ONLINE SOCIAL NETWOKS AND TEENS

The Influence of Online Social Networks on Teens Shahrzad Sadrpour California State University Long Beach

ONLINE SOCIAL NETWOKS AND TEENS Abstract The growth of online social networks (OSNs) has provided teens with a powerful space for communicating and socializing. Most teens use online sites to explore their identity, gender curiosity, and develop relationships. While the majority of researches believe OSNs play a

positive role in teens psychological well being, there is also a rising concern about excessive use of the Internet for sexual activities. Furthermore, teens are in high risk for developing sexual disorder and compulsive sexual behaviors, which can pose a treat to their social and personal relationships.

ONLINE SOCIAL NETWOKS AND TEENS The Influence of Online Social Networks on Teens OSNs are fairly new to our modern society but quickly growing phenomenon on the Web. They can be defined as online settings where people create personal profile in order to connect with friends and family members who share common interest. With the rising teen user base, sites such as Myspace, Facebook, multiplayer online games, and chat rooms are now among the top leading websites on the Net. In some studies it has been argued that teens interaction on OSNs can be beneficial for identity development and gender experiment (Suler, 1998; Turkle, 1995). However, despite all the benefits, as teens continue to reveal massive amounts of personal

information and photos on their profiles, the role of OSNs has been overshadowed by issues such as cybersex, sexual predators, and potential risk for developing compulsive sexual behaviors (Palandri & Green, 2000; Schwartz & Southern, 2000; Wolak, Mitchell, & Finkelhor, 2006). This research paper brings together different studies that examine the positive and negative aspects of OSNs on teens personal and social development. To better understand the role of OSNs on identity development in teenagers, Friedmans (2005) philosophy on technology will be examined to introduce the birth of the digital collaboration between people around the world. In addition, the focus will shift to different studies emphasizing on positive and negative aspects of teens and the Internet interactions. The Internet Friedman (2005) focuses on events and political aspects of technology that have reformed the world and humans communication. He describes ten flatters that he believes are the result of leveling the global playing field, in which it can be viewed as the fundamental elements of todays high technology status. While all ten flatteners are equally important, only three elements can validate the purpose of this research paper.

ONLINE SOCIAL NETWOKS AND TEENS

In flattener number two, Netscape, Friedman talks about the birth of the Internet browser. When Netscape went public in 1995 the first Internet browser became available to the public, where information became accessible to anyone in the world. In flattener number four, Uploading, Friedman describes the phenomenon of information sharing. This is the stage where communities begin uploading documents, collaborating, and contributing information to the Internet environments such as, Wikipedia and blogs. Flattener number ten, Steroids, is the last flattener that amplifies the prior nine flatteners. In this emerging digital stage the power of digital interaction shifts from organizations to individuals. Personal computers are cheap enough to be accessible to anyone and individuals can easily connect, communicate, and share photo or information with anyone in the world through different online sites. The reference of the three flatteners by Friedman clarifies the process and the evolution of the Internet, which plays a fundamental base in the creation of OSNs. Thus, its much easier to understand the forming of OSNs and its influence on an individuals social and personal life. The adoption of the Internet have opened endless opportunities for teens to explore and experiment with different things such as identity and gender that might be difficult to demonstrate in real world. Identity Development The biggest increase in use of the Internet is amongst the teenagers, mainly because of the free and convenient accessibility to various tools and entertainment activities that they enjoy. According to Youth and Internet survey in 2010, the number of teens online has increased drastically over the past five years. (See Figure 2) Teens are significantly more likely to use OSNs for entertainment and communication purposes (See figure 1).

ONLINE SOCIAL NETWOKS AND TEENS

Figure 1- Teens, 12-17, Percentage of online activities. From National survey 2010

Figure 2- Teens, 12-19, Percentage of hours spent online. From National survey 2010

The advantage of being able to engage in synchronous and asynchronous communication enable teens to create unique profiles that can be customized and updated on a daily basis. Teens are constantly looking for a place of acceptance where they feel safe and wanted. Thus, OSNs are becoming a place for them to explore and experiment with their identity. 59% of parents say OSNs are a positive influence in their teens social and personal lives (Rideout, 2007). Sites such as Facebook and Myspace have become a platform for teens where they can freely express themselves and reveal information with friends who share common interest. The ability to upload pictures or write comments allow them to make an explicit decision on what information, pictures, and videos they like to post on their profiles. Friends can easily assess and leave feedback on what has been posted, which can be very influential in development of social identity. The idea of creating a profile online encourages teens to socialize with friends and discuss issues about themselves that they might hesitate to share in real life. The interaction online will make them brave enough to voice their opinion without a fear of judgment and helps them build their self-esteem. Many researchers argue that the use of OSNs can increase self-esteem and psychological well being (Valkenburg & Peter, 2009). Todays teens search for an online environment where they have the freedom to explore their identity and form various relationships that are less

