Does Social

Media Matter?

Dr. Curtis

R. Rogers, Communications Director

Young Adult Services ExchangeMarch 2, 2012

What

will

happen...

•What teens say about social media•Review of current stats•Discussion vs. lecture•Group project•Group reports

There's more 'life' happening online than offline. If you are not online, you are completely out of the loop--you don't have a life, you don't really exist. --Hannah, 13 years old

I feel safer online than I do offline. So I do things online that I wouldn't do in real life. --Sadie, 14 years old

Social networking affects all the things you do in real life now. Like, if you go to a party, one of the most important aspects of going to the party is to document yourself for online posts. You have to prove you were looking good, you were having fun, and that you were actually there! It's not about the party anymore but about the pictures of the party.--Caroline, 14 years old

My friendships are really affected by social networking. You have to constantly validate your friends online. And everyone's like 'Where were you?' 'What have you been doing?' 'Why haven't you commented on my picture yet?' So you have to be online all the time, just to keep track, so you don't upset anyone. --Jasmine, 13 years old

• 88% of social media-using teens have witnessed other people be mean or cruel on social network sites.

• More teens report positive personal outcomes than negative ones from interactions on social network sites: 78% report at least one good outcome and 41% report at least one negative outcome.

Fourt

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Report

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In small groups, take ______ minutes to discuss the following issues:

1.Make a list of social media tools your library uses (or should be using) to interact with young adults.

2.Brainstorm on what could be some innovative uses for social media tools and working with YAs.

3.Why does social media matter?

Each group will have someone take notes and each group will have a few minutes to report.

Refe

rence

s &

re

sourc

es

• 10 things you don't

know about teens and

social networking, By

Sarah B. Weir, Yahoo! blo

gger | Parenting – Tue, Aug

16, 2011 • Teens, Kindness and

Cruelty on Social Network Sites, Pew

Internet & American Life

Project - NOVEMBER 9,

2011