Social Networking Group 3 SU 09

Social Networking

Authors: Sarah Sabo, Liza Carbajo, Julie Bryniczka, Hannah Yeam, Betty Lambert, Michael Williams, Katherine McIntosh.

Course: EPS 415: Ethical & Policy Issues in Information Technologies, Summer 2009

Instructors: Professor Nicholas C. Burbules

Institution: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Introduction

Definition and History of Social Networks

Social networking is a structure made of nodes-which are generally organizations or individuals who are tied by one or more specific types of friendship, values. kinship, vision, ideas, sexual relationships, dislike, financial exchange, trade, or conflict (wikipedia.com, 2009). Social network anlaysis views social networks in terms of ties and nodes. Nodes are the individual actors within the networks while ties are the relationships between the actors. Social networks can operate on many levels from individuals attempting to achieve their goals to communication at the level of nations. A social network is a map of all the relevant ties between the nodes which are being studied(wikipedia.com,2009).

In the late 1800's Ferdinand Tonnies and Emile Durkheim were noted as precursors of social networks. Tonnies believed that social groups have ties that link individuals who share beliefs and values (gemeinschaft), or individuals who have impersonal, instrumental, and formal social links (gesellschaft). Durkheimn distinguished between a traditional society "mechanical solidarity" - which prevails if individual differences are minimized, and the moderen society - "organic solidarity" that develops out of cooperation between individuals with independent roles (wikipedia.com, 2009).

At the turn of the century, Georg Simmels' essays examined the network size on interaction and loosely-knit networks. In the 1930's J.L. Moreno began recording and analyzing the social interaction of small groups. Also during this time, W.Lloyd Warner and Elton Mayo explored interpersonal relations at work. A presidential address by A.R.Radcliffe-Brown urged the systematic study of networks in 1940. Elizabeth Bott developed social network analysis with the kinship studies in the 1950's - 1960's. In the 1960's - 1970's numerous scholars worked to combine the different traditions and tracks of social networking. Among these were H. White and his Harvard University students and C. Tilley, who focused on neworks in social movements and political sociology, and S Milgram, who developed the "six degrees of separation" thesis. Other research was done by Talcott Parsons, George Homans, Mark Granovetter, and Barry Wellman (wikipedia.com, 2009).Significant independent work has been done by scholars elsewhere, too numerous to list on this site.

How do Social Networks Work

Social Networks work by creating an online community for people to relate to. This online community is established and maintained by the use of the consumers. Social Networks can be created due to similar interests such as a recipe or puppy dogs(Burbules, 2006). The SNS can also be used for educational purposes involving sharing notes and ideas. Whatever the reasons, social networks are here to stay because they are easily available to people of all different backgrounds. They will continue to flourish with the ever continuing growth of their popularity.

SNS has also helped expand the interest of different cultures and ethnicities. For this class alone I have had more experience with people outside of the United States. Social Networks open a whole new world especially when it comes to education because you can not only look up different cultures but now you have a way to contact people within the different cultures whether it be through email, chat rooms, or the topic of discussion faceboook/myspace and many others. Lastly, Social Networks provide an way to research and look at trends of users based on ethnicity, social economic status, gender, age, etc.

Examples of Social Networking Websites

The following are direct links to social networking websites that Wikipedia recognizes as the most popular (primary location). For a complete list of SNS, visit the Wikipedia page "List of Social Networking Websites." All information collected from Social Network Service.

• Facebook (Worldwide)- Facebook was founded in 2004 by current CEO Mark Zuckerberg. It is a free-access websites which allows people to "friend" each other and have access to their "friends" profiles and pictures, as well as have the capability to send messages, both public and private.
• MySpace (North America)- Founded in 2003, MySpace is a free-access website that allows users to view public profiles, music, blogs, pictures and videos.
• Twitter (North America) - Founded in 2006, Twitter is a micro-blogging website,is often called the "SMS" of the internet because it allows users to continuously post status updates, called "tweets." People "follow" friends and celebrities to view their tweets.
• LinkedIn (North America)- Launched in 2003, LinkedIn is a business-orientated social networking websites. Users can post resumes, references and educational info and create a network of connections, people they are in direct and indirect contact within their vocation.
• Nexopia (Canada)- Founded in 2003, Nexopia is private social networking websites for adolescents 13 or older. Similar to MySpace and Facebook, Nexopia allows users to share pictures, blogs, articles and forums.
• dol2day (Germany)- Launched in 2000, dol2day is a private political-driven website, primarily used by German speaking college students, professors, and young professionals.
• XING (Europe)- Similar to LinkedIn, XING is a social software platform which enables people to create professional networks. It claims to be used by people in over 200 countries.
• Badoo (Europe)- Launched in 2006, this London based SNS allows users to share profiles, videos and pictures, with hopes of promoting their vocations and avocations; it claims to be one of the top 10 social networking sites in Europe.
• Skyrock (Europe)- Launched in 2002, users connect with one another through blogs, profiles and private messages; this site also offers hopeful musicians the option to post blogs about their personal musical compositions.
• Orkut (Central and South America, Asia)- Launched in 2004 and similar to Facebook and MySpace, Okrut is most popular in India and Brazil.
• Hi5 (Central and South America)- Hi5 is a social networking website that allows users to create user-profiles, profile music player and upload pictures. Unlike Facebook, Hi5 labels degrees of friends, 1st, 2nd and 3rd, which denotes the level of acquaintance, direct friends, the friends of those direct friends and the friends of the friends of direct friends, respectively.
• Friendster (Asia and the Pacific Islands) - Friendster is a private SNS, founded in 2002. This website is used to meet new friends and connect with old ones, dating, and discovering new music, hobbies, and activities.
• Multiply (Asia and the Pacific Islands) - Launched in 2003, Multiply encourages users to share videos, photos and blog entries with one another. Like Facebook, there are multiple privacy settings and is noted as one of the most secure social networking sites.

The following are educational social networking websites, for students and educators (this is not a complete list).

• Whyville (North America) - A "safe" social networking website, young students can create their own picture profile, play interactive video-games, manage money, write for the town newspaper,etc.
• Ning in Education (North America) - Ning allows users to create their own social networks, based on own interests and hobbies. The vast education network focuses on collaboration, professional development and technology integration in the classroom.
• Elgg (North America) - Elgg "empowers individuals, groups and institutions to create their own fully-featured social environment," allowing users to create own groups or use the website to run a website for a specific organization.
• Schools United (Worldwide) - This free website provides teachers the opportunity to share resources with educators from all over the world.
• Schools for Facebook Application(Worldwide) - Designed for colleges, Schools for Facebook unites college campuses.
• Standardissimo Application(Worldwide)- Designed for educators, Standardissimo allows teachers to "can asynchronously share, discover, and contribute best practices at the school, district, state, and national level."
• TeachAde (North America) - Sign up for a free account and teachers have access to numerous resources, lesson plans and videos. It is the first interactive website that is compatable with Web2.0. Educators can also share, chat and blog with all users.

Educational Opportunities for Social Networking

Social Relationships Gained from Internet Use

Social network sites (SNS) are beneficial to people of all ages because it allows them to connect and maintain relationship with others. SNS are a more personal way for people to stay in touch. It is more than sending an email, instead, you can click on the person's profile and send the message straight to them. Being able to see a picture or personal information disclosed by the person allows people to feel more connected than just sending an email to an address. There are countless numbers of social network sites out there, all with different purposes. For example, there are SNS designed to be work-related such as LinkedIn.com or romantic finders such as Friendster.com. There are also places that are built around similar interests such as Myspace.com or a specific age group such as Facebook.com (Ellison, Steinfield, & Lampe, 2007).

A research study shows that 96% of students claim to use the internet for various reasons such as chatting, text messaging, blogging, and surfing the web. However, all students claim that education is the move prevalent topic discussed. Often, while online, approximaely 60% of students research and discuss college plans, options, and future careers (Manzo, 2009). Most adults fear when students use the internet it makes them more susceptible to predators. However, new research claims that teens are using the internet to interact with people they know rather than strangers.

From research, 43% of students claim the use of online networking made their relationships closer because the internet assisted in making plans and staying in touch with friends. There was a small 5% that have friends who were found online and had no face to face interaction (Jayson, 2009). Within the last 5 years with the expansion and popular demand of Facebook.com a lot of research has been looked into about who and why people become members on the social networking webiste. Research shows that people who use facebook look for people they have previously met offline rather than looking for new people (Ellison, Steinfield, & Lampe, 07). Other research from about facebook shows that almost all users have the highest connection to their past high school friends. This is the resason why SNS are so helpful because people can stay in touch online as they move around the world. By staying in conact with past friend

Currently, there are several main social networking sites but two of the most popular are Facebook.com and Myspace.com. There has been a lot of research about who uses them, why they use them, how they feel about it, etc. When facebook first came out it was only used by Harvard. Eventually, the SNS spread to all colleges. Then finally, facebook opened it's doors for high school, businesses, and anyone in between. Myspace has always been an open site to anyone but it did begin as a teen site. Therefore, facebook was associated with college and myspace was associated with high school (Boyd, 07). Research shows, people who use facebook often disclose more information and feel it is "safer" to put themselves out there compared to disclosing on myspace (Dwyer, Hiltz, & Passerini 07). This study also confirmed that facebook users benefit from the SNS because it helps them manage their offline relationships.

For almost everyone online these days, social networking is the best way to keep intouch. You can not only keep in touch with your current classmates but old classmates, current co-workers, family, people half way across the world and many others. One interesting area of research about SNS is how race and ethnicity are associated with each site. In a new report, it was found that Facebook, Myspace, and Xanga users can be predicted based off of their race, ethnicity, and parents educational level (Northwestern University, 07). Facebook is connected with white users and Myspace is connected with Hispanic users. Asian and Asian-American users are the least likely of the different cultures to have a myspace account. The Asian and Asian-American users are more drawn to teh SNS such as Xanga and Friendster. When it comes to socio-economic status Facebook users are more likely to have parents with a college degree. On the other hand, Myspace users are more likely to have parents with a high school education or small amount of college experience (Northwestern University, 07).

Using Blogs to Improve Student Learning

It seems that every generation has its own jargon or language. Now that we have introduced what social networking is and how it works, we would like to give some practical applications to various educational opportunities which are presented through social networking. This opening paragraph discusses the wide use of blogs to improve student learning. Blogs improve the classroom environment in five ways. The first improvement is found in the form of nurturing a collaborative culture. Next, blogging adds to student writing time, in other words journaling. Blogging will also increase exposure to content. Reflective learning is also improved through opportunities from student and teacher feedback. Lastly, the blogs create different forms of participation for students.

