7/29/2019 Carib Ia.6 Updated
1/24
TITLE/TOPIC: Social Networking
PROBLEM STATEMENT: The impacts of social networking sites on
the social life, of students of St Stephens College, between the
ages of 11- 18yrs?
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. 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, thisfacility could be described as 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 age group to be studied is
between 11 to 18 years, while the physical space of the research focus is St.
Stephens College, Craignish Village, Princes Town, Trinidad.
7/29/2019 Carib Ia.6 Updated
2/24
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.
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. What are the positive impacts of social networking on youths lives?
2. What are the negative impacts of social networking on youths lives?
3. How aware are parents are of their childs use of social networking
sites?
Definitions:
Social network sites: web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct
a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of
7/29/2019 Carib Ia.6 Updated
3/24
other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) 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
lets you share and discover whats happening now. Messages are called
tweets.
7/29/2019 Carib Ia.6 Updated
4/24
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 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. Social networks are also
being used to foster teacher-parent communication. These sites make it
possible and more convenient for parents to ask questions and voice concerns
without having to meet face-to-face.
"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
7/29/2019 Carib Ia.6 Updated
5/24
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.
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. 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
7/29/2019 Carib Ia.6 Updated
6/24
public. (http://www.computeractive.co.uk/ca/news/1911962/children-putting-
danger-social-networking-sites#ixzz1f25sgAHt)
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
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.
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
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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_fixhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebookhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyber-bullyinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danah_Boydhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privacy_concerns_with_social_networking_serviceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_predatorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_fixhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebookhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyber-bullyinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danah_Boydhttp://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#ixzz1f25sgAHt7/29/2019 Carib Ia.6 Updated
7/24
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 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.
7/29/2019 Carib Ia.6 Updated
8/24
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.
However some disadvantages are that fixed choice questions can possibly
7/29/2019 Carib Ia.6 Updated
9/24
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.
7/29/2019 Carib Ia.6 Updated
10/24
DATA ANALYSIS
Figure.1
7/29/2019 Carib Ia.6 Updated
11/24
Figure 2. Table showing the percentage of youths on SNS withrespect to the age groups
FIGURE 3
AGE GROUPS
PERCENTAGE
On A Social Networking
Site
Not On A Social
Networking Site
11-13 100 0
14-16 94.4 5.6
17-19 83.3 16.7
7/29/2019 Carib Ia.6 Updated
12/24
Figure 4
7/29/2019 Carib Ia.6 Updated
13/24
7/29/2019 Carib Ia.6 Updated
14/24
Figure 5
.
7/29/2019 Carib Ia.6 Updated
15/24
Figure 6
Figure 7
7/29/2019 Carib Ia.6 Updated
16/24
7/29/2019 Carib Ia.6 Updated
17/24
Figure 8
7/29/2019 Carib Ia.6 Updated
18/24
Figure 9
7/29/2019 Carib Ia.6 Updated
19/24
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
7/29/2019 Carib Ia.6 Updated
20/24
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
(a) INTERPRETATION OF FINDINGS
7/29/2019 Carib Ia.6 Updated
21/24
Figure 1 indicates that the majority of students are on a social networking
site. Figure 2 shows the youths between the ages of 11-13 are more active
users in social networking than youths between the ages of 14-16 and 17-19.
The age group 17-19 is the least involved in social networking. Thus this
indicates a trend that students involvement decreases as their age increases.
Figure 3 indicates that most parents are aware of their childs involvement
on SNS. However, it also indicates that the highest unawareness of their
childs involvement is in the age group of 11-13. Although the majority of
parents are aware of their childs involvement on social networking sites,
most parents neither check their childs account nor give him/her advice 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. Figure 6 indicates
that 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 and the most aware group being ages 17 to 19. The awareness increases
sharply from age 11 to 19. This therefore shows 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 are unconcerned about the
7/29/2019 Carib Ia.6 Updated
22/24
effect of what the place on social networking site would have on their 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 teens 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 improved
their self-esteem.
7/29/2019 Carib Ia.6 Updated
23/24
7/29/2019 Carib Ia.6 Updated
24/24