Digital Young People

I have always thought about the potential for engagement with young people through social networking sites but the more I researched I noticed that it wasn’t just social networking sites but it was wider than this. Young people are using the whole internet for various purposes and it’s important that if we are to be successful with online youth work that youth workers understand these different ways young people are engaging with social media.

This section will showcase my findings on my first research question.

How are young people currently engaging with digital media and what impact is this having?

Keeping this research question in mind, I will analyse the various types of social media young people are currently engaging with and examine the activities they are participating in through social media.

Young people are now regular users of social media. Mobile phones, computers and music devices are all devices young people are using to receive content and engage with their social network. Mobile phones with applications means young people can constantly be connected with their social network. Computer-mediated interactions such as those through social networking sites and mobile phones are now an integral part of young people’s lifestyles, and “understanding them is crucial to understanding changes in young people’s values attitudes and social activities” (Lohdonvirta & Räsänen, 2011).

A study by the International Centre for Media & the Public Agenda (2012) challenged university students in 10 countries to go without any form of media for 24 hours and report how they felt. The responses ranged from feeling their mobile phones were literally an extension of themselves to feeling an addiction to media, to the point where they felt anxious and depressed without it. Although the age range is slightly higher than I have researched, I think the behaviours and feelings found in this study are also applicable to young people within the 13-19 age groups. They are constantly connected to technology such as mobile phones and the internet.

 

Mobile phones

Along with the advancement of other technology, the advancement of the mobile phone has been of particular significance to young people. In the last 20 years the mobile phone has developed from a device which enabled wireless contact between persons, to a fully customisable social device. Modern mobile phones have an extensive range of features which add to the social experience of owning one. These features include cameras, media storage for music and videos and, most relevant, internet access. The development of phones with cameras and internet access built in has meant young people now have a way to create and manage content at their leisure. They can create a video of their friends and can share the content through their respective social networking sites. Davis & Cranston (2008) see this creative content as simply ordinary teenage self-expression moved online. Green & Hannon (2007) make the distinction that by “digitising their creative efforts this generation of young people can share the fruits of their labour with a worldwide audience” (p19). These features have given rise to the mobile phone being very attractive and trendy to young people, which explains the extensive marketing of new technology to young people. Modern society has also created a fear among parents which means they are buying their children mobile phones to keep in contact with them. This means we now have a generation of young people with the vast majority owning a mobile phone and driving its usage.

Mobile phones with 3G network coverage have allowed young people to engage with social media at all times. They can update their status, engage with their friends and post photos they just took on their phone to social networking sites; and all this without having to go home to use their computer. This leads back to the creative content mentioned previously. This increased mobility and accessibility enables young people to use these online services to “hang out” with each other at all times. (Ito et al. 2009; Subrahmanyam &  Smahel, 2011. Cited in: Davis, 2012).

Applications such as Blackberry Messenger (BBM) let young people chat to their friends or social circle at all times. One of the main differences with this and text messaging is these types of services use the internet coverage on the phone, and so therefore incur no cost to the user, apart from network charges. It’s also important to note that many phone contracts also come with a high data usage cap, and BlackBerry data plans often include free, or inexpensive, BBM usage. This means young people with a BlackBerry mobile can access a free, secure and easily accessible way to communicate with their social network. BBM was recognised as one of the key communication methods used to spread the message during the London Riots in 2011 (Guardian, 2011). Users don’t swap phone numbers like traditional mobile communication but instead swap Quick Response (QR) codes (Fig.7) or pins, which are a series of characters, both QR codes and pins are unique to the user’s device.

Linking the devices allows the user to send messages and contact each other in a free and secure way. Another key feature with BBM is the broadcasting feature. A “broadcast” is a message which is sent out to all contacts on the broadcasters BBM contact list. This quick and easy method of communication gives young people instant access to their social network.

Social Networking Sites

Social networking sites are used by young people to; keep in touch with their friends, develop new contacts, to share content and engage in self-expression, explore their identity, hang out and consume content, and access information (Davis & Cranston, 2008). Often young people can have many “friends” on social networking sites with “most users tending to list anyone who they know and do not actively dislike (Gross and Acquisti, 2005).

It’s important to investigate what it meant by “friend” on social networking sites as it differs from the traditional meaning. When we are children being friends with another child can simply be someone you share your favourite toy with. Evidently there are varying levels of friendship but typically with teenagers a friend is someone who you typically see a lot, spend time with and can disclose information to. With this in mind, can we assume the same definition for online “friendship?” Online social networks are made up of both maintained offline relationships and online connections. Santrock (1987) defines friends as peers who provide mutual companionship and social support (Cited in Lee et.al 2012:1037). This definition certainly applies to offline communication between individuals, however can it still apply to “friends” on social networking sites such as social networking sites? 