Collaboration on a project is difficult for teachers to evaluate as the process continues to completion. Technology has now given educators to see the research, view the summaries of the research, and have the students peer review their classmates work. The students used a chat box in one classroom model (Downes, 2004). The chat box continued the collaboration based on various content items need to be discussed by students.

Blogs allow for students to work outside the four walls of the classroom. English teachers are finding the use of blogs to improve the journaling time for students (Richardson, 2003). Student journaling otherwise known today as blogging is a very powerful skill for relevant and present writing. Richardson (2003) goes on to discuss the availability for students to wrestle with concepts post class time. This interaction with one another in a journal environment causes student to consider various processing methods displayed in various individuals.

Blogging increase exposure to content and reflective learning is improved. Ferdig and Trammel (2004) found that if students work with the material through blogging with other students enhancement of learning can occur. The dialogs back and forth continue to reinforce various points of view from peer to peer. The reflective nature of blogging is not found in the teacher posting a question and all students respond in multiple forms. But the power comes from the student to student dialogs spontaneously through back and forth debating.

Blogging ultimately creates different forms of social networking. No longer does the flow of information come from the instructor. This multiple form of participation reverses the flow of knowledge from student to student and from student to teacher (McBride and Luehmann, 2008). This cyclical nature of knowledge motivates the students because they feel responsible for the information and reflection. Also there is a finished product left for others to glean from. No longer will the students turn on a formed paper to later be thrown away, their blogs can be retrieved for further discrimination of knowledge.

Collaboration Through Wiki's

An additional educational tool used through social networking is found in the new exploding world of Wiki’s. The ownerless wiki concept originated when software programmer Ward Cunningham “wanted to create the simplest collaboration possible: a Web page that nobody would own and that anyone would edit” (Evans 2006, p.28). The wiki model finds itself following not the linear flow of knowledge but a content based structure free from time constraints. The content in a wiki is actually timeless, never finished and always in a state of flux (Lamb, 2004). This concept is in contrasts to the blogs and chat rooms. Blogs and chat rooms are time constrained and found to flow with various thoughts and ideas. Wiki’s are subject specific and outside of the time continuum. Reinhold (2006) also confirmed, “that other facilities such as forums or videos chat applications are perhaps more suitable as actual direct communication media, wiki systems serve well as a basis for computer mediated collaboration on textual artifacts and articles” (p.47). This section will focus on two considerations in the use of wiki’s in the classroom. The first implication concerns the application of social constructionism through the use of wiki’s. The second is the reversal of knowledge flow using the application of wiki’s.

Social constructionism is the form wiki’s imply through their use in the classroom environment. Constructionism, as discussed by Forte and Bruckman (2007), is a theory pioneered by Seymour Papert of the MIT Media Lab. His definition states that, “children learn best when they are in the active roles of designer and constructor” (p.31). This strategy has made its way into educational pedagogy. The wiki application allows for the dynamic interaction for students, for teachers and also for the extension of the classroom through the World Wide Web. Constructionism alters the way educators design their classroom environments and their own professional growth opportunities.

Specifically from the student perspective wiki’s builds knowledge and social interactions in mainly four criteria. Firstly, the students are able to work synchronously and also asynchronously through this blended learning environment (Ferris and Wilder, 2006). The synchronously could be obtained during class time or in off time study group times. The asynchronous time is the absolute advantage of working by choice. Student edits can occur whenever and wherever the student has access to the site.

High engagement rates to content improves student learning. In order for teachers to increase students on task times, wiki pages motivate students to cognitively reflect on content (Ferris and Wilder, 2006). Public knowledge building activities creates an enthusiasm that enables students to leave work behind for future readers to glean from instead of turning papers into a teacher to be later thrown away.

Social networking constructionists also visualize an outstanding potential in wiki’s due to its ability for the students and teachers to be both authors and readers at the same time (Forte and Bruckman, 2007). As the students build information networks the students become authors for public edification (Reinhold, 2006). This provides worth to students time and effort as they collaboratively carry products to fruition. The reader side of their cycle through a completed product is found by the research system the students have to endeavor and also by peer editing to create thematic tones in their finished work.

Reversing the flow of knowledge is a powerful component for the productive wiki users. In a wiki based classroom, no longer is the teacher a disseminator of information, but they become a true facilitator of knowledge. This facilitation of the knowledge runs parallel with the constructionism view for productive learning environments. A wiki in the hands of a healthy community works to construct a thematic structure for readers (Lamb, 2004). No longer do the students have to be delivered the flow of information, they can create the flow reversing the trend. This extends the classroom outside the four walls in multiple ways. Finally, reversing the flow of knowledge offers multiple views on the same information (Reinhold, 2006). The social networking of the students and their points of view are heard during the construction of the finished product.

This reversal of knowledge then moves the classroom from a passively learning environment to a healthy active learning environment. The student becomes both able to interpret information and an adept participant in the construction of new knowledge (Forte and Bruckman, 2007). Students are motivated active participants as they see anyone can change anything (Lamb, 2004). Wiki’s have their own markup language that essentially strips HTML down to its simplest elements. The information the students construct may or may not be linear due to their points of view. This active learning environment establishes ownership and worth as the product concludes.

Below are a few concrete examples to increase social networking within the classroom through the use of wiki’s:

- Class minute notebooks - Systems for writing - Peer edit - Discussion and debated relevant articles - Glossaries - Supplementary course materials

Excellent resources to increase social networking within the classroom through wiki’s:

http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?WikiWiki

http://www.usemod.com/cgi-bin/mb.pl?MeatballWiki

http://phpwiki.sourceforge.net/

http://www.wikia.com/wiki/Special:CreateWiki

http://www.malts.ed.ac.uk/idel/assignment/wiki/000022.html

E-Portfolios to Record Achievements and Collect Examples of Work

An E-portfolio is a web-based information management system in which the learner uses electronic media and services and builds a digital repository of artifacts. E-portfolios can be comprised of multimedia, graphic, or text-based multimedia elements archived on a DVD, CD-ROM, or on a Web site. The E-portfolio can be used for accreditation of prior learning, professional development, assessment, and life-long learning. The E-portfolio can include digitized artifacts of resources, demonstrations, and accomplishments that represent institutions, organizations, communities, groups, or individuals. Currently, many e-portfolios are the most prevalent in college of education programs.

E-portfolios are a "purposeful collection of student work designed to showcase a student's progress toward, and achievement of, course specific (or other) learning objectives" (Lorenzo, Ittelson, 2005). E-portfolios can be divided into three categories: institutional e-portfolios, teaching e-portfolios, and student e-portfolios. The functions of the e-portfolios include: document skills, abilities, learning, and knowledge; monitor and evaluate performance; plan educational programs; track development within a program; find a job; and evaluate a course(Lorenzo & Illelson, 2005).

Student e-portfolios can be used to showcase accomplishments, document specific learning outcomes, and can lead to the discussion, description, representation, reflection, and revisions of the digitized artifacts provided by the student. Today e-portfolios are helping students become critical thinkers, especially in the areas of their multimedia communication skills and their writing abilities.

Instant Messaging for Collaboration

Instant messaging (IM)is a technology that has been embraced by the generation of students who are entering post-secondary schools ands those who will enter these schools in the future. Instant messaging creates the possibility of real-time text-based communication between two or more participants over the internet or some form of internal network/intranet. Instant Messaging allows efficient and effective communication which features the immediate receipt of reply or acknowledgement. Instant Messaging can involve additional features such as the ability to see the other party, talking directly for free over the Internet, and the use of web cams.

Instant messaging is easy to use, is in real time, is fast, can provide an instant response, the user is able to view availability on line, the user can have controlled access, and IM users can have a buddy list. It is possible to save a conversation for later reference. Instant messaging facilitates quick exchange of information like document snippets or URL's.

Instant messaging in the educational setting is relatively new, but its usage is on the rise. It is somewhat difficult to truly determine the level of usage within the educational settings in the United States, it is expected that the usage will continue to grow as more and more students of the technological information age enter junior high, high school, colleges, and universities.

Conclusion

With the use of the internet, students are now more in charge of their learning more than ever before. They are creating relationships and taking those to the next level by this online environment where they can speak about classes and educational plans. The use of Wikis has empowered the students to be a part of something and be the author and the learner at the same time. Giving the students this opportunity is not only motivating but an exciting way to show their knowledge. The use of E-portfolio's is almost a requirement in any post undergrad program. The ability to compile and have all previous work available at the click of a mouse is a great way to impress employers at interviews. It is also a good way for reflection of teachers and students about their previous accomplishments. Instant messaging is a quick and convinent way for students to communicate. This can be used for socializing outside of school but also asking questions. From past experience, instant messaging has helped several students get homework done at 3 in the morning when they can't call or email their professor. Having the ability to message another classmate who is awake and work through the problem helps the students complete their work instead of giving up. Social networking is a huge benefit for students inside and outside of the classroom. Not only are they in constant contact with peers if needed but they have the ability to return to previous work and reflect upon with others.

Challenges Arising from These Developments

Communication Through Online Mediums Does Not Reflect Actual Styles of Dialogue

Take a minute to think about the way people text, type, and talk. Now think of how it is compared to ten years ago. How many times have you heard something like: lol, omg, idk, jk, etc. I bet it varies depending on your age. These may be a new form of communication you have never experienced before. However, for others, especially the younger kids this is the new way for people to express themselves. To catch everyone up, here is what the previous "words" signify: lol= laughing out loud omg= oh my god or oh my gosh idk = I don't know jk= just kidding.

Now, you may think that this form of commmunication is ridiculous why would anyone use those. However, if you think of the ways we communicate now a days everything is done through texting, emailing, instant messaging, etc. These are all fast ways to connect with others so why not develop our own faster way of communicating.

The problem arises when students start replacing the normal words with these quick abreviated "e-chat" words. Go to a mall or a park and sit for 10 minutes. I guarrantee you will heard someone say OMG, LOL, when really they could vocalize the whole expression. The main question here is HOW much is this occurring and is it a national problem. If you listen to the news you will probably hear "kids don't know how to talk anymore with all of these abbreviations, the are just getting lazy, it's all due to the internet, these kids won't be able to type a full paper without the use of these expressions".

Research shows this is incorrect. This has been blown up as a big problem. According to the research, less than 3% of the data shows teenager who use the abbreviations and emotional language (Tagliamonte and Denis, 08). Of course, it does happen and can cause problems for students in the classroom but it is not an extreme problem. In an instance with students do use this form of communiation teacher penalize the students. I think this is a quick learned lesson for students to keep "e-chat" and language they use for school separate.

What is Hindering the Use of Blogs in the Classroom?

The challenges which face the incorporation of blogs to multiple classrooms throughout the United States is due to various technical and nontechnical issues. The first hindrance is technical in nature; the multilevel abilities in computer skills. The following four challenges are teacher assessment of student participation level. The teachers say: (1) the student's will not participate, or (2) quality responses will not be provided, or (3) can student inability to reflect, or (4) teacher grade time is increased. These challenges are discussed in detail below.

