Youth Engagement via Social Networking

Demonstration

Hi!Message between You & Chloe

Hi Vicki, how was your summer? Went to the cinema last night, haven’t seen you for ages! How have you been?Let’s meet up! Chloe x

1 new message

Chloe

MevTom Gaskin wants to be your friend!

1 new friend request

Add Ignore

VickiTom Gaskin wants to be your friend!

1 new friend request

Add Ignore

Tom Gaskin is now friends with Vicki and Mev

1 new notification

Tom Gaskin is at the Coach& horses pub tonight (2 hr ago)

Write something on Tom’s wall…

View photos of Tom

Send Tom a message

Alexia Zinonos wrote:

“Hi Tom are we still meeting up at the weekend?”

Tom Gaskin’s Profile

HelloMessage between You, Tom Gaskin, Vicki, Jack, Toby, David and 10 more

Hi I’m a youth worker. I’m interested in finding out your views on the services provided for young people in the area. I’m hoping I can take a few moments of your time to ask you a few questions.

First of all do you know what a youth worker is?

1 new message

Tom Gaskin

HelloMessage between You, Tom Gaskin, Vicki, Jack, Toby, David and 10 more

Go away I don’t wanna help you

Mev

HelloMessage between You, Tom Gaskin, Vicki, Jack, Toby, David and 10 more

Yeah I’ll help you out if you want, to be honest I think every1 knows what a youth worker is

Go away I don’t wanna help you

Mev

David

HelloMessage between You, Tom Gaskin, Vicki, Jack, Toby, David and 10 more

Erm hi, er when u talk about services in norfolk, what ones in particular are u talking about coz ive lived here all my life and cant say theres much evidence of any youth 'services' at all. We've pretty much been left to our own devices and u lot wonder why we just hang round parks etc, maybe if u gave us somewhere to go or do without being stereotypical and automatically assuming we r causing trouble then u wouldnt need to go askin peoples opinions.

Vicki

Feedback / Questions?

HelloMessage between You, Tom Gaskin, Vicki, Jack, Toby, David and 10 more

Erm hi, er when u talk about services in norfolk, what ones in particular are u talking about coz ive lived here all my life and cant say theres much evidence of any youth 'services' at all. We've pretty much been left to our own devices and u lot wonder why we just hang round parks etc, maybe if u gave us somewhere to go or do without being stereotypical and automatically assuming we r causing trouble then u wouldnt need to go askin peoples opinions.

Vicki

HelloMessage between You, Tom Gaskin, Vicki, Jack, Toby, David and 10 more

Hi Vicki, thanks for your reply. This is exactly what I was looking for when I started experimenting with Facebook for youth work.If you tell me that there is no services around I can tell the people who have a responsibility to sort something out!I would really appreciate it if you would accept my friend request as you seem really passionate about these issues and maybe you could help by telling us what you think we should be doing?

Tom Gaskin

HelloMessage between You, Tom Gaskin, Vicki, Jack, Toby, David and 10 more

Just to be clear I am employed by the Norfolk County Council as a youth worker you can check this by calling 01603 485999 (opt.3). Hope to hear from you soon

If you ever want to find something to do in your local area like a youth club, football team, arts or dance etc you can find it on www.norfolkblurb.co.uk/t2d

Tom Gaskin

Do’s:• Gain authorisation from your manager to use social

networking sites for work related tasks • Provide a method for young people to verify your

identity such as your organisation’s telephone number, email and website address

• Send a message with friend requests explaining who you are and why you are contacting them

• Keep records of the messages you send, approaches used and responses gained

• Encourage voluntary engagement, identify the ways in which they can choose not to participate

• Work together within your organisation, too much contact from organisations will confuse young people and discourage them from participating

Don'ts:• Use your personal social networking profile• Upload photos, films etc that you are not happy for the

rest of the world to see• Assume everyone will want to talk to you• Create an expectation that you cannot maintain • Bombard young people with lots of requests• Write long messages - keep them short and sweet!• Forget to reply back to young people• Assume users will have read your friend request

message or viewed your profile before adding you - many users ask afterwards!

• Forget that you are inviting yourself into the young people’s space

www.norfolkblurb.co.uk

Produced by Norfolk Blurb

All examples used are from real interactions with young people however their names and photos have been

changed to protect their identity.