Facebook Problem
Social Networking for Teens Online: MySpace & Facebook
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Bottom of Form by John Suler, Ph.D.
Adolescents typically spend a lot of time talking with other teens online in websites such as MySpace and Facebook. Online teens now are a significant population, and it is important that kids as well as parents understand what is happening in this online world. First, simply by spending significant amounts of time online, it's inevitable that a teenagers' on-line social skills will improve. They will be encountering people of various ages and cultural backgrounds, so they have the opportunity to learn how to relate to a wide variety of people. Under optimal conditions, those skills may carry over to their in-person life.
With the advent of MySpace and Facebook, kids are developing entire worlds where they can interact with literally tens of millions of other kids from around the planet. These worlds are very complex and range in their expressions.
Who Are These Teens Online?
On one hand, we have expressions of the immature teen who approaches these websites as if they are simply advanced computer games without real human beings on the other end. Without seeing or hearing the real person behind the typed words or avatars, they (probably unconsciously) behave as if the other person is some kind of robot or Donkey Kong target. And so they start shooting profanities, inappropriate sexual remarks, and other words of abuse. Being able to hide behind their own on-line anonymity makes the abuse even easier to inflict. It provides an easy, safe way to satisfy that need to vent the frustrations of their real life.
In some on-line communities, the hardcore trouble-making adolescents are given the uncomplimentary title of "SNERT" (snot-nosed-eros-ridden-teenager). They can be a real nuisance. In extreme cases they may be banned from the
-------------------------------------------------
Top of Form
Poor
Okay
Good
Great
Awesome
Rate this article: None (19 votes)
Bottom of Form by John Suler, Ph.D.
Adolescents typically spend a lot of time talking with other teens online in websites such as MySpace and Facebook. Online teens now are a significant population, and it is important that kids as well as parents understand what is happening in this online world. First, simply by spending significant amounts of time online, it's inevitable that a teenagers' on-line social skills will improve. They will be encountering people of various ages and cultural backgrounds, so they have the opportunity to learn how to relate to a wide variety of people. Under optimal conditions, those skills may carry over to their in-person life.
With the advent of MySpace and Facebook, kids are developing entire worlds where they can interact with literally tens of millions of other kids from around the planet. These worlds are very complex and range in their expressions.
Who Are These Teens Online?
On one hand, we have expressions of the immature teen who approaches these websites as if they are simply advanced computer games without real human beings on the other end. Without seeing or hearing the real person behind the typed words or avatars, they (probably unconsciously) behave as if the other person is some kind of robot or Donkey Kong target. And so they start shooting profanities, inappropriate sexual remarks, and other words of abuse. Being able to hide behind their own on-line anonymity makes the abuse even easier to inflict. It provides an easy, safe way to satisfy that need to vent the frustrations of their real life.
In some on-line communities, the hardcore trouble-making adolescents are given the uncomplimentary title of "SNERT" (snot-nosed-eros-ridden-teenager). They can be a real nuisance. In extreme cases they may be banned from the