A Word About Social Networking Lauren Taylor – Dardanelle High School

Statistics 93% of teens and young adults in the U.S. use internet regularly More than 70% use social networking sites 62% of teens use the internet to get news about current events and politics 48% of teens use the internet to make purchases 31% of teens use it to get health, dieting, or physical fitness information

Advantages & Disadvantages of Social Media Opportunities & Risks

Advantages of Social Media Social Skills Independence and Self-expression Digital competence Educational development Research

Social Skills Keep up with friends and make new ones Increase self esteem Help someone feel less isolated

Independence and Self-expression Creating your own online presence helps you express yourself Join groups and pages that interest you Find out about other people’s interests Support causes that interest you

Digital competence Technology is evolving faster than ever Using technology ensures an easier transition to future changes

Educational development Discuss schoolwork online Share discussions about assignments As a professional create social groups related to topics being researched

research Gather information about topics that are hard to discuss with others Large amount of educational resources online (Ex: google scholar)

Risks of Social Networking Release of Personal information Bullying The Permanence of online problems Disclosure

Release of personal information Giving personal information online could result in victimization People looking to do harm can use personal information about you How to help prevent: make your social accounts private

bullying Harassment can occur online only (cyberbullying) Causes significant emotional harm resulting in: Depression, anger, school avoidance, violence, and suicide

The permanence of online problems Once information is shared, it is out there forever Retrieving information you have shared is impossible These pictures, comments, or posts can come back to haunt you as you get older and start a professional career

disclosure People are much bolder online than they are in person Information tends to be shared online that would not be disclosed in person Disability information, private health information, marital status or children’s name(s)

Safe and Responsible Decisions Online Think about how you learned to cross a street First, hold hands with an adult Then, Gain some independence and let adults watch from afar Finally, make safe and responsible decisions on your own Use knowledge, skills, and values to exercise good judgement