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NAME: Binta Baptiste

TITLE/TOPIC: Social Networking

PROBLEM STATEMENT: The impact of social networking sites on

the social life, of students of St Stephens College, between the

ages of 11- 19yrs?

INTRODUCTION:

Only recently in Trinidad and Tobago have social networking become a

prominent issue. Great deals of speculation have been made about the

impacts of social networking sites (SNS) such as Facebook, MySpace, and

Twitter on users lives particularly on youths. There is also justifiably some

fear that SNS would diminish proper communication skills, human

relationships and contacts, as well as cause social seclusion. However others

believe that with the advent of social networking sites especially the modern

day marvel Facebook, this facility could be usedas a social utility that helps

people communicate faster and more efficiently with their friends, family and

co-workers all over the world. As could be expected, researchers have begun

to put to empirical test these claims, reaching a more balanced understanding

of SNS.

The research which this study would pursue investigates both the positive and

negative impacts of social networking on youth, with emphasis on security,

communication skills, and formal education. The research would also assess

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the awareness of parents about their childs involvement on social networking

sites and will attempt to make suitable recommendations pertaining to a

disciplined approach to the use of SNS to ensure positive outcomes.

The age group to be studied is between 11 to 19 years, while the physical

space of the research focus is St. Stephens College, Craignish Village, Princes

Town, Trinidad.

The purpose of this study is to discover the extent of the influence of social

networking sites on the social lives of youths and to assess the involvement of

parents in their childs use of social networking sites. This will serve to

facilitate the evaluation of beliefs made by individuals about the pros and

cons of social networking, also make help youths to reduce the amount of

time they spend on SNS and also to be

The value of the research would be to help parents and guardians to be more

aware of the impacts of social networking on the lives of their children and as

such monitor their childrens use of these sites more stringently. It can also

help youths to be more mindful of how these sites should be used to their

benefit without placing themselves and their future at risk.

Research questions:

1. To what extent are students of St Stephens College engaged in social

networking

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2. What are the positive effects of social networking on the students of St

Stephens College

3. What are the negative effects of social networking on the students of St

Stephens College

4. To what extent are students monitored in their social networking

activities.

5. What measures can be implemented to ensure positive outcomes of

social networking

Definitions:

Social Network Sites (SNS): web-based services that allow individuals to

construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, articulate a

list of other users with whom they share a connection, and view and traverse

their list of connections and those made by others within the system.

Facebook: A social networking website on which users can connect with

friends and develop new ones and can send messages or update their

personal profiles to notify others about whats going on in their lives.

Twitter: This is a social networking and microblogging site that calls itself a

real time information network powered by people all around the world that

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lets you share and discover whats happening now. Messages are called

tweets.

Virtual community: a social network of individuals who interact through

specific media, potentially crossing geographical and political boundaries in

order to pursue mutual interests or

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LITERATURE REVIEW

Social networking sites are virtual communities (Lenhart and Madden, 2007).

Just like chat services, SNS incorporate a list of other users with whom

individuals can share a connection. But unlike any other web service, SNS

allow individuals to make visible their list of connections to others and to

traverse their social networks (Boyd & Ellison, 2007). Hence, more than other

virtual communities born online, SNS are usually online communities created

and maintained to reflect offline relationships.

Social networking use has doubled since 2007.stated Ben Parr (2011). In

2004, PEW found that 87% of teenagers aged 12-17 have some level of

Internet access. In a study conducted in late 2006, they found that 55% of

online teens aged 12-17 have created profiles on social network sites with

64% of teens 15-17.The youngest teenagers are less avid.

Social networks are also being used by teachers and students as a

communication tool. Because many students are already using a wide-range

of social networking sites, teachers have begun to familiarize themselves with

this trend and are now using it to their advantage. Teachers and professors

are doing everything from creating chat-room forums and groups to extend

classroom discussion to posting assignments, tests and quizzes, to assisting

with homework outside of the classroom setting.

