SchülerVZ, MySpace, Who knows whom?
For young people and their social life networking platforms have become indispensable. Social networking platforms are they meeting the Circle of Friends, brokerage events and surfaces for self-expression.
Prof. Dr. Bernd Schorb, head of the study and professor for media education and further education at the Institute for Communication and Media Studies (KMW) at the University of Leipzig, confirms: "Social online networks have spread within a very short time and have developed into a central part of everyday media life for young people This also goes hand in hand with a new quality of relationship work, with which young people naturally grow up today". The media expert also points out risks: "The network platforms undoubtedly offer adolescents many opportunities, but they also have problematic sides, especially when it comes to differences in social interaction or the handling of personal data".
Opportunities and dangers of social networks are documented by the current results, which are based on data from a quantitative online survey of 8.382 users of social network platforms between the ages of 12 and 19 in January 2009 and on qualitative interviews with 31 young people of the same age. The study was carried out as part of the Media Convergence Monitoring (MeMo) funded by the Saxon State Institute for Private Broadcasting and New Media (SLM).
The results
"I'm actually there all the time". Social online networks have become a ritual of young people using the Internet, which often takes place parallel to other media or Internet activities. There is a clear trend towards using several network platforms: a total of 70 percent of the young people surveyed online are active on at least two online networks. A fifth of those surveyed use three and a tenth as many as four social networks. The reason for this is that the young people network with different groups of friends on various platforms, look for new contacts with 'like-minded people' and appreciate the specific content and functional orientation of the various platforms.
"That's where social life takes place outside of school."
The social relationship work is the most important thing for young people on the network platforms: they are concerned with maintaining friendships, organizing everyday life together and making new friends. The virtual world is not one that has nothing in common with the real world of young people. Rather, it represents an expansion and continuation of social space in the digital world. Participation on network platforms also enables adolescents to integrate socially, to discuss personally important topics and, last but not least, to participate in (media) society.
"First and foremost, I want to portray my character."
The majority of young people appreciate the opportunities to present themselves in the social space of online networks and to present themselves to others, especially in the context of designing their own profile pages and membership in groups. Here the adolescents present the diverse facets of their personality. Slipping into other roles and thus trying out the media is only significant for a small proportion of those surveyed. Most young people attach more importance to (according to subjective criteria) an authentic self-portrayal.
"Because for me it's an easy way to communicate."
Interpersonal communication with friends and acquaintances is the most important function of the network platforms for the young people surveyed. The starting point for this are the profile pages, which, in addition to their own presentation area, also represent a common communication space.
The exchange takes place via messages, pin boards and platform-internal instant messengers, as well as via profiles and their networking tools (such as friends lists and groups). Images are also a means of communication: the vast majority of respondents have already posted images on platforms themselves, eg of shared experiences with friends, and commented on images from other users, which in turn is a reason for further verbal communication. This productive and communicative shaping of the network is thus closely linked to the social interests of the young people.
The results are available at www.medienkonvergenz-monitoring.de
Source: Leibzig [Uni]
