Social Software, Teens, and Libraries

Cheryl Becker & Shawn Brommer

South Central Library System

NEWIL, April 2007

Today’s Agenda

Definitions and examplesStatistics/MillennialsBenefitsSafetyDiscussion and Demos

(somewhere—a break)

What is social software?

Social software enables people to rendezvous, connect or collaborate through computer-mediated communication and to form online communities. (from Wikipedia)

“Web 2.0”

Some Examples of Social Software:

Blogs / RSS Wikis Instant Messaging (IM) Media sharing Social Networking Services Social Bookmarking Social Cataloging Virtual worlds and multiplayer online games

Blog

Short for “web log.” User-generated website with entries in

journal format. Owner posts commentary, allowing others to

comment. Creates online discussion forum. RSS (Really Simple Syndication)

Allows users to subscribe to blogs.

A Sampling of Blogs

Walking Paper The Shifted Librarian Tinfoil + Raccoon librarian.net TeenRead 07

Wiki

Collaborative resource creationAllows users to add, edit, remove

contentExamples

Wikipedia Library Success Citizendium

Instant Messaging

“IM” Immediate, real-time chat (text) InstantaneousPoint of needAOL, MSN, Yahoo

Media Sharing

Organize, store, tag, shareGroups Examples:

Flickr (photos) SmugMug (photos) YouTube (videos)

Social Networking Services

Places to meet and communicateShared interests or causes Combines IM, blog, photo sharing,

“Friending”Examples:

MySpace Facebook Friendster

Example of a MySpace Account

Social Bookmarking

Putting bookmarks of your favorite websites in a web directory to share with others. Or yourself!

Examples: del.icio.us Furl Blue Dot

Social Cataloging

Allow users to tag items Share catalogs with others Interact with others based upon shared

items(How very “library like”!)“MySpace for books”Example: LibraryThing

“Virtual Worlds” Massively-Multiplayer Online Games

(MMOGs) Online places to meet and interact with

other people/avatars in a virtual world (which looks somewhat like reality).

Examples: Second Life Runescape Club Penguin

Teens, Internet Use & Social Networking

Teen brain development Millennials Information seeking habits of teens Some statistics Benefits What does this mean for libraries?

Teen Brain Development

Hormones vs. Brains!

Social development

Risk taking

Emotional response

Information seeking habits of teens

Successful methods to address: Cognitive approaches Affective approaches Socio-cultural

approaches Physical approaches

Valenza, Joyce Kasman, “They Might Be Gurus.” VOYA, April 2006.

Millennials (1982 – 2000)

Larger than the Baby Boom generation

36% of the U.S. population.

31% of this population are from diverse cultures

—Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation, Neil Howe & Bill Strauss

Distinct qualities of Millennials

They are special They are sheltered They are confident They are team-oriented They are achieving They are pressured They are conventional

Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation, Neil Howe & Bill Strauss

Millennials: Deal With Them!

Digital Natives Multi-taskers Delay choices = Need info now Social = Large network of friends Games Reading doesn’t necessarily mean books Diverse learning styles

—Stephen Abram

Teens & Technology 87% of American teens use the

Internet on a regular basis. 1 out of 2 teens lives in a home with

a broadband connection. Their world is wired: 83% say most

of the people they know use the internet

—Teens & Technology, PEW Internet & Life Project

How are they using the Internet?

81% are playing games (over 17 million)76% are getting news (over 16 million)43% are making purchases (9 million)31% are seeking health information (6

million)Use email, but prefer IM (75% of teens

use IM)—Teens & Technology (PEW Internet & Life Project)

Where are they when they go online?

89% - home 75% - school 70% - a friend or relative’s house 50% - the library50% - the library 9% - a community center or house of

worship

—Web 2.0 and What it Means to Libraries (PEW Internet & Life Project)

Source: Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources, OCLC, 2005, question 1207.

Social software for kids in libraries because. . .

They live their lives onlineThey get their information from the

InternetThey socialize onlineThey expect it

Additionally. . .

They are future tax-payers and future library supporters.

This is the way teens seek, share and recommend information

We want libraries to remain relevant

. . . Not to mention, there are benefits of social software!