On Facebook, a user can “add a friend” by simply clicking a button. The user can chose to reject the request for friendship but this differs from user to user. Reasons put forward by Boyd (2006) for accepting a friend request include; because they are offline friends, to be nice to people that they know but don’t care for, as a way of acknowledging someone you think is interesting, and to look cool because that link has status. It’s interesting to analyse these reasons as they vary from maintaining existing connections to hurting someone’s feelings. Lee et. Al (2012) point out one of the key characteristics of Facebook as a social networking site is that the system allows its users “to articulate and make visible their social networks” (boyd &  Ellison, 2007).

Lohdonvirta & Räsänen (2011) take a more pessimistic approach believing young people are using social networking sites to “escape to online friends without putting any effort into developing social skills needed in face-to-face conversation.” This may be the case for those young people suffering from low self-esteem. Similarly, Lee et. al (2012) hypothesises “self-esteem will have a negative association with the number of Facebook friends. They also mention “individuals with low self-esteem may strive to increase the number of Facebook friends to feel a greater sense of belong and to increase the likelihood of being perceived as popular so that they could compensate for the deficiency in self-esteem.”

Research by Ofcom (2012) found children “aged 8-11 have an average of 92 friends and children aged 12-15 say they have, on average, 286 friends. Children aged 8-11 estimate that they have not met around one in eight (12%) of these friends in person while 12-15s say they have not met around one in four (25%) - an average of 72 people per child.” It’s also important to note that according to the Facebook Terms of Usage (2012) users must be aged 13 or older; however there is no real way of confirming how old a user is and in my experience young people are aware that you must be over 13 but simply lie about their age in order to create an account.

These figures highlight how young people are using social networking sites to engage with new connections. However if they have not met them in person they be totally sure about the users identity, this has potential risks for children and young people. This is perhaps the biggest area of worry or concern for adults less confident with internet usage, and forms the biggest obstacle for professional educators, youth workers and other service providers who want to engage with young people. 

Cyber Bullying

Students who are cyber bullied report feeling sad, anxious, afraid and unable to concentrate on school (Beran &  Li, 2005; Juvonen &  Gross, 2008) and may report social difficulties, drug and alcohol use, and eating disorders (Dehue, Bolman, &  Vollink, 2008; Fosse &  Holen, 2006; Ybarra &  Mitchell, 2007). Victimized youth are more likely to skip school (Wolak, Mitchell, &  Finkelhor, 2006; Ybarra, Diener-West, &  Leaf, 2007), to have detentions or suspensions, or to take a weapon to school (Mitchell, Ybarra, &  Finkelhor, 2007).

Ask.fm is a social networking site which follows the same profile development model of other sites like Facebook. Ask.fm is focused around users asking each other questions and users can ask anything they choose. In the UK media there has been many reports of Ask.fm being a site for extreme cyber bullying and it has also been linked to a number of suicides. Beckford (2013) reports, “schools across the country are sending out letters advising pupils not to use ask.fm”. One of the main differences between Ask.fm and other social networking sites is its feature to post questions anonymously. This means anyone can go on a profile and post a message to the user, and they don’t have to reveal who they are. Here is a quote from ask.fm’s terms of usage:

“You understand that in using the ask.fm service you may encounter content that may be deemed objectionable, obscene or in poor taste, which content may or may not be identified as having explicit language. The ask.fm service allows for anonymous content which ask.fm does not monitor. You agree to use the ask.fm service at your own risk and that ask.fm shall have no liability to you for content that you may find objectionable, obscene or in poor taste. “

As you can see Ask.fm does not monitor its site, which is very worrying for teenagers who are being exposed to cyber bullying. It is also quite worrying that they take no liability to their members if they are exposed to anything distasteful. As well as this, last.fm has no way to report offensive posts or incidents.

A cursory search on the video sharing website YouTube showed testimonials of young people speaking about their experiences of being exposed to cyber bullying on Ask.fm. The video below shows a girl explaining how she was receiving anonymous abuse on the website. Please note the video contains strong language

Some of the things she is saying are really hard hitting.

“I hope you get cancer, I hope you get shot, you should go hang yourself”

“You obviously know me in real life”

This is a young person who suffers from anxiety and is being exposed to cyber bullying on ask.fm. As before, please be aware this video contains strong language.

It’s clear that the anonymity given to people through ask.fm makes them think these things are acceptable to say, and may not understand the very serious implications which can come from this kind of bullying. There is a clear need for education on social media, both for those exposed to cyber bullying and for the perpetrators.

Conclusion

This increased engagement with social networking sites, and indeed the internet, by young people has meant they have a new place to be. It’s not the street corner or the playground, it’s the internet. This place both can be one of danger and one of educational opportunity. Youth workers begin from where young people are at, so if the internet is young people’s new hang out spot, perhaps it’s time for youth workers to upgrade their presence to a virtual one. It’s important that youth workers gain the skills to engage with young people through social media, while keeping with youth work values and principles.