The computer skills are varied depending on the background and access to technical soft and hardware. A teacher of English will have difficulty troubleshooting various software and hardware complaints. The time away from curriculum to take care of technical difficulties holds back teachers from redesigning their full curriculum. Teachers spend many hours putting lesson plans together and are still not completely convinced the technology will work 100% of the time. This lack of dependency hinders the time for incorporation.

The nontechnical issues are found within the perception the teachers have for their student’s ability level. First, they say the student will not participate. They do not believe the engagement rate would increase if they are not delivering information during class time. Teachers also believe the quality of their responses and the inability for the students to reflect on their work. Yes, this is a difficult issue even for adults. Teachers have difficulty reflecting on their profession, how will we get our students to reflect properly? Lastly, the most difficult hurdle is the supposed increase in grade time for the teacher incorporating blogs. The rubric which will need to be set and followed for each participant may or may not be aligned to the learning standard. There are multiple challenges teachers and administrators will need to work through before there is a full curriculum realignment incorporating blogs into the classroom.

Challenges Facing Wiki Use

Three significant areas of concerns arose in the research of wiki use in the classroom to improve social networking in students. Ferris and Wilder (2006) found that the social maturity level of students must be considered before introducing the use of wiki’s in the classroom. Lamb (2004) next discovered the difficulty teacher had assessing the student through their wiki development. Lastly, the access of all users is a difficult issue for educators to assign work outside of classroom hours.

The social maturity level of the students is a factor which will limit the ability for the teacher to use the system in the classroom. Teachers of 4-5th graders were unable to manipulate the page properly and also had difficulty with the hyperlinks (Ferris and Wilder, 2006). The age which wiki are mostly used in 2009, is found to be in the collegiate level. Some High School teachers are experimenting with the system, and very few middle/junior high schools are incorporating the use of wiki’s in the classroom.

Next, the ability for the teacher to assess the student performance has found to hinder the wide spread of wiki use. The teachers see the tremendous social networking capability, but are find increased time to assess individual student on their knowledge growth (Forte and Bruckman, 2007). Also the students are frustrated with other student’s lack of participation and desire to be assessed separately from their peers to create equity. The assessment issues when overcome could allow multiple uses throughout the school system world wide.

Lastly, access issues is a determining factor slowing the overall progress of teachers to turn to 100% digital formatting. Burbules & Callister (2006) discussed the digital divide as a multifold. The first is the technical access. Do all students have a computer or direct access to a computer off class time? Burbules & Callister went on to proclaim that the other access issues were, “knowledge and skill set, access to social networks, access to free time and so on” (2006, p.86). These access issues create difficulty in the classroom even if the educator continues to differentiate the curriculum. The differentiated curriculum leads to inequity to skill set and knowledge building exercises.

Inappropriate use of other students information in E-Portfolios

As the use of the internet continues to be on the rise, the ability to decipher whether or not a student has "borrowed" from another student or source without their permission or citing it as such, cheating will continue to occur. The instant accessibility and availability to use other's information is mind boggling.

One important question that arises in our technological world is: When an e-portfolio is assessed, who validates the artifact as a student's authentic work? How would an evaluator of the e-portfolio determine if the work has actually been performed by the student who is being assessed? How would an e-portfolio system authenticate that all of the work (demonstrations and documentation) was created by the author? Another question that needs to be addressed is: Who is the real owner of the artifacts in any portfolio? Is the owner the author, the educational institution, or are both owners? These questions need to be examined as our techonoligcally effecient students continue to use the internet in both their personal and academic lives.

Confidentiality comes to the forefront as e-portfolios are evaluated and posted. The use of authentic examples of student and faculty work placed inside educational e-portfolios raises permission and confidentiality concerns.

Instant messaging and the effects of cyber bullying

Typically, most of us picture the schoolyard thug as a male student who physically and verbally threatens victims on the school bus and more commonly on the playground. Bullying is defined as aggressive, intentional, and repetitive behavior perpetrated by a more powerful individual against someone weaker (Kowalski, Limber, Agatston, 2008).

Traditional bullying has changed over the years as has the traditional bully. The Illinois General Assembly finds that bullying has a negative effect on the social environment of schools, creates a climate of fear among students, inhibits the students ability to learn, and leads to antisocial behavior.

The new electronic technologies enables our school age students to access the same source from different portable media platforms. Many children are accessing media sources with little or no adult supervision. “As a result, America’s young people spend more time using media than they engage in any single activity other than sleeping” (Brooks-Gunn, Hirschhorn Donahue, 2008, p. 3).

For all of the legal advances we have made in racial, gender, and sexual preference equality, the problems of bullying are at least as bad as they have always been and have taken on new forms, such as cyber bullying. Advances in technology have made cyber bullying possible, whereby one or many students can “gang up” on another student without actually having to be physically present (Albury, 2008).

Some cyber bullies send threatening and harassing e-mails and instant messages to victims, disclose victims’ personal data, pose as the identity of a victim for the purpose of publishing defamatory material that ridicules the victim, and also gang up on the target (Wikipedia, 2008). Some students also send lewd, sexual comments, unwanted sexual advances, and hate mail. Inappropriate user names can also be construed as harassing (Albury, 2008).

Cyber bullying can have devastating effects on students through their physical, psychological, and emotional well being. The impacts of cyber bullying can be displayed through depression, anger, and anxiety. Students who attend school and are cyber bullied typically begin to display depression, avoid school, fail in school, and some eventually attempt or commit suicide. The likelihood of role modeling where students who are bullied begin to bully other students becomes more evident.

As students are cyber bullied or cyber bully others, family and school complications become more obvious. There may be legal consequences for families and schools which can include defamation, slander, sexual exploitation, and terroristic threats. The impact of cyber bullying affects not only the student, but also their family. The legal consequences can range from defamation, slander, and terroristic threats, to sexual exploitation. Parents must be a central part in the regulation of their children’s media usage, and especially instant messaging. Parents should educate themselves about good media usage for their children based on their children’s developmental stages and monitor their children’s use to ensure that they engage positive media in a constructive and healthful manner (Brooks-Gunn, Hirschhorn Donahue, 2008). All stakeholders must be cognizant of the threat of cyber bullies and the impact these bullies can have on our students. An easy to follow cyber bullying program can assist educators and stakeholders in keeping our children safe from cyber bullies who instant message other students in an inappropriate manner.

Conclusion

While the use of the interview has unlimited benefits there are of course drawback. The communication is arying. In younger kids the abbreviated words and meotions are commonly used. But it has been found, as they mature they quickly drop the abbreviated words. These are the students who are adapted and used to the technology and how to work it inside and outside of the classroom. New technology which is always changing is a difficult thing to learn with anyone regardless of education and intellectual level. The use of technology in the classroom is almost too much for teachers because they are unable to keep up with their fast paced students. E-Ports while easily accessible have problems when students are not honest. Determining a persons work these days is difficult because there are so many ways to cheat" or filter information to pass it off as your own. The students could grow and learn so much but these drawbacks seriously hinder the way students perceive the educational system. Students these days not only have problems with school and the different technology within their classroom but face severe emotional problems. Cyber bullying is a rather new concept but is severely dangerous. Kids who are picked on have eithe ra way to be even further humilated or have a way to take out their anger others. Parents and educators need to work together to prevent cyber bullying so our students can focus more one education while in teh classroom and not on negative social experiences.

Challenges Related to Activities Across Different Areas of Life

Formal Contexts and Activities of Learning

New tools pose interesting challenges not only to those in the educational realm, but also to those that work and communicate within other fields. As the work environment transforms how will corporations and companies utilize social networking tools to suit their needs? What will be the expectations and parameters to their use? How do we differentiate a formal social networking context from an informal one?

Social Networking Sites in the Work Environment

Before even setting foot in a classroom pre service teachers in Ohio are given this warning by the state board of education and the education association regarding their professional careers: “Teachers shouldn’t take part in MySpace, Facebook, or other social networking sites “ (Associated Press, 2007). For professionals that are just beginning their long careers banning social networking sites can have negative implications in addition to sending a confusing message. Just as we stand on the brink of what may, in the next decade or so, be the first real evolution of public schools in close to 100 years, we are telling teachers, “You can’t participate in Web 2.0 because it’s too dangerous.” (Kist, 245). These fears are legitimate for young professionals when there have been documented cases of principals and other employers “Googling” for information on their potential employees.

Corporate settings are beginning to embrace social networking in varying degrees and for specific purposes. For instance, LinkedIn [1]and Spoke[2] are two business oriented social networking sites that are widely used by companies during work hours. These sites provide opportunities for professionals to collaborate and businesses to grow. Both LinkedIn and Spoke are designed with the business in mind. They allow for users to upload their CV, converse with colleagues and make new professional connections as well as providing the opportunity to look for available positions. However, even with the seemingly healthy relationships that have evolved between SNS and the professional, many challenges still exist.

Researchers at MIT have been studying the correlation between SNS and workplace productivity. A video interview discussing those findings: [3]. There is substantial support for the notion that social networks are useful in the work environment and possibly even contribute to higher levels of productivity. Giving colleagues immediate access to one another’s expertise is one such example. Even with the MIT research there is a differing study produced by Gartner, a technology consulting company, that supports quite a different sentiment in regards to social networking. “There is little evidence that social networking will be as beneficial for businesses as other Web-based communications technology, such as instant messaging.”(Ferguson, 2007) In addition the report warns businesses to be wary of investing in such an immature technology.

Both studies were conducted in regards to professional social networking, social networks that have been established for private company use, not necessarily the Facebook and MySpace genre that are considered purely social. Other studies have been conducted in regards to using the purely social sites at work as well. “ A recent analysis of data submitted by thousands of Barracuda Networks' Web Filter customers finds that about half the businesses using these filters are setting up blocks to MySpace, Facebook, and other such sites.” (Sinrod, 2007) Meanwhile other companies are allowing for social network breaks where employees get ten minutes to maintain their profiles and check messages. A study preformed by researchers at Australia’s University of Melbourne claim that people who engage in leisure online activities (which include sites such as Facebook and MySpace) for less than 20% of their total time in the office are still 9% more productive than those who do not. Giving extra breaks is a hard sell for most employers, even with evidence that it makes their employees happier and more focused in the long term.

