“Why Youth (Heart) Social Network Sites” by Danah Boyd

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Table of Contents

Research Topic
Literature Review
Design/Methodology
Results
Discussion
Recommendation for Future Research
Educational Implications of Findings

Research Topic

The article discusses why youth love social network sites and the role of networked publics in the lives of teenagers. It explains why these sites are important, how they fit into teenagers’ lives, and their importance as well as effects on face-to-face interactions.

Literature Review

The author of the article, Danah Boyd, uses different resources to support and supplement her arguments and define terms. For example, she cites studies conducted by PEW on youths’ access to the Internet and the use of social network sites. The studies conducted in 2004 and 2006 revealed that approximately 55% of teenagers with access to the Internet created profiles on social network sites.

Teenagers who did not participate in social networking were either unable to do it because of parental control or of being on planes, where social networks are banned. The literature review discusses several ways in which teenagers experience social life online, and the role played by race, social class, and gender.

Design/Methodology

The arguments contained in the article are based on ethnographic data collected from Boyd’s two-year study that involved the evaluation of teenagers’ participation in MySpace. She observed participants’ engagement with the social network site and spent a lot of time in their company. In addition, she conducted qualitative interviews in both online and offline spaces. The author utilized observation and interviews as the main data collection methods. Moreover, she analyzed the profiles and blogs of teenagers in various places in the United States.

Results

Boyd found out that teenagers love social networking sites because they aid in the formation of social identities, understanding cultural cues, and negotiating public life. Interacting with other teenagers helps young people to socialize and introduces them to the boundaries of the social world and the adult society.

Discussion

The researcher argues that society, law, market, and architecture are the primary forces behind contemporary teen culture involving the love of social networking sites. Societal hypocrisy is prevalent, and teenagers are in need of proper social identity. These forces have shifted how youths are perceived and treated. The Internet allows teenagers unlimited access to unregulated publics, where they can express themselves freely without control or censure.

Recommendation for Future Research

The article expresses the need for the study of the long-term implications of socialization into a culture that is rooted in social networks.

Educational Implications of Findings

The author has noted that the Internet and teenagers’ involvement in social networks is causing numerous changes. Young people are using social networks to access adult society, express themselves without censure, and create social identities. However, the lack of control or regulation is perilous because of the existence of what Boyd calls networked publics. It is important to conduct further studies to determine how teenage socialization into a culture rooted in networked publics will affect them in the long run.

According to the findings of the study, it is important to educate teenagers on the best way to use technology and networked publics because they will not go away. Teenagers need education on how to navigate social structures whose long-term social implications are unknown. Limiting access to networked publics is not the solution because they will encounter them as adults. In that regard, the best solution is to help teenagers use networked publics to form and enact their social identities.

Social networks play a critical role in the socialization of teenagers because of their influence on the setting and reinforcement of norms. Teenage social identity is largely defined by others. Therefore, unguided access to networked publics can lead to the formation of social identities that do not reflect the values and visions of teenagers. The new social realm being provided by the Internet can be a source of social change or degradation. It is the responsibility of parents and educators to teach teenagers how to avoid the negative influence of socialization through online networking sites. The absence of visible audiences in online socialization alters the way people interact and communicate.

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