EXPAND 1: Friending Mom and Dad

Lenhart, A. (2009, January 14). Social Networks Grow: Friending mom and dad. Pew Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved from http://pewresearch.org/ pubs/1079/social-networks-grow.

This article by the Pew Research Center is a compilation of studies to show percentages of people and social networks. Some of the astounding numbers show 75% of adults 18-24 use social network meaning that most users are young. The article goes on to say that most users, 89%, use their online profiles to keep up with friends while others, 57%, use it to make plans with friends. 44% uses them to make new friends. This brings up an interesting note in connection with this chapter five in Brooks-Young. If the most usage of social networks is to keep up with friends already known, then students in a class who see each other daily could use social networks to keep up with their classmates during summer days or after school hours. The second was highest usage was to make plans. Classrooms could use this with group projects where students could collaborate and plan all over a social network. It scares me a little when 49% is the number of of people who use social networks to make new friends. Especially for younger students, it could be very dangerous. That's why I like the idea of closed networks such as ning or elgg for school settings where only allowed people are in the network but it still works like a social network. Also, if more and more adults join social networks then communication with parents should get easier. Also, another statistic in the article said that more Blacks and Hispanics use social networks then white people. This intrigues me and got me thinking about the use of social networks in inner city or with ESL students of different races and how they may learn better this way. Overall an interesting article and made me think.