As businesses try to investigate more advantageous ways to use social networking, its most current manifestation is for brand promotion. Branded sites will not be able to rival such sites as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace, but will aid in promotion. Marketers spent about $1 billion to advertise their brands on such sites in 2008, according to eMarketer. Sharpie is one example of a company jumping on the social media bandwagon for promotion purposes. “Sharpie this week will introduce sharpieuncapped.com,[4] a site that will be the center of a campaign about using the markers for self-expression. Print and TV ads will promote the site, which features a gallery of work by users, a drawing tool, 12 bloggers who talk about using Sharpie products and a how-to section. A gallery shows Sharpie's 44 colors and ideas to dress up shoes, jeans or cards with the markers.” (Howard, 2009) Volkswagon[5] recently launched their own social media site that includes a social network amongst other activities and information. The main focus is to promote VW’s clean diesel technology; the site has been relatively successful boasting over 35,000 visitors in three weeks and over 60,000 “friends” on the social network page. This approach to marketing relinquishes control and acknowledges the new world order: that consumers drive the brand and its image.

When the workplace condones SNS it is typical for workers to be presented with a usage agreement or contract to protect the company and its employees from a wide variety of potential legal issues. There is a grey area though for workplaces that have not established a clear policy regarding social networking. Many employees are being held accountable for their “personal” online behavior in the work environment. One particular case involving a twenty-eight year old University of Pennsylvania student cost her not only her student teaching position, but her degree as well. After posting a photo of herself drinking on MySpace the student was relieved of her student teaching obligations resulting in a degree deficiency. Successful completion of student teaching is a mandatory requirement in obtaining an education degree from this particular university. As a result the university restructured her credit hours and awarded her a degree in history. The student in question was over legal drinking age at the time of the post, but the university claims that the student teacher's repeated acts of immaturity and unprofessionalism prompted the dismissal. Scenarios like the aforementioned are becoming more commonplace. The workplace did not articulate an established policy concerning social network usage and what ensued seemed severe.

Transparent Public and Private Personas:

Who would sign up for allowing potentially millions of people to view your embarrassing photos, comment on your off handed remarks and provide their own (in a traceable written format), in addition to knowing some of your most personal info? Or you could also take a perspective like this: Who would turn down the chance to share photos, converse and be aware of important events, and be able to remind yourself, without asking, when a friend's birthday is to send them a music download? Regardless of perspective or intention social networks are blurring the borders between public and private, professional and personal.

Earlier this year Facebook launched its new and improved applications software. Included in the development was a complex, highly customizable privacy filter. Designed for the individual that wishes to partake in social networking and tightly control the distribution of their information. Alison Driscoll, a social media consultant, advices people on Facebook best practices. She recommends approaching Facebook privacy in a segmented manner by breaking your friends down into smaller more manageable groups. Groups such as: people you don’t know (aka your public profile listing), your “real” friends, online buddies, coworkers, and family.

There are definite risks for the professional engaging in social networking. Even with the availability of privacy filters, which have been coined “reputation filters”, they cannot control what you or others type, just who sees it. Unfortunately when hundreds or even thousands of “friends” are acquired it is difficult to keep straight whom is allowed to see what. Furthermore, the ultimate question is can you trust the collective whole? To many it seems harmless to make virtual connections, but these connections certainly have the potential to make you feel uncomfortable at work. Juliette Powell, author of a social networking book entitled “33 Million People in the Room” says social networking is “all about establishing boundaries”. “If you have something online that you wouldn’t share openly with people in the office, you probably want to think twice about inviting them in.”(Villano, 2009)

Digital Linguistic Register and Language Formality:

As tools allow for more of life’s activities to be accomplished on the Internet a gap has occurred. The transition of these activities from their original context has transported them to a place where the rules that once governed no longer have authority. In many instances these two worlds clash. The effects of this clash are being felt as early as elementary school. Nearly two-thirds of 700 students surveyed said their e-communication style sometimes bled into school assignments, according to the study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, in partnership with the College Board’s National Commission on Writing. About half said they sometimes omitted proper punctuation and capitalization in schoolwork. A quarter said they had used emoticons like smiley faces. About a third said they had used text shortcuts like “LOL” for “laugh out loud.” (Lewin, 2008)

Employers have also reported an increase in email correspondence with employees riddled with informal text language. This is considered unacceptable when the discussion calls for more decorum. One of the challenges is being able to distinguish the formal from the informal within the online context. Establishing clear expectations in the workplace for language will relieve this type of awkward correspondence. Instituting the same type of expectations in schools would help alleviate the problem in the future.

Conclusion

As social networking and media continue to evolve and gain momentum new more complex challenges will arise. For the workplace trying to rethink a tool that has been embraced as an entertainment, keeping employee productivity high without limiting freedoms, and establishing clear boundaries and expectations concerning communication on SNS are all current issues. Social Networking Sites are being used in the workplace for multiple purposes. Employees are using them in a social respect and employers are trying to come up with professional uses for this tool. Some workplaces want to capitalize on the social networking trend and their employees’ enthusiasm for it, but need to maintain a formal atmosphere and protect themselves from the inherent “social” aspect associated. The blurred lines of what is acceptable and what is not will greatly affect formal environments, if these challenges are not addressed now they will most certainly need to be in the near future.

Informal Contexts and Activities of Learning

There is no question as to why both the educational and professional realms have taken advantage of what online social networking can provide for them. At the same time, it is also very important to look at the impact social networking has had on people's lives outside of the educational and professional worlds. How has social networking played a vital part in the informal contexts and activities of learning? How will the increase of a digital reality impact our physical reality? What has the social network sprawl done to our view on relationships and communication with others? What types of safety concerns and measures do we need to take due to the increase and popularity of online social networking sites? Because online social networking is a fairly new phenomenon, it is difficult to provide complete, concrete answers. However, it does not hurt to take a glimpse into how these questions can be addressed today.

Increasing digital reality; Diminishing physical reality

During the 1980s, the market began to sell computers for consumers to buy for their homes becoming a "toy" for both children and adults (Hanson 81, Tapscott 160). Grace Murray Hopper, Joseph C.R. Licklider, Vint Cerf, and Tim Berners-Lee, MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency-Networks), and CERN (translation, the European Organization for Nuclear research) make up a major part of the history of the creation of the Internet and the World Wide Web (26). Their goal was to create a system of communication that would be open to multiple users and to make this system available to as many people as they could (27). The growth of the Internet is closely aligned to the insights and applications of individuals versus the development of the technology itself (26). Basically, the Internet has grown and developed according to what users were looking for or hoping to gain from it. Internet service providers caught onto these preferences, especially the preference for activities directly related to social networking. They began to offer chat rooms, bulletin boards, and other personal services that capitalized the ability of the computer and Internet to make social connections with others (81).

The creation of the Internet gave birth to the "Net Generation" ("N-Geners"), who make up 30 percent of the population and are using the digital media for entertainment, learning, communicating, [and] shopping (Tapscott 4-5, 15). The Net Generation are the generation of children born in the 1980s and 1990s. The Net Generation is also referred to as "Generation M" for multitasking or for media. Others have named it the "ADHD generation" because many children of this era show signs of having Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder, but that label is considered false and too general. The Net Generation is basically the "generation of kids, children, teens, and young adults who have known no other world than that with complete technology, Internet, text messaging, cell phones, and video games, etc. (Olsson).

By the end of 1997, more than 15 million North American N-Geners [had] access to the Internet at home through their own accounts or those of their parents" (Tapscott 5). They have grown up not learning how to use technology but were raised with technology, meaning that "they don't use it, it just simply is" (Olsson). The Internet has entered U.S. households almost as quickly as television did in the 1950s and much of it as to do with the fact that "because it is distributed, interactive, malleable, and lacking in central control, it is a vehicle for revolutionary change in every discipline, attitude, and social structure (13, 22). Essentially, N-Geners know no other world other than the one that includes technology and more specifically, the Internet (Olsson).

Not only is the computer and Internet a means for fun, but it also has use for emotional purposes. The Internet allows certain people to divulge deep, personal desires and information, especially for those who have difficulty in having social opportunities or who may experience social anxiety (Hanson 80). According to Hanson in 24/7: How Cell Phones and the Internet Change the Way We Live, Work, and Play, "...a mediated relationship is still better than not having any contact with others at all". The Internet enables a new form of pen pals. N-Geners are able to build and maintain friendships around the world. Pen pals are now called "key-pals" or "e-pals" and there is constant communication and gratification (Tapscott 169). However, Hanson does point out that there is potential to lose personal privacy, which can be very dangerous. There is certainly a possibility that "the more technologies we have to communicate, the less we really may communicate" (80).

Social network sprawl

The earliest forms of social networking include applications such as online multiplayer games, bulletin boards, news groups, mailing lists, and dating services. All of these have provided a backdrop to the current formats such as MySpace, Facebook, Friendster, and others (Mitrano 18). Social networks are more commonly knows as or referred to as "online communities". Online communities can be traced as far back as 1995 when Classmates.com was first released in the UK. Social networks are simply websites that are designed to foster communication and friendship (Buckley 5-6). According to Buckley, "There are hundreds of community websites on the World Wide Web. Some are specifically aimed at professionals, others cater for college students; many are vast in their scope (like MySpace) and boast populations larger than some small nations" (5).

MySpace and Other Popular Social Networks:

Despite the fact that MySpace and Facebook appear to be the heavy-hitters of the social networking scene, Friendster Friendster is considered the "grandaddy" of the social networking scene. It is the "original phenomenon on which all other massive online communities have based their success" (Buckley 16). At its inception, Friendster already had close to a million users signing up and even spawned numerous copycats. MySpace, Facebook, Friendster, and other social networking sites hold a high appeal because of the element of control over the creation of your own page. Users are able to gain a sense of authority and power when they create their own social networking sites (Arterburn 127-8).

Out of all of the popular social networking websites, MySpace is considered one of the most popular and dominant sites available for use today. In 2004, the News Corporation bought MySpace for close to $580 million, showing the social and marketing potential this company saw in this social networking site (Buckley 55). A current estimate of MySpace users is around 106 million users with the demographic ranging from 14 to 35 year old users. It is by far the most populated social network out there today. So how come MySpace has more staying power than other social networks? "...the site's flexibility of design and freedom of content makes it a tempting option for anyone who truly wants to express themselves online" (14). It also combined both social networking and music networking at the same time (54).

However, MySpace is not the only social networking site that has taken the World Wide Web by storm. Facebook has also proved to be a popular social networking site. It is certainly not the newest social networking site to have been created, but it is certainly the most significant one to higher education. This is due to the fact that it originally focused on the college/university market (Mitrano 22). Facebook is based on the "American college practice of giving directories of student photos and profiles to incoming first-years" and has given seniors in colleges the opportunity to spot "fresh meat" (Buckley 18). Although this particular social network appears to be based on entertainment value, it is actually a very practical way to organize group events, regardless of the age group. Facebook is considered a "closed community", but it enables the user to create business cards that can be viewed online (18).

MySpace, Facebook, Friendster, and other social networking sites hold a high appeal because of the element of control over the creation of your own page. Users are able to gain a sense of authority and power when they create their own social networking sites (Arterburn 127-8).