ONLINE SOCIAL NETWOKS AND TEENS threatening and challenging than the ones formed in real world. Many teens might feel

uncomfortable expressing their affection toward the person they like, thus navigating such issues through online sites can help them practice those skills that later they need to encounter in real life (Suler, 1998). Exploring social skills is also another factor of developing personal identity. Majority of teens decide to become a member of OSNs to communicate with friends who are already a member, join new groups that are suitable to their taste, and meet new people with diverse cultural backgrounds. The rapid emergence of the Internet acknowledge teens to spend a majority of their time chatting with their peers, it is certain that their online social skills will improve (Suler, 1998). Under optimal conditions, the online interaction allow teens to meet people of various cultural backgrounds, thus they would have a better perception on how to adapt and communicate to broad range of people worldwide. In addition, self-disclosure has been identified as another beneficial and important aspect on teens well being. Self-disclosure is defined as revealing more personal information about oneself to others. A study by researchers suggests that when teens reveal and express more personal information about themselves with others such as their friends, the quality of their relationship improves. These constructive interactions will help improve self-confidence and psychological well being (Valkenburg & Peter, 2009). OSNs create an opportunity for teens to mediate their relationships with friends and other groups; therefore, it may help them to explore further curiosities that exist within themselves such as gender trouble.

ONLINE SOCIAL NETWOKS AND TEENS Gender Swapping Many people may believe in You can't create something out of nothing, yet, in the world of Internet that principal loses its validity. According to Suler (2004), the beauty, and sometimes misfortune, of the Internet is that it offers the opportunity for people to experiment with their identity. Unfortunately, because of the pressure of cultural stereotypes and the societys classification for male and female characteristics, many teenagers face major challenges to explore those gender roles within themselves in physical world. Thus, OSNs become an ideal place to express those hidden curiosities. Some sites provide an environment for anonymous social interaction in which a user can create an imaginative character as close to or as far away from his/her real self. Gender swapping online can be aspirations of the real character teens wish to be. Turkle (1994)

suggests, The created character can have any physical description. The plain can experience the self presentation of great beauty; the nerdy can be elegant; the obese can be slender (p. 162). The idea of teens exploring with gender identity online have been criticized by negative views about its social consequences. For instance, Slouka (1995) argue that online gender swapping can result in dysfunctional identity development due to hindering ones true identity. Any disconnection between real self and the online persona is classified as a complete lie and can extend the gender inequality that exists in real life (Kendall, 2002). Conversely, other researchers suggest that online gender swapping can be very beneficial in teens identity development and understanding various gender roles in society. One study shows 57% of online members have engaged in gender swapping, and it suggests that the online gender swapping persona has positive social attributes in a male and a female oriented environment (Bruckman, 1996).

ONLINE SOCIAL NETWOKS AND TEENS Gender swapping online is highly beneficial to those who are gender confused or exploring homosexuality. This poses an opportunity for teens to explore with their sexual identity and work on their inner personality to express issues that prevent them from selfdevelopment. Turkle (1995) identifies, Gender swapping is an opportunity to explore conflicts

raised by ones biological gender. By enabling people to experience what it feels like to be the opposite gender or to have no gender at all, the practice encourages reflection on the way ideas about gender shape our expectations (p. 213). Through gender swapping teens learn what it feels like to be the opposite sex in which they can experience the issues other gender faces in every day life settings. Anonymity on OSNs encourages teens to play different roles and experiment with new relationships, thus they could have a better sense of control and power over the character and the identity they have created online. Online gender swapping provides the freedom to escape from reality and the physical being. Therefore, teens have a chance to create a world where they can control every aspect of their identity and gender. Some teens may not have the ability to take charge of the challenges they face in their every day lives. Thus, they learn to obtain such power and control from using the Internet. Experiencing power and control allow teens to have a better understanding of their physical and emotional characters that might be missing from their real life. Exploration of gender swapping acknowledge teens to better understand their true role in the offline world, which help them to identify the nature of their relationships and understand the limits of their responsibility. When teens find a safe online environment that enables them to work through their gender and identity issues, they feel confident to extend those curiosities further by forming online intimate relationships, which provide an avenue for exploring sexual

ONLINE SOCIAL NETWOKS AND TEENS curiosity. Cybersex As OSNs popularity is on rise there are serious consequences that need to be considered in regards to teens social life and their safety. The convenience and anonymity of the Internet lures teens into OSNs to experiment with new intimate relationships, especially opposite sex. The power of anonymity allows teens to express their sexual needs in the privacy of their home.