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"Benniger (1987) describes how mass media has gradually replaced

interpersonal communication as a socializing force. Further, social networking

sites have become popular sites for youth culture to explore themselves,

relationships, and share cultural artifacts". Many teens and social networking

users may be harming their interpersonal communication by using sites such

as Facebook and MySpace. Stated by Baroness Greenfield, an Oxford

University Neuroscientist, "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." The convenience that social network sites give users to

communicate with one another can also damage their interpersonal

communication. Sherry Turkle, the founder and director of the MIT Initiative

on Technology and Self, stated, Networked, we are together, but so lessened

are our expectations of each other that we feel utterly alone. And there is the

risk that we come to see others as objects to be accessed--and only for the

parts we find useful, comforting, or amusing. Furthermore, social network

sites can create insincere friendships, Turkle also noted, They nurture

friendships on social-networking sites and then wonder if they are among

friends. They become confused about companionship.

According to Larry D. Rosen, PhD, professor of psychology at California State

University (2011), Daily overuse of media and technology has a negative

effect on the health of all children, preteens and teenagers by making them

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more prone to anxiety, depression, and other psychological disorders, as well

as by making them more susceptible to future health problems.

Parents are unaware of the dangers their children face by posting details

about themselves on social networking sites, according to research

commissioned by Ofcom.

The survey of 5,000 adults and 3,000 children found that nearly half of

children aged between eight and 17 have a profile on one or more of the

popular social networking sites.Although Bebo and Facebook set a minimumage limit of 13 years old, and Myspace14 years, the research found that more

than a quarter of eight- to 11-year-olds in the UK have used the sites. Despite

two-thirds of parents saying they set rules for their children regarding the use

of social networking sites, one in five parents said they were unaware that

their child may have made their profile public.

(http://www.computeractive.co.uk/ca/news/1911962/children-putting-danger-

social-networking-sites#ixzz1f25sgAHt ). Pew Research Centre (2012) found

that nearly two-thirds (61%) of social media-using teens report that their

parents have checked their social network site profile.

Privacy concerns with social networking services have been raised growing

concerns amongst users on the dangers of giving out too much personal

information and the threat ofsexual predators. According to a study

conducted by the information Commissioners Office (ICO) (2006), more than

half of those social network users polled revealed that the majority of their

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http://www.bebo.com/http://www.facebook.com/http://www.myspace.com/http://www.computeractive.co.uk/ca/news/1911962/children-putting-danger-social-networking-sites#ixzz1f25sgAHthttp://www.computeractive.co.uk/ca/news/1911962/children-putting-danger-social-networking-sites#ixzz1f25sgAHthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privacy_concerns_with_social_networking_serviceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_predatorhttp://www.facebook.com/http://www.myspace.com/http://www.computeractive.co.uk/ca/news/1911962/children-putting-danger-social-networking-sites#ixzz1f25sgAHthttp://www.computeractive.co.uk/ca/news/1911962/children-putting-danger-social-networking-sites#ixzz1f25sgAHthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privacy_concerns_with_social_networking_serviceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_predatorhttp://www.bebo.com/

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information was available for public consumption on a social networking page.

Citizens and governments have been concerned by a misuse by child and

teenagers of social networking services, in particular in relation to online

sexual predators. A 2008 panel concluded that technological fixes such as

age verification and scans are relatively ineffective means of apprehending

online predators.

While teens across all demographic groups generally have positive

experiences watching how their peers treat each other on social network

sites, teenagers between the ages 12-13 stand out as considerably more

likely to say their experience is that people are mostly unkind according to

research conducted by PMW. A common misuse of social networking sites

such as Facebook is that it is occasionally used to emotionally abuse

individuals. Online bullying, also called cyber-bullying, is a relatively common

occurrence and it can often result in emotional trauma for the victim.

Depending on the networking outlet, up to 39% of users admit to being

cyber-bullied. Danah Boyd, a researcher of social networks quotes a

teenager in her article, Why Youth (Heart) Social Network Sites. The teenager

expresses frustration towards networking sites like MySpace because it

causes drama and too much emotional stress. There are not many limitations

as to what individuals can post when online. Individuals are given the power

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to post offensive remarks or pictures that could potentially cause a great

amount of emotional pain for another individual.