Social Networking and Relationships:

As mentioned earlier, one of the first forms of social networking came in the form of a virtual dating world allowing "global flirtation". To some, the social networking through the Internet provides a means to find a love (Tapscott 173). It enables us to to establish some type of emotional response with others. It's only natural for commercial services to try to capitalize on this fact and build off of the relationship-building features of the Internet. Technologies are "by their very nature, capable of facilitating and enhancing social relationships (Hanson 80). In 1995, Match.com was among the first commercial sites offering a dating/mating service. eHarmony, PerfectMatch.com, and Chemistry.com are among the hundreds of online dating services that promise use scientific approaches to understand romantic compatibility as a component of finding long-lasting love (82).

People who use social networking as a dating service are attracted to this method because they may have little time to socialize outside the home or work. As mentioned before, some may have social anxiety issues and find difficulties in relating to others in face-to-face settings. "Using features of the anonymity afforded by social networking, persons can identify themselves in words, rather than feeling exposed and vulnerable to other peoples' immediate face-to-face reaction to them" (84). "The late Boomers were particularly vulnerable, having spent more time on developing professional careers that limited social time with others" (81).

Despite the fact that many online dating services have been offered, Yahoo! and Google have offered free personal chat rooms that enable people to expand their range in the types of people they meet online. Many people do not necessarily want to meet a romantic partner but simply want friendship or companionship (Hanson 83). Nowadays, we are surrounded by different types of social pressures to look or behave a certain way. Social networks can allow people to feel more comfortable in communicating their personal thoughts without a fear of rejection, especially based on their physical appearance (84). In particular, children develop strong friendships with people online. They use the Internet and cyberspace world to work through "teenage angst" with other peers (Olsson). Overall, social networking has provided a means for people to gain personal experience and fulfill their needs for interaction, despite the fact that it is through the Internet and not physical face-to-face interactions.

Safety (identity theft, phishing, strategic misrepresentation, cyberstalking)

In 1995, the movie Hackers focused on a group of computer-savvy teenagers who were able to thwart the plans of an ecoterrorist set on unleashing a computer virus that would capsize a fleet of oil tankers and cause a global ecological disaster. The development of computers and Internet caused the birth of a subculture made up of computer students able to "hack into" computer systems; thus, these computer students were later labeled as "hackers". These hackers show how the attention and interest in computers (and the Internet) can become a lifestyle. Hackers take pride in their mastery of machines as well as their interactions with computers more than their interactions with human beings (Hanson 27). As shown in this film, these talented teenagers were able to use their skills to prevent a great crime. One important fact to keep in mind is not all hacking is considered illegal. Just because a hacker is able to figure out computer programs quickly and easily does not automatically make them a computer criminal (Bocij 211).

Although Hackers was deemed as unrealistic (and laughable by today's technological standards), it actually shed light on legitimate fears associated with technology (Bocij 3). One of the many examples used to showcase the dangers of the Internet are the "High-profile cases of young girls lured from home and sexually assaulted by men who posed as teens on social-networking sites...." (Gerdes 19). There is no doubt that computers and the Internet have enriched the lives of millions of people in the world, but cyberspace can definitely be dangerous for both children and adults. As discussed earlier, the Internet undoubtedly enables us to have companionship, greater access to knowledge, the ability to complete practical, everyday tasks, and simple entertainment. However, the Internet does have a "darker side", and we take risks everyday we use it (Bocij xiii). The Internet has bred professional criminals who are looking to steal people's money. "They don't just want to post an embarrassing note on your college's home page. They want to nab the identities of students and professors to go on shopping sprees with forged credit cards. With the global economy getting lousier, officials predict that even more hackers will get into the act in search of easy cash" (Young 2008). Among the many cyber crimes that exist in the World Wide Web, identity theft, phishing, strategic misrepresentation, and cyberstalking are some of the more common dangers we face when using the Internet, especially through social networking sites.

Identity theft:

According to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission), identity theft "occurs when someone uses your personally identifying information, like your name, Social Security number, or credit card number, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes"(Federal Trade Commission: Identity Theft). Identity theft can take on many different forms. However, it generally includes obtaining "...an individual's personal information such as Social Security number, date of birth, mother's maiden name, account numbers, etc. for use in criminal activities such as obtaining unauthorized credit and/or bank accounts for fraudulent means" (Swecker 22). An individual can also create a false account and pretend to be someone else, or they can get hold of another person's login details. This enables them to take control of a victim's account and play havoc with the existing content or post offensive comments to other people" (Buckley 200). So why do people commit this crime? According to Paul Bocij in his book The Dark side of the Internet: Protecting Yourself and Your Family From Online Criminals, identity theft is carried out with the purpose of getting money, goods, or services at the expense of the victim (85).

Is identity theft the product of the Internet? The answer is no. "...the Internet did not create identity theft: It has existed in one form or another for centuries" (Bocij 85). Has the Internet provided more avenues for identity theft to occur more often? Perhaps it has. Unfortunately, identity theft is a serious and relatively common problem (Buckley 44). It is considered one of the dominant white collar crime problems of the 21st century (Swecker 23). "A May 2003 survey, commissioned by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) estimated the number of consumer victims of identity theft over the year prior to the survey at 4.6 percent of the population of U.S. consumers over the age of eighteen, or 9.91 million individuals with losses totaling $52.6 billion" (23). Even with the statistics that are provided, why is it difficult to pinpoint the amount of damage done by identity theft? Some organizations (i.e. social networking sites) may downplay the losses because they do not want to lose public confidence. Individual victims themselves may not report incidents out of embarrassment. In addition to these factors, it is also difficult to gather accurate, holistic information from both the domestic and foreign levels (Bocij 92-93).

Phishing:

One of the popular means for attempting identity theft is what we now call "phishing". Phishing is "the act of sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft" (Webopedia: Phishing). In particular, social networking sites have been a primary target for criminals wishing to use someone else's personal information for their own benefit. E-mail is not the only means for criminals to "phish" for people's personal information. Social networking sites have become huge targets as well. "...users of a genuine website, such as MySpace, are lured onto a bogus webpage that exactly resembles those of the site they thought they were on". A login screen might show up and users unwittingly enter their username and password. Phishers collect this information and hope this information "will be the same for other accounts at online banks and shops etc." (Buckley 43-44).

Phishing may appear to be a fairly easy trap to avoid; however, "despite what some may believe, the victims of phishing scams are not simply 'gullible'" (Bocij 93). Phishing is a clever tactic that tempts people to unknowingly (and more importantly willingly) give their personal information away without a second thought (Hanson 89). In 2004, a survey of 1,000 Internet users by MailFrontier Inc., found that 28 percent failed to recognize typical phishing emails" (Bocij 93). Why were they unable to identify phishing emails? A phishing scheme is designed to look so professional that Internet users they they are working with legitimate, bona fide information from a reliable source (Hanson 89). The extent of the phishing problem is shown through the number of phishing sites that exist today. "Between December 2004 and December 2005, the number of new phishing sites recorded by the Anti-Phishing Working Group grew from 1,707 to 7,179, an increase of more than 400 percent" (Bocij 93).

Strategic Misrepresentation:

Not all cyber crimes depend solely on obtaining the personal information of a specific person or persons. "Strategic misrepresentation" (also related to Internet fraud) is "the planned, systematic distortion or misstatement of fact—lying—in response to incentives in the budget process" (Wikipedia: Strategic Misrepresentation). More specifically related to the Internet and social networking sites, strategic misrepresentation (Internet fraud) is "a crime in which the perpetrator develops a scheme using one or more elements of the Internet to deprive a person of property or any interest, estate, or right by a false representation of a matter of fact, whether by providing misleading information or by concealment of information" (Internet Fraud. Basically, individuals or organizations make it a point to take advantage of vulnerable people in society, especially those who are struggling with illness, poverty, and loneliness (Bocij 113). Loneliness and other deprived human emotions is one of the reasons people get involved in social networks in the first place. Medicines, cures, adoption, mail-order brides, employment, and investment Internet fraud are among the many avenues used to take advantage of people who are looking to improve something in their personal lives (Bocij 113-126).

In Jenna Burrell's article, "Problematic Empowerment: West African Internet Scams as Strategic Misrepresentation," she gives specific examples of how social networking has been used to take advantage of people. One common scamming strategy is called the "Nigerian 419" emails, which asks for the financial assistance of the e-mail recipient. The author of the e-mail often describes an extraordinary or tragic family event that requires them to quickly transfer their money out of the country. If the recipient is willing to help, they will get a good percentage of the money transferred. The only stipulation is for the recipient to provide their bank account information. The victim is then required to pay upfront fees or other costs, only to later find that their money has disappeared (17).

Another incident featured in Burrell's article is directly related to the online dating world. Perpetrators, who are typically male, initiate contact with potential victims through social networks like chat rooms or online dating websites. They pose as females (often using the photos and information of a female accomplice) and attempt to scam other young males. As they build trust in their relationship, the scammer will eventually create a scenario that requires their victim to provide them with money (i.e. a visit, illness in the family, etc.). The victim will fall for these stories and send the money that is asked of them only to find their money and relationship gone (18).

Strategic misrepresentation has also reached the global level. For example, Ghanaians (people of Ghana, a west African country) are aware of the way the foreign media represents them. Ghanaians and other African people groups are typically shown as homogeneously war-torn, poverty stricken, and chaotic. Younger Internet users of Ghana take advantage of how westerners see them through the media and know that these foreign perceptions could be usefully manipulated and "used pragmatically as a tool for extracting money". Young Ghanaians discovered a set of identities that could be treated as believable and sympathetic, and above all else, "catered to the prejudices of their foreign chat partners". "They performed as a needy African orphan, as an attractive African woman seeking rescue, as a participant in or victim of a corrupt African government regime, or as a God-fearing Christian pastor seeking funds to help improve his impoverished community" (Burrell 21). Although the examples given by Jenna Burrell focuses on West Africa, these specific incidents are very much a representation of strategic misrepresentation that happens all around the world.

Cyberstalking:

While identity theft, phishing, and strategic misrepresentation usually use a victim's reactions, "cyberstalking" is very much a cyber crime that is more proactive in nature. "Many stalkers, whether in virtual reality or physical reality, are motivated by a desire to exert control over the victims and engage in similar types of behavior to accomplish this end" (Silverstein 105). "Cyberstalking" has existed since the late 1990s and is "the use of the Internet or other electronic means to stalk someone. It has been defined as the use of information and communications technology, particularly the Internet, by an individual or group of individuals, to harass another individual, group of individuals, or organization" (Wikipedia: Cyberstalking) (Bocij 160). One of the obvious differences between other types of stalking and cyberstalking is that cyberstalking does not involve any physical contact with the victim.

