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We are living in a world that has rapidly evolved when it comes to technology and particularly the internet. The youth within society have grown up with the internet and they often use and perceive it differently than other members of society. In the article ‘Why Youth “Heart” Social Networks’ by Danah Boyd (2008) we get some insight into why youth engage in Internet and in particular social networking sites. This blog post will outline the article and its content and the relationship that youth has with social networking sites.
Why Youth ‘Heart’ Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life is an article that explores the interaction that youth have with social networking sites and in particular MySpace. When Boyd discusses youth within the article she is primarily focusing on teenagers in High School and their social interaction with the web (Boyd, 2008, p121). The article explores which elements draw youth to social networking sites and why. The article is based on studies conducted by the author in which she interviewed participants. Throughout the article excerpts from these interviews are included to illustrate important points which add depth to the article. There are some key concepts which are mentioned that highlight the complex relationship youth has with social networking sites, which include participation and identity. Over the course of this post these concepts will be discussed in more depth.
When discussing social networking sites participation is one word that comes to mind. Sites such as Facebook and MySpace are participatory in nature and this is a concept that Boyd discusses in the article. When we consider youth and their internet interactions there is more to take into account than just the process of using the internet and participating in social networking. Boyd points out that youth have many commitments in their lives (2008, p134). Most youth are present at school for most their day, week, and year and after school hours there are often activities like sport or homework to be completed (2008, p134). Considering the busy schedules of youth Boyd states that involvement in internet activities especially social networking sites is the quickest and easiest way to socialise with friends and to make new friends (2008, p135). The Internet has become an important tool for basic social interaction and participation which can often be difficult for teenagers to have in a face to face setting. By using the internet youth become a part of participatory culture and not just users of it. The article also presents the idea that social networking sites provides a space where youth can interact with like-minded peers, whereas often face to face socialising can have external factors that hinder successful socialising between teenagers. Participation in the internet and social networking sites also raises the concept of identity in both the online and offline world. This concept will now be explored further.
For youth that have grown up in a digital society it can be difficult to establish a personal identity considering the onslaught of culture that is presented through different mediums. Often youth are given identities by other members of the community which often makes establishing their own identity difficult. In the PBS documentary ‘Digital Nation’ they discuss the idea of youth having this identity of the digital generation. This illustrates the idea that it can be difficult for youth to create their own identity when external forces are already creating an identity for them. Boyd writes in the article that youth has been given an identity as a nuisance by older generations and this is why youth are so drawn to the internet and social networks, as they can participate in an online community of their peers without being labeled.
In the article Boyd focuses on youth using the internet and social networking sites to create their own identity. Typically a person’s identity is formed through speech, body language, and appearance (Boyd, 2008, p128). In an online network like MySpace other tools have to be employed in order for youth to make their own online identity. Boyd outlines how the functionality of MySpace allows users to change the profile which means that users can build their personal page to suit their identity and personality (2008, p122). Boyd also outlines that often online identities are different to youths offline identity (2008, p131). This gives some insight into how the nature of the internet and social networking sites can allow a person to make two different identities. This can then mean that youth may have difficulty establishing their own identity, when there are different mediums that they create other new identities in.
Boyd’s article presents some key concepts about youth. The internet is present as a common entity and used in everyday lives. The current youth within society have grown up with technology and the internet. The object of this blog post was to examine Danah Boyd’s article and draw out some key concepts and discuss them. One of the concepts she discusses was participation. There is an emphasis on our culture now being a participatory one and this is important for youth in establishing themselves within society, and in establishing their own identity. Identity is one of the more important concepts when discussing youth. Through the internet youth have access to a lot of information and this shapes the way in which they develop their personality. Boyd discusses that the new online spaces of social networking sites provide new places for youth to develop their identity. The article provided some insight into youth and their experiences with the internet and in particular social networking sites.
By Nova Watson
I found this article very interesting to read and agree that it provided a great deal of insight into why young people are drawn to social networking sites. In particular, I was fascinated to read the section in which Boyd discusses youth profile creation on My Space. Having never used My Space (I’m an avid Facebook user), I found it interesting to read about the way in which youth are able to exploit the hole in My Space security to personalise their profiles in ways that the site does not allow. Young people have always bucked the system and this is just another example of them doing just that. They are making it ‘My Space’ in the truest sense of the word. Boyd makes a great point that young people do not always fit into the structures that society provides (in this instance the profile set-up options provided by My Space creators). Personally, I'm impressed by their ingenuity. I can even relate, as I too, have spent hours formatting my online profiles so that they say exactly what I want them to say about me. Actions like this show the importance young people place on self-expression. In light of this, as educators, we need to allow young people as many opportunities for self-expression online as is possible because as Boyd argues, learning through impression management is key to developing a social identity (2008, pg. 137).
ReplyDeleteBy Shannon