Social networking can also affect the extent to which a person feels lonely. In

a Newsweek article, Johannah Cornblatt explains Social-networking sites like

Facebook and MySpace may provide people with a false sense of connection

that ultimately increases loneliness in people who feel alone. John T.

Cacioppo, a neuroscientist at the University of Chicago, claims that social

networking can foster feelings of sensitivity to disconnection, which can lead

to loneliness. However, some scholars have expressed that concerns about

social networking are often exaggerated and poorly researched.

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RESEARCH DESIGN

In this research paper I will be using quantitative data. Quantitative

data usually takes the form of statistical or numerical information. My main

reason for choosing to employ the use of this type of data is the fact that

quantitative research facilitates theory formation because as a large

amount of data is collected the data can display cause and correlation and

therein makes the formation of theory is possible. The use of this type of

data is also advantageous in that it provides objectivity; therefore

respondents will not in any way be influenced by my personal views.

The instrument used to collect data was questionnaires. A

questionnaire is a number of preset questions that can contain open-

ended, fixed choice or a combination of both types of questions. 54

students (27 girls and 27 boys- 6 from each age group ranging from 11-19

years old) were chosen by stratified random sample from St Stephens

College from forms 1 to 6. They were approached individually and asked

whether they would like to participate in the study. All agreed. A 17 item

questionnaire was administered to all students on the 29th of February

during the lunch break and was collected after school. 15 items were of

forced-choice type and two were open-ended.

The advantages of the questionnaire are that the data can be easily

tabulated, measured and analyzed, and they are easy to administer.

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However some disadvantages are that fixed choice questions can possibly

force a respondent to choose an answer that does not capture his/her

feelings about an issue and that some respondents may provide erroneous

information or treat the issue too lightly. However these problems were

overcome by incorporating open ended questions in my questions and

secondly in order to prevent respondents from treating the issue lightly I

made an effort to impress upon the respondents the importance of the

research and the necessity for them to answer all questions honestly and

seriously.

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DATA ANALYSIS

(a) Presentation of Data

Figure.1

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Figure 4

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Figure 5

.

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Figure 6

Figure 7

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Figure 8

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Figure 9

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Figure 10

TABLE SHOWING THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS

INTIMIDATED/ ABUSE ON SNS

AGE GROUPS

IMITATED OR ABUSED

YES NO

11-13 83% 17%

14-16 77% 23%

17-18 53% 47%

Figure 11

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From graph:

A=Resulted in face to face argument or confrontation

B= Caused a problem with your parents

C= Resulted in a physical fight with someone else

D= Ended your friendship with someone

E=Made you feel nervous about going to school

F=Made you feel closer to another person

G=Made you feel good about yourself

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(b) Interpretation of Findings

For the research, the 54 questionnaires which were distributed were all

returned. Out of these questionnaires only 4 indicated not to be on any social

networking site. Therefore majority of students are on a social networking site

inculcating 93% of the 54 students

Figure 2 shows the youths between the ages of 11-13 are the most active

users of social networking sites totaling 100%, than youths between the ages

of 14-16 and 17-19. The age group 17-19 is the least involved in social

networking with only 83.3% participation. Thus this indicates a trend that the

students involvement decreased as their age increased.

From the information gathered, most parents, 80%, are aware of their

childs involvement on SNS. However, figure, indicates that the highest

unawareness of parents about childs involvement is in the age group of 11-

13, 55.6% unaware. Most parents, 76%, neither check their childs account

nor give him/her advice, 90%, on what he/she should post on their account as

indicated in figure 4.