In addition, participating in cybersex gives them the opportunity to meet people without a fear of rejection or judgment. Despite all the positive aspects of cybersex, the online sexual interaction can damage teens social and personal life. Teens may like to do their sexual experimentation online and consider it harmless and fun, however, the problem is they can easily come across other sites that are particularly designed as gateways to other inappropriate sexual content. Teens involved in cybersex tend to underestimate the importance and influence of their behavior. Excessive time spent on the Internet for sexual content may lead to sexual disorder, abuse, and compulsive behavior. Some social networking sites provide a safe environment for teens to explore and satisfy their sexual needs. Yet, the infinite and easy access to these sites can become addictive. Researchers identify that the extreme exposure to sexual content can lead to developing addictive sexual disorder (Palandri & Green, 2000). Continuous involvement in cybersex among teens can interfere with aspects of school and social life. One of the downside of cybersex is that it may pose danger to teens existing and future relationships. Cybersex often times harms real-life intimate relationships. Some researchers suggest that teens can easily become caught up in their fantasies to a point that they disappear

ONLINE SOCIAL NETWOKS AND TEENS from real world and their interactions will hardly resemble a real relationship (Schwartz & Southern, 2000). Participating in cybersex creates an illusion world that can replace the real

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world relationships. Teens will lose the connection between physical and virtual world and the nature of the social ties become meaningless. When teens get involved in cybersex relationships they find the freedom to present themselves anyway they feel most comfortable, which limits the self-disclosure, leading them to a false and misleading relationships. The main concern is the danger of sexual predators that entice teens to offline encounters. The risk of online interaction is that users are not able to identify the true identity of the other person and can never be certain that other users truly are who they say they are. A recent study shows roughly 10-16% of teens that formed relationships online lead to offline meetings (Wolak, Mitchell, & Finkelhor, 2006). Youth and Internet Survey indicate that most teens have experienced sexual assault from the person they met online (See Figure 3).

Figure 3 - From Youth and Internet Survey 2010

Teens believe cybersex is a great way to practice safe sex and easy to hook up. Main issue is that most teens may not understand that Internet based sexual action is easily accessible to others such as sexual predators and cyber stalkers. OSNs are the great way for sexual predators to target teens and launch their abuse against

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them. Most predators are clever and patience in order to obtain trust and emotional attachment. They present themselves as supportive and understanding people who encourage teens to reveal personal issues. Parents and educators are encouraged to take charge and talk to their teens about all the potential dangers that online interactions can cause. In addition, set reasonable rules and use software control to better supervise their teens daily online activities. Unfortunately, It is very difficult to prevent sexual predators from pretending to be someone they are not. Conclusion This paper identifies the influence of the OSNs on teens daily life. There are numerous reasons why teens are motivated to use Internet for daily activities. The main reason for joining OSNs is to communicate with friends and improve social skills. Yet, many researchers argue that interaction through OSNs does more than connecting people worldwide; it plays a major role in teens psychological well being as well as social and personal development. OSNs becomes a platform where teen are encouraged to explore different curiosities that exists within themselves and learn to have a better perception about their self identity. However, this platform cannot be fully trusted due to dangers posed by anonymous online interactions and sexual predators. The Internet is considered an essential element in teens life, thus its crucial for adults to take some responsibility to teach teens about potential threats than can result from online communication and try to take advantage of all the positive factors that OSNs offers.

Reference

ONLINE SOCIAL NETWOKS AND TEENS Bruckman, A. (1996). Gender swapping on the internet. Retrieved April 21, 2011, from: http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~asb/papers/gender-swapping.ps

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Friedman, T.L. (2005). The world is flat: The Ten Forces That Flattened The World. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Kendall, L. (1998). Meaning and identity in cyberspace: The Performance of Gender, Class, and Race Online, 129-153. Palandri M, Green L. (2000). Image management in a bondage, discipline, and sadomasochist subculture. Retrieved April 2, 2011, from: http://collections.lib.uwm.edu/cipr/image/345.pdf Research center publication: Youth and the Internet Survey. Retrieved April 7, 2011, from: http://pewresearch.org/pubs/?Year=2010 Rideout, V. (2007). Parents, children & media: A Kaiser Family Foundation Survey. Retrieved April 14, 2011, from: http://www.kff.org/entmedia/7638.cfm Schwartz, M. F., Southern, S. (2000). Compulsive cybersex: The new Tea Room. The Journal of Sexual Addiction and Compulsion, 125-144. Slouka, M. (1995). War of the worlds: Cyberspace and the High-Tech Assault on Reality. New York, NY: Basic Books. Suler, J.R (1998). Adolescents in cyberspace: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Retrieved April 20, 2011, from: http://users.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/adoles.html Suler, J.R (2004). Do boys (and Girls) just wanna have fun? Retrieved April 20, 2011, from: http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/genderswap.html Turkle, S (1994). Constructions and reconstructions of self in virtually reality: Playing in the MUDsMind, Culture, and Activity, 158-167

ONLINE SOCIAL NETWOKS AND TEENS Turkle, S. (1995). Life on the screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet. (pp. 210-232) New York, NY: Simon & Shuster. Valkenburg, P. M, & Peter, J. (2009). Social consequences of the Internet for adolescents: Amsterdam, The Netherlands: University of Amsterdam.

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Wolak, J., Mitchell, K., & Finkelhor, D. (2006). Online victimization of youth: Five Years Later. Retrieved April 23, 2011, from: http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/CV138.pdf