Benefits of social software

Critical thinking Reading and writing skills

46% of teens read blogs 39% of teens share their own creations (stories,

poetry, artwork, photos, videos) 28% of teens have created their own online

journal or blog Collaboration

33% have worked together to create web pages (for school, clubs, friends or personal use)

Benefits (2)

Boundaries and expectations

Communicating with authors, experts, etc.—Social and cultural competence

Communication between those with special interests

Benefits (3)

Equalizing Appearance, status, disabilities

Gaming: “Subversive Learning” Learn skills Form coalitions Decision making

“Virtual malt shop”

Benefits (4)

See the YALSA articles (bibliography)

Social Networking and DOPA

Teens & Social Networking in School & Public Libraries

Libraries are using social software to:

Support informational, educational, entertainment needs

Attract and serve new usersBe where our users are—onlineSatisfy user expectations for online

service

Library Examples

(“Library 2.0”)

Blogs

School: Mabryonline (Georgia) Classroom: AP Calculus (Winnipeg)

Academic: UW OshkoshPublic: Menasha Public Library Special:

St. Mary’s Health Sciences Library (Michigan)

Wikis

School: Pershing Middle (California) Classroom: AP History (Pennsylvania)

Academic: Ohio University LibrariesPublic:

Stevens County Rural Library District (Washington)

Instant Messaging

School: Fremont High School (California)Academic: UW MadisonPublic: Stoughton Public LibrarySpecial:

Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries

Media Sharing

School: SmugMug exampleAcademic: Little Priest Tribal College

(Nebraska)Public: Thomas Ford Memorial Library

(Illinois)Special: Brooklyn Museum of Art

MySpace

Public: Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County (North Carolina)

Academic: University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

Special: Brooklyn Museum (New York)

Del.icio.us

Public: Lansing Public Library (Illinois)Academic:

Maui Community College Library (Hawaii) Norwich University (Vermont)

LibraryThing

Public: Franklin Township Public Library (New Jersey)

Academic: Southwestern Community College (Iowa)

Gaming

Public: Beloit Public LibraryAcademic: Mohawk College (Ontario)

Is internet safety an issue?

It can be. Not all information is accurate. People online can be rude or exploitative.

(as in person!) Anonymity can encourage bad behavior.

Potential for online scamming, identity theft, predation.

But, wait. . .

But wait. . .

Danger lurks in the “real world” tooOnline networking isn’t going awayWe don’t ban automobiles, or forbid

children from walking alone We teach them how to be safe

There are safety nets

Safety Nets

Education and InvolvementTips for youthTips for parentsLibrary internet policiesHelpful sources

Problematic Safety Nets

Filters

DOPA (Deleting Online Predators Act)

Tips for Youth

Keep personal information private. Never get together with anyone you “meet”

online. Don’t respond to inappropriate messages. Tell your parents if someone online:

Asks for your personal information Wants to meet you in person Sends inappropriate messages

Don’t share passwords. Follow rules/expectations.

Tips for Parents

Talk to kids! Learn what they’re using:

Have them show/teach you Spend time with them online Get your own account(s) and explore

Keep computer in visible area in home. Monitor computer time. Set and enforce rules for internet use.

Sample Internet Policies (Schools)

Riverdale High School (OR)Hattiesburg High School (MS)Necedah Area Schools (WI)Eau Claire Area School District (WI)

Sample Internet Policies (Public Libraries)

Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg (NC).

Hennepin County (MN). Portage Public Library (WI) Thomas Ford Memorial Library (Western

Springs, IL). (See Policy #4)

Sample Internet Policies(Academic Libraries)

Rutgers (NJ)

University of Oregon

Marquette (WI)

Other sources of help

My Space: Safety Tips, and Tips for Parents

Wisconsin Department of JusticeAmerican Library Association (ALA)See bibliography for more

DOPA

Deleting Online Predators Act Passed by House 410-15 / July 2006 Libraries that receive E-rate required to

protect minors from “Commercial Social Networking Websites" and "Chat Rooms"

Died in Senate / December 2006 Reintroduced in House / February 2007

“DOPA Jr.”

Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act

Introduced in Senate / January 4, 2007All the provisions of DOPA sandwiched

between: Restricting sale of children’s personal info Higher fines for pornography violations

IL and GA / similar state laws proposed

Shortcomings of DOPA

Overly broad definitions of social networking and chat

Filtering sites based on technology, not content

Ignores educational uses & benefits of blogs, wikis, and other social software tools.

In Conclusion

Social Software is empowering & isn’t going away

Library 2.0: Harness the benefits Stay relevant to today’s users

Help users stay safe with education and involvement

Contact:

Cheryl Becker cbecker@scls.lib.wi.us

Shawn Brommer sbrommer@scls.lib.wi.us