Figure 5 indicates that students between the ages of 11 to 16, opt to have

their profiles on social networking sites public whereas the majority of

students between ages 17 to 19, have their profiles private. The majority the

students are unaware of the dangers related to the exposure of personal

information, with the most unaware group being age 11-13, 79%, and the

most aware group being ages 17 - 19 ,87%, as indicated in figure 6. The

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majority of those between in the age group 14- 16 were unaware of the

dangers but overall had higher awareness than those between in the age

group of 11 13. This therefore indicated that most of those who have their

profiles public are ignorant of the dangers related to exposure of their

personal information on these sites. From the responses received from the

questionnaire it was also noted that most students, 70%, are unconcerned

about the effect of what the place on social networking site would impact on

their social life social life.

On average most students spend more than 3 hours on social networking

sites daily, the majority of them being between the ages of 11 to 13. Most

students between the ages of 17 to 19 spend on average less than 30 minutes

daily as shown in figure 7.

From the results obtained figure 8 shows that youths are mostly kind to

each other on SNS, 70%, with the minority being unkind 30%. This therefore

indicates that youths have relatively good relations with each other on these

sites.

Most students do not witness online intimidation however they themselves are

abused as shown in figure 9 and 10. Students in the age group of 11-13

experience the most abuse on SNS, 83% of them.

The majority of students have positive online experiences, but some are

caught in an online feedback loop of meanness and negative experiences as

seen in figure 11. The majority of students felt that social networking sites

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benefited them by improving their self-esteem, helped them to be more

connected with friends, make new friends, develop closer friendships, assisted

in school work through study groups which they joined and also helped them

to be kept updated about current trends and issues.

Students stated that the best ways youths can guard against negative

repercussions on SNS are by making their profiles private, to not accept

people who they do not know, to not post revealing pictures of themselves, to

not use explicit language on their account and to reduce the amount of time

they spend on SNS.

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Discussion of findings

The research which I have conducted demonstrates the effect of social

networking on youths of St Stephens college between the ages of 11 19

social life. Indebt research was done to analyze the positive and negative

impacts of social networking on their lives and the awareness of parents

about their childs involvement on social networking sites. The results

obtained from the research, showed some similarities and differences to

previous research carried out on this topic.

The results showed that 93% of students use SNS. This is an increase from the

expected usage according to research done by Pew Research Centre. This

shows that the rate of usage of these SNS is growing more rapidly than

expected. This was could be due to a host of reasons. These sites constantly

grow and evolve to meet the users needs so they become increasingly

important to the needs of students.

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Also students between the ages of 11 13 were found are the largest age

group present on social networking sites unlike previous research which

showed that this youngest group was the least keen to join SNS. This could be

due to the increased prevalence of computers in homes and in school

therefore students have easier access to SNS.

Like previous research carried out by Ofcom, it was found that the majority of

parents were aware of their childs involvement in SNS, however, most

parents neither check their childs account nor give them advice on what they

should post. This could be as a result of parents being unable to manipulate

the internet or being unaware of the negative effects of social networking.

Most students, the majority being between the ages 11 -13, spend on average

more than 3 hours daily on SNS, it is quite possible that they are not aware

about how it may harm their interpersonal communication as suggested by

Benniger (1987), as well as cause health problems as suggested by

Larry D.

Rosen (2011).

According to a study conducted by the information Commissioners Office

(ICO) similar findings were obtained in this research showing that most

students who have their profiles set up for public consumption are both

unaware and unconcerned about the related dangers, such as that of sexual

predators.

This research found that most students do not witness cyber bulling on SNS

sites, however they themselves are bullied, 59%, especially students between

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the ages of 11-13, however, Danah Boyd stated that only 39% of youths

admitted to be cyber bullied.

However like the result found by Pew Research Center, the majority of

students admit to having generally positive experiences on social networking

sitesin that they gain new friends, strengthen friendships, improve their self-esteem and help foster student teacher communication.

