Week 9.

Tutorial Task:
For the next assessment piece, I must must make a 2 minute video about an idea or theme that relates to new communication technologies - or new media more broadly. After watching some examples within the tutorial and understanding what is required of us for this assessment piece, I have a pretty rough idea on what I'd like to do. 

I realise that the topic must surround our subject of new communication technology so I think I might delve into social media or maybe new technology released in 2013 like the latest iPhone or something...still in the works. 

Assessment 2: Essay

Brianna Ernst

New Communications Technology

Topic: Does the extensive use of social media have a positive or negative impact on the health of young people?

Hypothesis: The extensive use of social media has shown to have a negative impact on the health of young people.

This article presents findings from recent study into the ways young people are participating in social media and whether there are effects due to extensive use. Results suggest that there are a number of issues that have developed in relation to the over-excessive engagement to social media networks; more specially, Facebook. Firstly, social media has created this instant connectivity young people are finding difficult to disengage from. Secondly, social networking is strongly linked with self-identity and through extensive use of these social media websites; young people have developed traits that question self-identity. Lastly, how popular social media networks such as Facebook, have created their own concerns that transfer back into offline life; more specially Facebook depression and envy.

‘The internet has profoundly change the human experience (Correa, T 2009).’ As many young people have been familiarised with the internet as the dominant platform of connectivity, many labels have been made in relation to young people and their use of technology. ‘Net Generation (Fox, S 2009)’ or ‘Digital Natives’ are what young people are being categorised to; ‘assuming a categorical classification hierarchy of dependence, mastery, and awareness of technology (Pangrazio, L 2013).’ Not only that, but ‘the prevalence of social media and the ease of connectivity has transformed the concept of socialisation and an online presence (Johanson, I 2013).’ Social media is a fairly new concept since the creation of the internet and has been the forefront of communication for young people within contemporary society which leads to the question of whether the extensive use of social media impacts the health of young individuals.

 ‘Always connected (McCann, A 2013).’ Young people are spending more and more time online, especially amongst social media platforms and whilst these sites provide skills of communication and interaction, extensive use has created a generation who are unable to disconnect. ‘Most young people today don’t remember a time when there wasn’t some form of social media (McCann, A 2013).' Social media has allowed the individual to take their life online, for social media to become their world, not just a part of it.  ‘Social media, essentially, is a category of online media where people are talking, participating, sharing, networking and bookmarking online. Most social media services encourage discussion, feedback, voting, comments and sharing of information from all interested parties (Jones, R 2009).’ With millions of users worldwide connected to various social media platforms, it raises the question of what types of people rely on these online social media as tools in their interaction with others. ‘Who we are guides how we use it (Correa, T 2009) and young people are guiding certain content consumption and distribution amongst each other that reiterates that whole concept of ‘always connected’. With the likes of Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr, a generation has been developed that are hyper-connected, and as these networks progress and expand, so too the young people who engage in them. The pressure to socialise online creates this sense of alienation whereby to feel important or to be self-assured, young people must share and contribute content and maintain an online presence. With the growth of ‘smart phones’ or more prominently, the iPhone, young people are staying constantly connected where ‘social media addicts are being created  leading a ‘wired’ life where one is continually tuned into social media sites causing an unwanted side effect called ‘fear of missing out (Cheng, P 2011).’ Social media has created this instant connectivity young people are finding difficult to disengage from and through extensive use, young people are unable to function without it.

In many ways the manner in which an individual and their identity is presented has fundamentally shifted with the advent of social networking sites. Even though identities are socially constructed, they are still ‘lived’ by the individual (Pangrazio, L 2013). Although this is most certainly the case amongst young people, social media is now strongly affiliated with the presentation and formation of identity that is now being ‘lived’ online. ‘The social networking site was thought of as a tool to communicate with others, but at other times it configured interactions and relationships in a new way; enabling the participants to forget that there was a real person or ‘subject’ behind the tool or object (Pangrazio, L 2013).’ Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr create a foundation for young people to build their identity on and by the type of content they contribute to, an illusion of importance and acceptance amongst other users is found. ‘While what they present may or may not resemble their offline identity, their primary audience consists of peers that they know primarily offline. Because of this direct link between offline and online identities, teens are inclined to present the side of themselves that they believe will be well received by these peers (Boyd, D 2007).’ Through photos, affiliations and interests; feedback and interaction from other users helps to socially construct identity and there is no requirement to have a fixed sense of who you are (Pangrazio, L 2013). With an increasing desire to be affiliated with other users online, ‘anxiety associated with presenting an identity that is Facebook ‘appropriate’ and that would be accepted by their peers is palpable. (Pangrazio, L 2013).’ As seen, social networking is strongly linked with self-identity and extensive use of these social media websites have caused young people to develop traits that question self-identity.