Many of the attributes of [Internet] technology include its low cost, ease of use, accessibility, anonymity, etc. These characteristics make the Internet a very attractive medium for cyberstalking (Silverstein 105). In terms of social networking, cyberstalking has emerged through blogs, message boards, and the online gaming world. Online gaming allows users to interact with multiple human beings at once at any give time. "Players can carry out a wide range of [social] activities such as forming alliances, spying, sabotage, bartering, negotiating, etc." (Bocij 167). Online gaming - in addition to other social networking activities - enables cyberstalkers to take advantage of the impersonal, non-confrontational, and anonymous nature of the Web. You can send harassing or threatening messages with a simple push of a button (Silverstein 106). A majority of cyberstalkers reported to law enforcement and WHOA (Working to Halt Online Abuse) appear to have known their victim either through past romantic or platonic relationships. However, stalkers with no prior connection to victims are taking advantage of emerging technologies and cyberstalking victims they had no prior connection to in the past (106). The U.S. Department of Justice reports that more sophisticated cyberstalkers use programs to send messages at regular or random intervals without even being physically present at the computer terminal (U.S. Department of Justice 2003).

In April 1999, under California's new cyberstalking law, the first successful prosecution of cyberstalking took place. A 50-year-old former security guard used the Internet to solicit the rape of a woman who had rejected him. He impersonated his 28-year-old victim in various Internet chat rooms and online bulletin boards and provided her telephone number, address, and messages saying that she had fantasies about being raped. There were several incidents of men knocking on her door saying they wanted to rape her. Eventually, the former security guard pleaded guilty to one count of stalking and three counts of solicitation of sexual assault. Currently he faces up to six years in prison (U.S. Department of Justice 2003). This incident is just one of many cases where social networking sites were used to terrorize and harass victims.

Despite the fact that there are "no reliable estimates regarding the number of cyberstalking incidents," the sheer number and types of complaints of harassment and/or threats have helped compile some statistics (Bocij 161). According the U.S. Department of Justice, "There is, moreover, a growing amount of anecdotal and informal evidence on the nature and extent of cyberstalking" (2003). One of the greatest concerns in regards to cyberstalking is that it will eventually lead to a physical manifestation of the behavior, including physical violence (U.S. Department of Justice 2003).

Why is it that people are prone to being victims of cyber crimes so often? All of the safety issues discussed previously "make[s] use of social engineering techniques" (Bocij 93). Across all of the above mentioned safety and cyber crime issues, many people were deceived because they responded favorably to the criminals, especially when asked for their help (94). Cyber criminals basically use the positive aspects of social networking (i.e. willingness to communicate, build relationships and trust, etc) against itself. As human beings, we rely heavily on our emotions, including our fears and desires. According Paul Bocij, we "...rely on our innate fears and desires, including our fear of punishment, the need to be liked by others, the desire to be seen as helpful, and our tendency to respond to authority" (94). This, in turn, makes us vulnerable to the cyber crimes committed through social networking sites.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that the social networking phenomena has provided numerous, useful, and entertaining ways of communicating with people worldwide, there is, of course, an ongoing debate of whether or not social networking sites should be banned. Will the changes from our physical world to a digital world be beneficial in the end? How many more safety issues will we face? With social networking sites growing and developing at the rate that it is, how will we handle all of the safety issues that will raise? In his address to the chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations on June 10, 2006, Michael Fitzgerald presented several arguments as to why social networking sites should be banned. He, like many others, point out the fact that although the freedom of the Internet is a positive, enriching aspect, threats also exist. The freedom the Internet offers "brings with it the threat of unscrupulous predators and criminals who mask their activities with the anonymity the Internet provides to its users" (Fitzpatrick 11). In more particular, social networking sites have given predators and criminals just another means to take advantage of and put others in danger.

Perhaps one of the strongest and most common arguments in shutting down social networking sites is that children are the most vulnerable to the negative effects of the Internet and cyber crimes. "Chat groups and computer conferences are bursting out all over, populated by young people hungry for expression, discovery, and their own self-development (Tapscott 5). There is this sentiment that social networking sites like MySpace promote the creation of a fantasy world young people become immersed in. "[MySpace] provides a vehicle for youngsters to become 'popular' at least online and in their own minds" (Maglio 28). This may not necessarily be healthy, especially for young impressionable minds. MySpace and other social networking sites are also businesses that make money through advertising. "The more people driven to the site, the more a business can be charged for ads" (28). In other words, Domenick Maglio seems to imply that social networking sites are mainly in this business for the money and do not seem to care about the dangers their users can face.

Yet, even though Maglio presents a legitimate stand against social networking sites because of the potential danger to children, he still admits that, "Stronger parenting will stop 'boys and girls going wild' into the dangerous world of online fantasy and into the arms of waiting predators" (29). With more parental guidance and supervision, children are able to practice practical safety measures when using the Internet, especially social networking sites. In his article, "MySpace and Other Social Networking Sites Should Not Be Banned," Bart Stupak argues that "...the real threat lies in children using these sites in their rooms without adults supervision. Thus, the real issue is educating children about the dangers of the Internet and how to use it responsibly and wisely (18).

We need to simply teach children in particular not to share personal information (Stager 33). If we choose to look at it through a more positive frame of mind, MySpace and other social networking sites can be compared to a teenager's bedroom. They express themselves through the colors, texts, pictures, music, etc. (Stager 34). There is also a strong need for communication among young people. In her book A Tribe Apart, Patricia Hersch states, "...young people desperately need community, and a community in cyberspace can be a tremendous help and outlet" (Farrington 61). Social networking sites are a place where young people can not only express their individuality, but they are able to express their feelings and talk honestly about what is going on in the world. As they grow older, social networking sites are a great tool for keeping in touch with their friends much better than the people of generations before them (Farrington 64).

Because social networking through the Internet has become such a strong force in today's society in such a short amount of time, it is understandable why there is both strong opposition and support for social networking sites. However, the simple reality is that computers and the Internet are not going to dissipate any time soon. "MySpace and other social networking sites are among the fastest growing areas of the Internet. It is unreasonable to think that they'll simply go away" (Stupak 25). The World Wide Web will continue to change, grow, and develop as will social networking through online means. People will always find a way to communicate and network with others even if you take different avenues and/or methods away. Perhaps the wisest course of action to take is to not simply react towards the changes social networking sites are making on society. We should take a more proactive approach to understanding and implementing the positive elements that social networking sites can offer us today.

1.5 Globalization and New Networking Technologies

Impacts on International Education

Social networking sites (SNS) have become extremely popular, with the introduction of Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and Twitter,to name a few. While these sites appear to focus solely on the social aspect - chatting, tweeting, status updates, etc - there are many new websites which focus on collaboration and networking of students and teachers. Not only are students given the opportunity to network with one another, teachers now have numerous websites, Facebook groups and online forums to meet other teachers and discuss curriculum, learning objectives or teaching methodology (Schools United http://www.theschoolsunited.com/community/about.php and Schools for Facebook Application http://www.inigral.com/index.htm ). There is a growing international dimension to the networking of educators and students. Educators throughout the world, as well as their students, have the opportunity to collaborate among themselves across national boundaries.

The application of new electronic learning technologies to the development of international education networks is as old as the Internet itself. One of the pioneers in the use of electronic resources to create international education networks is IEARN, the International Education and Resource Network. Founded in 1988, IEARN boasts that it is “the world's largest non-profit global network that enables teachers and youth to use the Internet and other technologies to collaborate on projects that enhance learning and make a difference in the world” (http://iearn.org/index.html). IEARN was originally a Cold-War era collaboration between twenty-four schools in New York and in the former Soviet Union. It has grown into a network of more than 20,000 schools in 115 countries and currently run more than 150 collaborative projects. IEARN runs most of its activities from its own website, where it provides forums for teachers and students alike and encourages the creation of multinational projects around themes in virtually every area of learning. It is therefore not dependent on social networking sites housed outside, and independent from, its own website. That is also true of TigEd, IT Global’s website for international educators designed a create a “community of teachers” by providing “safe interactive virtual classrooms for their students” (http://www.tigweb.org/tiged/).

Judging from those two pioneers in the field, social networking sites have not yet been fully exploited as international learning networks. However, as Facebook, MySpace, and others continue to expand around the world, it is clear that such sites have tremendous potential for representing a major force in the globalization of education. One has only to search MySpace and Facebook, especially the latter, to see how many young people throughout the world have access to them and have created their own personal pages. Harnessing that potential to create international learning networks that do not depend on entities such IEARN or TigEd is surely something that will occur in the near future. When it does, it will be a major step in the globalization of education. But globalization has not always been welcomed by educators and others. The spread of social networking into global education is likely to intensify the debate regarding the balance between the positive and the negative impacts of the globalization process on education (Cohen and Kennedy 346-347).

The total disregard that the internet has for national boundaries is one of the reasons globalization has proceeded at such a rapid pace during the past decade. What we call today globalization is in reality not new, but the intensity and pervasiveness of it in recent years has caused the term itself – globalization – to become the term in vogue to describe the degree to which the world has become interconnected and every aspect of life at the local level, including education, has become transnational in such an evident and visible way. The internet has greatly facilitated globalization (Cohen and Kennedy 345).

Positive and Negative Learner Outcomes

The educational advantages of social networking sites are two-fold; there are numerous benefits for both students and teachers. SNS no longer focus merely on social interaction. SNS are currently changing the way students learn and teachers teach. Being that SNS are relatively new, there is little research conducted on the educational benefits of social networking. SNS is beneficial for students because it allows them to be part of an online community while communicating and collaborating with peers from all over the world. A study completed at the University of Minnesota collected data from students regarding their Internet usage. Students were asked to list what they found the personal benefits of social networking to be; among those listed were technology skills, creativity and “being open to new or diverse views and communication skills.” (“Educational Benefits of Social Networking”,” par. 2). Using networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter allows students to create and facilitate discussion between students in classrooms all over the country and world. Finding that social networking sites are not used merely for social interaction, this study also found that students were demonstrating advanced technological skills that will soon be required to use in the work place. For instance, students were “editing and customizing content and thinking about online design and layout…the Web sites offer tremendous educational potential” (“Educational Benefits of Social Networking”,” par. 4) When transitioning to higher education, students not only increase their technological skills when using SNS, these sites are integral in smooth integration into new schools. For instance, there are many Facebook groups for incoming freshman to a specific college (ex. Facebook group Accepted: Western Michigan Class of 2013). In the groups, there are forums for students meet future roommates and class members. Never before has students been able to “meet’ future classmates from all over the world before school actually starts.