CONCLUSION

The students of St Stephens College demonstrate similar social networking

habits of youths worldwide. It therefore supports studies done on this problem

before. However, it goes further to show that the number of youths involved in

social networking have increased with the largest group being between the

ages of 11-13. In addition, the study shows that a higher percentage of

parents are aware of their children being on social networking sties but

however neglect to check their accounts. The students especially between the

ages of 11-13 spend more than 3 hours daily and unaware of the dangers of

having public profiles and are unconcerned about the dangers this could

cause to their social lives. The majority students especially between the ages

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of 11-13 admitted to being cyber bullied but however still indicated that they

had relatively good experiences on SNS.

This study is limited by the small sample size and so results cannot be

generalized to a wider body of students but it certainly presents ideas that

could be built on a larger scale study. A questionnaire should have been given

out to the students parents to assess their awareness of their childs usage of

SNS, however due to the time constraint this was not done.

RECOMMENDATIONS

SOLUTIONS FOR PARENTS TO PROTECT THEIR CHILDREN FROM THE DANGERS

OF SOCIAL NETWORKING:

1. Do research and take classes to understand how computer and Internet technology

works.

2. Put your computer in a common area of your house where privacy wont be expected.

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3. Explain to your kids that the Internet is not private and they shouldnt post anything

about themselves that they wouldnt want everyone to know about. Also check

your childs privacy settings to restrict access and postings. Show your

child how to use these settings and explain their significance.

4. Also let your children know that they also shouldnt post any private information about

their friends.

5. Tell your kids to let you know immediately if anyone has approached them or sent

them inappropriate content.

6. If you suspect that something is wrong, contact the authorities and your Internet

service provider.

7. Review your childs friend list and ask questions if you see a friend

unfamiliar to you.

8. Discuss online etiquette with your children so as not to instigate

bullying. For instance, tell them that if something is too mean to say to

someones face, then it probably is not appropriate to say online.

SOLUTIONS FOR YOUTHS ON HOW TO GUARD AGAINST THE NEGATIVE

EFFECTS SOCIAL NETWORKING HAS ON THEIR SOCIAL LIVES:

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1. Make your profile private

2. Do not accept friend requests for people you do not know

3. Guard identity information (name, age, sex, school, address). Do not

open attachments from cyber friends as they may contain viruses

which can provide identities to hackers.

4. If one of your friends is bullying someone, ask them to stop. Let

them know it is not normal or okay. If you are being cyber bullied

Talk to someone you trust. If you feel scared or trapped, you should

talk with an adult, such as a parent, aunt/uncle, teacher, school

counselor, or church youth group leader.

5. Limit the amount of time you spend daily on social networking sites.

In schools teachers should speak to students about the dangers of

social networking and about ways to combat them.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Parr,B. Social Networking Accounts for 1 of Every 6 Minutes Spent Online

[STATS] [Online]

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http://mashable.com/2011/06/15/social-networking-accounts-for-1-of-every-6-minutes-spent-online-stats/http://mashable.com/2011/06/15/social-networking-accounts-for-1-of-every-6-minutes-spent-online-stats/http://mashable.com/2011/06/15/social-networking-accounts-for-1-of-every-6-minutes-spent-online-stats/http://mashable.com/2011/06/15/social-networking-accounts-for-1-of-every-6-minutes-spent-online-stats/

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Available:

http://mashable.com/2011/06/15/social-networking-accounts-for-1-of-

every-6-minutes- spent-online-stats/ [2011, June 15]

1. Boyd,D. [2007] Why Youth (Heart) Social Network Sites: The Role ofNetworked Publics

in Teenage Social Life. [Online]

Available:http://www.danah.org/papers/WhyYouthHeart.pdf

2. Huber,M.L & Scheider,H.L. (2008) Social Networks Development,

Evaluation & Influence. New York: Nova science Publishers, Inc.

