and it didn’t matter,” said Levey with a chuckle.” Everyone’s like, ‘You’re awesome,’ Go follow your dream,’ Don’t give up.’” Levey said another benefit is for kids who might feel slightly isolated to connect with other tweens and teens who share their same interests. “They can just find other kids who are superexcited about the same thing, so if you are living in a small town and you’re the only kid who loves musical theater, instead of feeling like a freak about it, you can go online and find all these other kids that love musical theater,” she said. Social media has been a place where teens, who might be feeling isolated, can cry for help. For example, when an 18-year-old recently posted on his Facebook page that he was thinking of jumping of the George Washington Bridge, which connects New York with New Jersey, Port Authority officers managed to connect with him on social media and encouraged him to get help. Social media for social good Teens have also shown they can use social media to make their voices heard. After a Christian motivational speaker, who believes “dateable girls know how to

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shut up,” spoke at a high school in Richardson, Texas, students took to Twitter to express their outrage.

One student wrote on Twitter, “Don’t you guys just love listening to sexist comments, irrational comparisons and blunt stereotypes w/o actual proof or evidence?”

“Teens and this young generation in general want action,” said Elena Sonnino, a founder of the site Live.Do.Grow, social media strategist and writer who focuses on engaging tweens and teens in using their voice for social good.

“They want to be able to see, for better or for worse, really quick action and social media allows them to create positive, meaningful change quickly.”

Sonnino, who has created a Facebook group called Grow Global Citizens, said social media has not only increased tweens and teens’ awareness of the world around the, but also has allowed them to be more innovative about how they can get involved.

“In the past … they would do canned food drives, they’d do the book drives, they’d do all the things that have been done over and over, which were all wonderful, don’t get me wrong, but now … they’re realizing there is so much more they can do,” said Sonnino.

At a recent digital family summit, Sonnino said she heard from kids who are doing things like creating Rainbow Loom bracelets to raise money for cystic fibrosis, and taking “selfies” and using the hashtag #unselfie to promote awareness of “Giving Tuesday,” the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, which is billed as a day to promote giving to others during the holiday season.

Message to parents: Have the talk

Levey said she and Kidz Vuz co-founder Nancy Friedman try to urge parents to, in essence, get with the program about social media. The genie is out of the bottle, folks.

“We liken it to the sex talks,” said Levey. “You can either have the argument that you never want to tell your kids about sex and you don’t want them to learn, and then good luck to them, or you can give them the rules and sort of be there with them every step of the way.”

“I think part of the problem is parents, unlike (talking about) sex, really don’t know the rules themselves,” she said.

But teens like Ameila Masio are learning the digital ropes and are showing us parents that they’re just fine in the vast social media landscape.

Recently, Amelia stood up for someone who was being criticized online, and viewed the exchange “kind of like math in a way, with negative and positive positions.”

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“If one person says this thing, it brings them down, but if this (other) person says the equal amount just as good, it evens out to a zero,” she said.

I’m feeling better already!

Article #4 “Social websites harm children’s brains: Chilling warning to parents from top neuroscientist

In the following article from Dailymail.co.uk/news/article posted on February 23, 2009, the author David Derbyshire warns of the potential damage to children’s brain’s due to use of social websites.

Social networking websites are causing alarming changes in the brains of young users, an eminent scientists has warned.

Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Bebo are said to shorten attention spans, encourage instant gratification and make young people more self-centered.

The claims from neuroscientist Susan Greenfield will make disturbing reading for the millions whose social lives depend on logging on to their favourite websites each day.

But they will strike a chord with parents and teachers who complain that many youngsters lack the ability to communicate or concentrate away from their screens.

More than 150 million use Facebook to keep in touch with friends, share photographs and videos and post regular updates of their movements and thoughts.

A further six million have signed up to Twitter, the micro-blogging service that lets users circulate text messages about themselves.

But while the sites are popular – and extremely profitable – a growing number of psychologists and neuroscientists believe they may be doing more harm than good.

Baroness Greenfield, and Oxford University neuroscientists and director of the Royal Institution, believes repeated exposure could effectively ‘rewire’ the brain.

Computer games and fast-paced TV shows were also a factor, she said.

‘We know how small babies need constant reassurance that they exist,’ she told the Mail yesterday.

‘My fear is that these technologies are infantilizing the brain into the state of small children who are attracted by buzzing noises and bright lights, who have a small attention span and who live for the moment.’

Her comments echoed those she made during a debate earlier this month. Then she argued that exposure to computer games, instant messaging, chat rooms and

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Notes on my thoughts, observations, reactions, and questions:

Part One:

1. Based on the information in these articles, complete the chart below. To the right of each argument, indicate the article #(s) where you found the argument.

2. It is important during research to be able to identify the difference between facts and opinions. Select one of the articles, and find at least one fact and one opinion in the article and explain why you think it is a fact or opinion.

3. Select any two of the articles and identify the message that the author is trying to communicate to the reader.

4. Researchers and reporters have a purpose when they quote sources in their articles, whether these sources are experts on a topic or ordinary citizens. Sometimes the credibility of these sources could be questioned because of their occupation or how a decision might affect them personally. Choose at least four sources who were quoted or cited in these articles, and complete the chart below to analyze how the quotes are used.

5. As you are researching, it is always important to evaluate the effectiveness of an argument in an article. It is equally important to be able to explain and understand why it is effective. Examine each of the articles and determine the main argument for each and support with evidence from the article why it is or is not effective.

Part Two:

You will now have the opportunity to review your notes and articles, plan, draft, and revise your report. You may use your notes and refer to the articles. You may also refer to the answers you wrote to the questions in Part One. Now read your assignment and begin your work.

Your Assignment:

Many people are very concerned about the negative impact of social media on today’s youth, and both state and local governing bodies are exploring ways to decrease this impact and restrict access to social media among teenagers. Based on the research you and your English class have done, write an argumentative essay to your local leaders to address this concern. Be sure that your recommendation acknowledges the other side of the issue so that people know that you have considered your recommendation carefully. You do not need to use all of the sources, only the ones that most effectively and credibly support your position and your consideration of the opposing view.