Access to SNS allows students and teachers the opportunity to work together and “meet” peers with the aim of collaboration. SNS give both students and teachers the chance to connect with peers, co-workers and future employers that can lead to future internships, educational opportunities or jobs. Many websites, such as Schools United or the Schools for Facebook Application, have been created with the goal of sharing resources amongst teachers. The Schools United website claims to be the first website that “provides schools and staff with the free facility to share educational resources and experiences” (The School United); collaboration is no longer accomplished primarily within a school. Contact to more resources and advice is extremely beneficial for teachers. As educators, it is also important to understand our student’s technological backgrounds and become aware of the sites and technological skills they use every day. Once teachers realize the potential of the networking sites, such as Facebook, MySpace or Linked In, to name a few, they should make lessons more relevant and significant to students. The University of Minnesota study also found that students were not aware of the prospect, both academic and professional, that social networking sites have (“Educational Benefits of Social Networking”,” par. 7). For instance, it would be advantageous of a consumer education teacher to show students the professional networking site LinkedIn, allowing students to post their resume and educational info on the website.

It is important for educators to understand the potential benefits of SNS. In a recent article written for the National Education Association (NEA), the usage of Twitter in the classroom is addressed. This article suggests that “By following other educator’s tweets, teachers can keep up with the latest trends, news and happenings in education, as well as communicate with fellow educators” (“Can Tweeting Help Your Teaching?” par. 7). Inside of the classroom, teachers can use Twitter or Facebook groups to remind students or parents of upcoming assignments or tests. Chris O’Neal, an instructor from Charlottesville, VA says that “Twitter is a great way to keep your students thinking after class,” if teachers post review or thought-provoking questions as a follow-up to the days lesson (“Can Tweeting Help Your Teaching?” par. 11).

While SNS have many educational benefits, there are disadvantages. Most SNS are public forums, where people post pictures or messages for all to see, so it is imperative to not to post anything incriminating. Such sites and Facebook and MySpace allow users to post or “tag” photos of their friends. Posting pictures online allows friends from all over the world to connect with each other. However, some students have gotten in trouble from school administration for incriminating photos, possibly containing underage drinking or illegal activities. Teachers also have to be careful when using SNS websites. While social networking sites are usually used for entertainment, maintaining and updating does take time. It is advantageous for educators to learn new technologies and become members of social networking sites in order to collaborate and share with peers, yet learning how to use SNS will take time.

Conclusion (The Future of Social Networking & Globalization)

“The more we know about [globalization],” wrote Burbules and Torres in 2000, “the greater the uncertainties about the consequences it brings with it” (Burbules and Torres 11). Ten years later, it is still difficult to anticipate how globalization may affect education and the particular role social networking may play in the globalization of education. As Burbules and Torres also pointed out, the prospect of a global education system poses a number of dilemmas (Burbules and Torres 19), and we do not yet have a clear picture of how those dilemmas will play out. The debate over what will be, and, more critically, what should be, the future of social networking in the global education system is part of the larger debate over the benefits and drawbacks of globalization itself.

The obvious benefit that social networking may bring to global education is in “fostering cultures of engagement,” which is what Suárez-Orozco and Sattin argue will develop when children master “other cultural sensibilities and codes” (Suárez-Orozco and Sattin 18-19). Fostering those sensibilities, however, will require a new model of education: “An intellectually curious, cognitively autonomous, socially responsible, democratically engaged, productive, and globally conscious member of the human family in the twenty-first century cannot be educated in the twentieth-century model of education” (Suárez-Orozco and Sattin 19).

Social networking holds the promise of fostering such cultures of engagement by extending the positive learner outcomes discussed above to the global education system. But there are possible pitfalls in the use of social networks to expand the classroom beyond local and national boundaries. Those pitfalls are not limited to social networking, but generally apply to the globalization of education and have been frequently pointed out by those opposed to globalization. The perceived pitfalls center in the following related issues: 1) equity; 2) commercialization; 3) loss of national and local control; and 4) cultural hegemony.

Hugonnier (149-150) argues that education can help bring cultures together and promote social cohesion only if educational systems are equitable, that is, if there is equality in the access to quality education and in the educational outcomes. Elitism is the principal barrier to achieving equity, and elitism is rampant in so much of the developing world. The benefits of electronic learning technologies, it is argued, are likely to reach only elite children, thereby exacerbating existing class, race, and gender disparities and leaving many children outside the door of the global classroom.

Unequal access to the global classroom may also become more pronounced if that classroom is commercialized. We have already seen how the spread of online education in the United States has led to the rise of for-profit degree-granting higher education and the creation of exclusively online commercial entities calling themselves universities (Morey 131-132). If social networks are controlled for global education by for-profit entities, then the availability of that education, and its potential for easing inequality and promoting transcultural communication will be further compromised.

One of the principal arguments used by the antiglobalization forces is the loss of local and national control over education policy. In fact, that is an argument that is applied to all sectors of policymaking (economy, education, health, culture) that have traditionally been the purview of the nation-state or local governments. Institutional globalization involves a “convergence toward a uniform model of polity and rationalization . . . the convergence of formal institutions within and across nations toward similar goals and operating structures” (Astiz, Wiseman, and Barker 67). The global trend towards educational decentralization raises issues such as curricular control. Proposals have been advanced for a “Global Curriculum,” including what should be at the “core” of such a curriculum, as well as prototypes of a “global school” (Spring 71-156). The threat of such a development is that education will cease to be accountable to public entities and increasingly fall into transnational private entities, international organizations, or NOGs without a democratic governance structure (Burbules and Torres 23).

The prospect that nation-states and localities will lose control over educational policy raises the specter that the globalization of education will inevitably lead to a greater hegemony over culture on the part of those more powerful and richer sectors of the world system. This has the danger of having elite values and interests, and those of foreign capital, predominate in the global classroom. Some studies on the impact of global educational initiatives on local areas have shown that local values and practices have given way to imported curricula and approaches (Mocombe 27-28).

Those are major pitfalls that the globalization of education faces in the future. They are applicable to the concomitant spread of electronic learning technologies, such as social networking, that can so easily leap national and local boundaries. Social networking itself may well help us to avoid those pitfalls because of its availability, low cost, and the fact that is largely a user-driven system that appeals to young people.

We need not fall into those pitfalls, especially if we view them not as inevitable, but as challenges. As Torres (page x) has pointed out: “Globalization brings with its baggage not only a new challenge and a crisis for comparative education as a field. The debate about globalization and the presence of antiglobalization movements present us with new opportunities to conduct serious cross-cultural and comparative investigations about globalization in education or sharpen our methodologies and theories.”

Overall Conclusion

Analysis of Social Networks

The explosion of the internet in the last fifteen years created a conglomerate of social network opportunities. These opportunities are made available worldwide just as long as a person has access to the internet. The list of the multiple social network sites indicates the variety users can choose from to apply to their own specific need. Manzo (2009) indicates that 96% of students claim to use the internet for various reasons such as chatting, text messaging, blogging, and surfing the web. This multi use creates a connectiveness to inter-user of the social networking sites. Along with the connection users experience online social networking sites benefit the users as they manage their offline relationships through virtual updates and links. Jayson (2009) claimed that 43% of students claim the use of online networking made their relationships closer because the internet assisted in making plans and staying in touch with friends. There was a small 5% that have friends who were found online and had no face to face interaction.

The Northwestern University (2007) analyzed the social networking sites for demographic information. It was found that multiple ethnicities use various sites. Some ethnicities use Myspace more, while others might use Facebook more. This is an interesting finding due to multiliteracy access issue. Facebook, Myspace, and Xanga users can be predicted based off of their race, ethnicity, and parents educational level. Facebook is connected with white users and Myspace is connected with Hispanic users. Asian and Asian-American users are the least likely of the different cultures to have a Myspace account. The Asian and Asian-American users are more drawn to the SNS such as Xanga and Friendster. When it comes to socio-economic status Facebook users are more likely to have parents with a college degree. On the other hand, Myspace users are more likely to have parents with a high school education or small amount of college experience.

Specific social networking sites are beginning to find new roots in the educational environment. Educators are using blogs, wikis, e-portfolios, and instant messaging. Blogs improve the classroom environment and student learning in multiple ways. The challenges which face the incorporation of blogs to multiple classrooms throughout the United States is due to various technical and non-technical issues. Wiki’s are subject specific and outside of the time continuum. High engagement rates to content improves student learning. In order for teachers to increase students on task times, wiki pages motivate students to cognitively reflect on content (Ferris and Wilder, 2006). Public knowledge building activities creates an enthusiasm that enables students to leave work behind for future readers to glean from instead of turning papers into a teacher to be later thrown away. Social networking constructionists also visualize an outstanding potential in wiki’s due to its ability for the students and teachers to be both authors and readers at the same time (Forte and Bruckman, 2007). Three significant areas of concerns arose in the research of wiki use in the classroom to improve social networking in students. Ferris and Wilder (2006) found that the social maturity level of students must be considered before introducing the use of wiki’s in the classroom. Lamb (2004) next discovered the difficulty teacher had assessing the student through their wiki development. Lastly, the access of all users is a difficult issue for educators to assign work outside of classroom hours. An E-portfolio is a web-based information management system in which the learner uses electronic media and services and builds a digital repository of artifacts. E-portfolios can be comprised of multimedia, graphic, or text-based multimedia elements archived on a DVD, CD-ROM, or on a Web site. One important question that arises in our technological world is: When an e-portfolio is assessed, who validates the artifact as a student's authentic work? How would an evaluator of the e-portfolio determine if the work has actually been performed by the student who is being assessed? How would an e-portfolio system authenticate that all of the work (demonstrations and documentation) was created by the author? Another question that needs to be addressed is: Who is the real owner of the artifacts in any portfolio? Instant messaging (IM) is a technology that has been embraced by the generation of students who are entering post-secondary schools ands those who will enter these schools in the future. Instant messaging creates the possibility of real-time text-based communication between two or more participants over the internet or some form of internal network/intranet. For all of the legal advances we have made in racial, gender, and sexual preference equality, the problems of bullying are at least as bad as they have always been and have taken on new forms, such as cyber bullying. Advances in technology have made cyber bullying possible, whereby one or many students can “gang up” on another student without actually having to be physically present (Albury, 2008).

Corporate settings are beginning to embrace social networking in varying degrees and for specific purposes. For instance, LinkedIn [6]and Spoke[7] are two business oriented social networking sites that are widely used by companies during work hours. These sites provide opportunities for professionals to collaborate and businesses to grow. There is substantial support for the notion that social networks are useful in the work environment and possibly even contribute to higher levels of productivity. Giving colleagues immediate access to one another’s expertise is one such example. Even with the MIT research there is a differing study produced by Gartner, a technology consulting company, that supports quite a different sentiment in regards to social networking. “There is little evidence that social networking will be as beneficial for businesses as other Web-based communications technology, such as instant messaging” (Ferguson, 2007).