Although social media may provide positive results by ‘enhancing communication, social connection and even technical skills (O’Keefe, G 2013)’, it too has created issues among young people not otherwise associated with their offline lives. ‘On the surface, Facebook provides an invaluable resource for fulfilling such needs by allowing people to instantly connect. Rather than enhancing well-being, however, these findings suggest that Facebook may undermine it (Savastio, R 2013).’ Past research has linked consumption of social information on Facebook to ‘such undesirable outcomes as jealousy, increase in social tension, social overload, isolation and even depression (Krasnova, H 2013).’ It’s due to excessive internet use that depression is developing among more young people, or more specially, excessive use of social media platforms like Facebook could be warning signals for depressive tendencies. ‘Researchers have proposed a new phenomenon called ‘Facebook depression’ which can be defined as depression that develops when young people ‘spend a great deal of time on social media sites such as Facebook and then begin to exhibit classic symptoms of depression (O'Keeffe, G 2011).’ In fact, not only does Facebook cause depression, it also causes envy amongst its users. ‘Triggered by over-exposure to social information on social networking sites, envy feelings can cause significant damage to users’ well-being and impact their life satisfaction (Savastio, R 2013).’ Feelings of envy are, according to a study conducted by Krasnova, ‘triggered by following information of others on Facebook. Experienced over a long time period, invidious emotions can lead to frustration and exhaustion, damaging individual life satisfaction, a critical indicator of users’ well-being (2013, pg7).’ Popular social networks such as Facebook have created issues that transfer back into offline life, like Facebook depression and envy.

This article has seen the evidence where young people that participate in social media show negative effects due to extensive use. Results have suggested that a number of issues have developed in relation to the excessive use of social networks, especially Facebook. As shown, social media has created instant connectivity online that young people found difficult to disconnect from. Secondly, how social networking was strongly linked to self-identity and through extensive use of social media, young people developed traits that questioned their identity and instead, presented a way in which they could re-create it for their fellow users. And lastly, how popular social media networks such as Facebook created their own concerns that transfer back into offline life, like Facebook depression and envy.

Reference:

1. Boyd, D 2007. Why Youth (Heart) Social Networking Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life. Buckingham, Macarthur Foundation Series on Digital Learning- Youth, Identity and Digital Media, pg. 119-142

2.       Cheng, P 2011. FOMO: The Unintended Effects of Social Media Addiction. Viewed 13 September 2013 at http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Social-Media-Is-Causing-Anxiety-and-Depression-122260279.html

3.       Correa, T and Williard, H et all. 2009. Who interacts on the Web: The intersection of users’ personality and social media use. Computers in Human Behaviour, Vol 26, Issue 2, pg. 247–253

4.       Fox, S 2009. Generations Online in 2009. Viewed 17 September 2013 at

http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/Generations-Online-in-2009.aspx

5.       Johanson, I (2013). Obsessive attitudes towards social media websites are changing. Viewed 13 September 2013 http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/antisocial-networking-20130815-2rxfk.html

6.       Krasnova, H. 2013. Envy on Facebook: A Hidden Threat to Users’ Life Satisfaction? Institute of Information System, Berlin, Germany. http://warhol.wiwi.hu-berlin.de/~hkrasnova/Ongoing_Research_files/WI%202013%20Final%20Submission%20Krasnova.pdf

7.       McCann, A 2013. Negative Impact of Social Media on Teens. Viewed 15 September 2013 at  http://austinmccann.com/2013/05/28/negative-impact-of-social-media-on-teens/

8.       O'Keeffe, G 2011. The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families. PEDIATRICS Vol. 127 , No. 4, pg. 800-804

9. Pangrazio, L 2013. Young people and Facebook: What are the challenges to adopting a critical engagement? Digital Culture & Education, Vol. 5, Issue1, pg. 34-47
10.  Savastio, R 2013. Facebook Causes Depression New Study Says. Viewed 14 September 2013 at http://guardianlv.com/2013/08/facebook-causes-depression-new-study-says/

Copyright: © Brianna Ernst 2013

Week 8.

For the assignment due on the 20th of September, I will be discussing the topic of 'Does the extensive use of social media have a positive or negative impact on the health of young people.' What do results suggest? How are young people interacting with social media? Does social media have underlining concerns in terms of the risks due to excessive use? I believe so, through the research I have found thus far. 

Here is some of the research I have acquired and the topic questions they link to: 

1. Always Connected? 
'Most young people today don't remember a time when there wasn't some form of social media.'
- McCann A 2013. Negative Impact of Social Media on Teens. Reviewed 15th September 2013 at  http://austinmccann.com/2013/05/28/negative-impact-of-social-media-on-teens/

2. Identity Crisis? 
‘The social networking site was thought of as a tool to communicate with others, but at other times it configured interactions and relationships in a new way; enabling the participants to forget that there was a real person or ‘subject’ behind the tool or object.’

-Pangrazio, L. (2013). Young people and Facebook: What are the challenges to adopting a critical engagement? Digital Culture & Education, Vol. 5, Issue1, pg. 34-47

3. Facebook Depression? 'Researchers have proposed a new phenomenon called 'Facebook Depression,' defined as depression that develops when preteens and teen spend a great deal of time on social media sited, such as Facebook, and then begin to exhibit classic symtoms of depression.'

-O'Keeffe, G and  Clarke-Pearson, K 2011. The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families. PaeDIATRICS Vol. 127 , No. 4, pg. 800-804

This article presents findings from recent study into the ways young people are participating in social media, more specifically Facebook and whether there are effects due to extensive use. Results suggest that there are a number of issues that have developed in relation to the over-excessive engagement to social media networks. Firstly, social media has created this instant connectivity young people are finding difficult to disengage from. Secondly, social networking is strongly linked with self-identity and through extensive use of these social media websites; young people have developed attributes that question self-identity and a healthy online presence. Lastly, how popular social media networks such as Facebook, have created their own concerns that transfer back into offline life; more specially, 'Facebook Depression.'