3. Nations,D. What is Social Networking? [Online].

Available: http://webtrends.about.com/od/socialnetworking/a/social-

network.htm

4. Patridge,K. Social Networking. (2010) New York: H.W Wilson Company

Rosen, D.L.Poke Me: How Social Networks Can Both Help and Harm Our Kids[Online]

Available: http://www.fenichel.com/pokeme.shtml[2011]

5. Rainie, L. , Lenhart, A. & Smith, A. The tone of life on social networkingsites [Online]

Available:http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Social-networking-

climate.aspx. [2012, February 9]

6. Vassou,A. Children putting themselves in danger on social networkingsites [Online]

(http://www.computeractive.co.uk/ca/news/1911962/children-putting-danger-social-networking-sites#ixzz1f25sgAHt ). [2008, February 4]

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http://mashable.com/2011/06/15/social-networking-accounts-for-1-of-every-6-minutes-%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20spent-online-stats/http://mashable.com/2011/06/15/social-networking-accounts-for-1-of-every-6-minutes-%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20spent-online-stats/http://www.danah.org/papers/WhyYouthHeart.pdfhttp://webtrends.about.com/od/socialnetworking/a/social-network.htmhttp://webtrends.about.com/od/socialnetworking/a/social-network.htmhttp://www.fenichel.com/pokeme.shtmlhttp://www.computeractive.co.uk/ca/news/1911962/children-putting-danger-social-networking-sites#ixzz1f25sgAHthttp://www.computeractive.co.uk/ca/news/1911962/children-putting-danger-social-networking-sites#ixzz1f25sgAHthttp://mashable.com/2011/06/15/social-networking-accounts-for-1-of-every-6-minutes-%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20spent-online-stats/http://mashable.com/2011/06/15/social-networking-accounts-for-1-of-every-6-minutes-%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20spent-online-stats/http://www.danah.org/papers/WhyYouthHeart.pdfhttp://webtrends.about.com/od/socialnetworking/a/social-network.htmhttp://webtrends.about.com/od/socialnetworking/a/social-network.htmhttp://www.fenichel.com/pokeme.shtmlhttp://www.computeractive.co.uk/ca/news/1911962/children-putting-danger-social-networking-sites#ixzz1f25sgAHthttp://www.computeractive.co.uk/ca/news/1911962/children-putting-danger-social-networking-sites#ixzz1f25sgAHt

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APPENDIX

QUESTIONNAIRE

My name is Binta Baptiste. My project is to evaluate the impact of

social networking on the social life of students of St StephensCollege, between the ages of 11- 19years old. Please read the

questions carefully and respond truthfully to all answers. Your

responses will be treated with the strictest confidence and the

questionnaire of all respondents will remain anonymous. Place a tick

in the box provided

1. What gender are you?

Male Female

2. What is your age?

11.13 14-16 17-19

. Are you on any social networking site?

Yes No

4. Are your parents aware that you are on a social networking site?

Yes No

5. Have your parents ever checked your social networking account?

Sometimes Often Never

6. Have your parents ever given you advice on what you should post on your socialnetworking site?

Yes No

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7. Are you aware of the dangers related to exposure of personal information on socialnetworking sites?

Yes No

8. Are you concerned about the effect of what you place on the social networking sites??

Very concerned Sometimes concerned Unconcerned

9. How is your profile set up?

Public (everyone can see it)

Partially private (Friends of friends)

Private (Friends only)

10. On a typical day about how much time do you spend on the social networking site?

Less than 30min 1-2hrs 2-3hrs more than 3hrs

11. What benefits do you gain from social networking?

Connection with friends and family living abroad

Make new friends

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Develop closer friendships

Join study groups

Please indicate any others?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

12. Overall in your experience how do people your age group relate to each otheron social networking sites?

Kind Unkind

13. How often do you witness online intimidation/abuse?

Frequently sometimes only once in a while never

14. Have you ever been intimidated/abused on the social networking sites?

Yes No

15. Have you ever personally had an experience on a social networking site that:

Yes No

a) Resulted in face to face argument or confrontation

b) Caused a problem with your parents

c) Resulted in a physical fight with someone else

d) Ended your friendship with someone

e) Made you feel closer to another person

f) Made you feel nervous about going to schoolg) Get you into trouble at school

h) Made you feel good about yourself

16. In your opinion what ways can youths guard against negative repercussion on socialnetworking sites?

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