As businesses try to investigate more advantageous ways to use social networking, its most current manifestation is for brand promotion. Branded sites will not be able to rival such sites as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace, but will aid in promotion. Marketers spent about $1 billion to advertise their brands on such sites in 2008, according to eMarketer. Employers have also reported an increase in email correspondence with employees riddled with informal text language. This is considered unacceptable when the discussion calls for more decorum. One of the challenges is being able to distinguish the formal from the informal within the online context. Establishing clear expectations in the workplace for language will relieve this type of awkward correspondence. Instituting the same type of expectations in schools would help alleviate the problem in the future. The Internet allows certain people to divulge deep, personal desires and information, especially for those who have difficulty in having social opportunities or who may experience social anxiety (Hanson 80). According to Hanson in 24/7: How Cell Phones and the Internet Change the Way We Live, Work, and Play, "...a mediated relationship is still better than not having any contact with others at all". The Internet enables a new form of pen pals. N-Geners are able to build and maintain friendships around the world.

Social Implications of Social Networking

The implications of social media are numerous. Some can be considered positive and others not as much. Social networking has had and will continue to have great impacts upon formal and informal contexts. Using tools such as blogs, wiki's, E-Portfolios, and instant messaging in the classroom not only bring about exciting opportunities, but also unique challenges. In education some of the main concerns are active participation, quality of work and assessing responses, access, and maturity while using these technologies. New technology, which is always changing, is a difficult thing to learn with anyone regardless of education and intellectual level. The use of technology in the classroom is almost too much for teachers because they are unable to keep up with their fast paced students. E-Ports while easily accessible have problems when students are not honest. Determining a persons work these days is difficult because there are so many ways to cheat" or filter information to pass it off as your own. The students could grow and learn so much but these drawbacks seriously hinder the way students perceive the educational system. Students these days not only have problems with school and the different technology within their classroom but face severe emotional problems. Cyber bullying is a rather new concept but is severely dangerous. Kids who are picked on have a way to be even further humiliated.

Other formal and informal contexts are also being greatly affected by social media. For the workplace trying to rethink a tool that has been embraced as an entertainment, keeping employee productivity high without limiting freedoms, and establishing clear boundaries and expectations concerning communication on SNS are all current issues. In regards to informal environments social network sprawl and safety are also challenges. SNS have the potential to improve the way a workplace communicates, not only with colleagues but with the public as well. The challenges that plague informal contexts are not exclusive. As more and more people begin to participate in social networking, safety will become paramount. Through education (with a strong emphasis on common sense) the future should be able to navigate social media safely and reap the benefits they have to offer.

SNS have had a great impact upon communication across the world and will continue to improve the quality of these interactions in the future. Social networking has made it possible for teachers and students to collaborate across continents. It is important for educators to understand the potential benefits of SNS. One obvious benefit that social networking may bring to global education is in “fostering cultures of engagement,” which is what Suárez-Orozco and Sattin argue will develop when children master “other cultural sensibilities and codes” (Suárez-Orozco and Sattin 18-19). The challenges to such a globalized education are equity, commercialization, loss of national control, and hegemony. Understanding that these are the challenges and accepting them as such is half the battle. Acknowledging their existence and consistently working to improve them is inherent in the definition of a challenge. The potential and actualized benefits of SNS for the global community outweigh the challenges.

Social Policies Regarding Social Networking

Out of all of the major government organizations that deal with online social networking issues, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the most prominent. Under "Consumer Protection", they have an entire section dedicated to identity theft, privacy, and security issues. More specificaly, under the FTC, OnGuard Online is specifically geared towards equipping all consumers with the necessary tools to "be on guard against Internet fraud, secure your computer, and protect your personal information" (OnGuard Online). On this website alone, there are multiple links to other organizations committed to help create awareness and protect consumers from all different types of cyber crime out there today. For example, WiredSafety is "the largest online safety, education and help group in the world" (OnGuard Online). WiredSafety is run entirely by over 9,000 volunteers around the world and act as a "neighborhood watch" in cyberspace. They are also affiliated with www.wiredcops.org (Cyber Law Enforcement), which is a group with "specially-trained volunteers [who] patrol the Internet looking for child pornography, child molesters and cyberstalkers" (OnGuard Online). Cyber Law Enforcement also offers educational and helpful services, finds and reviews family-friendly web sites, filters products and Internet services, and speaks at local community groups and schools to teach Internet safety. "We are proud of our reputation as the one-stop-shop for all cyberspace safety, privacy, security and help needs" (WiredSafety).

In addition to government/government-affiliated organizations, groups working specifically with law enforcement agencies are common as well. The most well-known of these types of organizations is the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The IC3 "is a joint project between the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C). This joint collaboration serves as a vehicle to receive, develop, and refer criminal complaints regarding the readily expanding arena of cyber crime...since its opening in May of 2000, more than 100,000 were either characterized as identity theft, or involved conduct that could be characterized as identity theft" (Swecker 25). Its mission is to serve as a means to receive, develop, and refer criminal complaints regarding cyber crime. The IC3 provides an easy-to-use reporting system that victims can use to alert the authorities of suspected criminal or civil violations (IC3).

However, policies regarding online social networking are not only left for the government to deal with. On all major social networking sites, you will find a "privacy policy" section created either by the founders of the site or an organization whose sole purpose is to develop privacy policies for different organizations (i.e. TrustE). Privacy policies mainly deal with privacy of the user and security issues. If you look at MySpace (MySpace Privacy Policy and Facebook (Facebook Principles), each of these sites have an entire section devoted to explaining their privacy policies regarding the users' information. These detailed explanations must be thorough and clear in order to avoid misinformation and misunderstandings. Case in point, the creator of Facebook (Mark Zuckerberg), faced a lot of opposition and criticism when his privacy policies caused an uproar among the users. Initially, Facebook gave "the impression that [it] was declaring ownership over all members' postings". Zuckerberg insists that it was a case of "sloppy rewriting" and that the latest version "issues some unclear language". People do own their information and if they choose to leave the Facebook community, their information goes with them. After such a stir, Zuckerberg and the other owners decided to have users vote on future policy questions. This, in turn, turned Facebook into one of the world's biggest democracies (Celizic 2009).

With the recent explosion of social networking sites, groups of all different organizational levels have been trying to keep pace and develop policies that would help ensure the safety and privacy of users using social networking sites. According to his article, "Top 10 Threats to Computer Systems," Jeffrey R. Young states that social networks are number seven. For example, "A study by Indiana University researches showed that phishing schemes were much more likely to trick people on social networks...getting 70 percent of users to fall for the scam" (Young 2008). As social networking sites (and other web sites) keep changing and developing, the government and online social networking sites mentioned above have no choice but to keep changing and developing their policies as well.

Wider Social and Cultural Changes in Social Networking

“The computer science is easy; the sociology is hard” (Wellman et al. 232). That is certainly true in trying to understand the broader social and cultural context in which computer-based social networks had developed and the role those networks may play in changing our society and culture. There are sharply conflicting views on how social networking sites fit into, and contribute to, general and longstanding social trends. It is helpful in teasing out the major arguments in the debate to focus on two interrelated concepts: community and social capital.

The nineteenth-century founders of contemporary social science, such as Durkheim, Weber, Marx, and their intellectual descendants in the early twentieth century, noted, and even bemoaned, the loss of community that occurred in the wake of the Industrial Revolution and the transition to a modern urban society. Loss of social solidarity, the rise of alienation and anomie, and the importance of contractual over personal relations have all been associated with the loss of real communities built on kin and neighborhood ties. The suburbanization of America in the postwar period gave rise to a renewed wave of moaning in the U.S. about the loss of social connections, community life, and political participation in contemporary America (Riesman 383). Robert Putnam, in his influential 2000 work, Bowling Alone uses the concept of social capital to argue just how Americans have become impoverished by the loss of human connectedness. One is rich in social capital if one has connections with lots of different people, and, conversely, one is poor in social capital if one is socially isolated. Of course, there are different types of social capital. There are those ties we have with people we perceive to be like us (bonding social capital) and ties with people who are less like us but with whom we share certain interests (bridging social capital) (Muncy 142). There is also the question of density of social connections, that is, the extent to which our social capital is strong or weak and whether or not it can be useful in improving our life chances. Putnam and others have argued that social capital has been declining in the U.S. since the late 1960s both in the number and density of connections.

Not every one agrees with that assessment. Thomson, in particular, has argued directly against Putnam’s thesis in a 2005 article that questions the data upon which Putnam’s conclusions are based and presents the counterargument that Americans have shown evidence of developing voluntary associations and cooperative ties that have strengthened social capital (Thomson 426-427). For our purposes here, Thomson’s argument is important because she specifically mentions the Internet as a new and promising basis for the strengthening of social capital. She disagrees with those who argue that the Internet is not a vehicle for the creation of social capital because electronic ties are weak, do not involve face-to-face interaction, and are not true “communities” (Thomson 433). She makes the point that “the Internet fosters social capital precisely because it does cut across demographic categories” (Thomson 441).

Burbules sets out to answer a question crucial to this debate, especially as it applies to education: does the Internet constitute a global educational community? (Burbules 323-355). It may be a stretch, Burbules argues, to regard the Internet itself as a community, but it could be regarded as a “metacommunity . . . an overarching congregation of communities, and a set of conditions that make communities possible, as a space in which communities happen” (Burbules 348). Internet communities have characteristics that differ from the traditional communities based on kin and neighborhood in that they are global and that there is the possibility for multiple communities that occupy alternative places (Burbules 351). Traditional communities were always local and generally one belonged to only one community, delineated by one’s family and one’s area of residence. The possibility of voluntarily joining various and alternative communities based on common interests and similarities has the potential for exponentially increasing our social connections and, hence, our social capital.

The issue still remains, however: just how strong or dense is the social capital that is forged electronically? Social networking fosters the illusion, and perhaps the reality, that one is social connected. After all, through spaces such as Facebook and MySpace we can, in effect, create our own communities, and all of them have one thing in common: ourselves. How can we not have the perception that we have social connections when we are at the center of networks we create online? Whether or not those electronic connections translate themselves into social capital is the subject of future research. But there is no question that social electronic networks are contributing to reversing the trend many social scientists have long bemoaned: the loss of the sense of belonging, or connectedness, in modern mass society.

Additional Resources & Links

Federal Trade Commission

Internet Crime Complaint Center

List of Social Networking Websites

Social Software

Twitter Handbook for Teachers

OnGuard Online

TrustE

WiredSafety

Excellent resources to increase social networking within the classroom through wiki’s:

http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?WikiWiki

http://www.usemod.com/cgi-bin/mb.pl?MeatballWiki

http://phpwiki.sourceforge.net/

http://www.wikia.com/wiki/Special:CreateWiki

http://www.malts.ed.ac.uk/idel/assignment/wiki/000022.html

References

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