The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth - Alexandra Robbins [93]
SNS opponents decry the demise of traditional communication, worrying that kids are becoming disconnected screen zombies, faces alit by the blue glow, unable to tear themselves away. Well, not so fast. The stereotype of the adult computer addict—up at all hours, immersed in virtual reality, cruising for cybersex, trapped in an online gambling addiction, or creating various falsely representative alter egos—largely does not apply to teens. A 2009 Nielsen report claimed that U.S. teenagers spend “far less time” on the Internet than adults.
Usually students don’t intend their online profiles to be separate from their real identity. High schoolers told me that SNS can ease introductions among classmates. A recent survey found that college students spent more time with SNS friends in person than online. Additionally, a telecommunications study of college students set out to determine “whether offline social capital can be generated by online tools.” Social capital involves the abilities to form new relationships, maintain current social connections, and integrate into a community. The researchers concluded that their findings “demonstrate a robust connection between Facebook usage and indicators of social capital. . . . Internet use alone did not predict social capital accumulation, but intensive use of Facebook did.”
Facebook and MySpace profiles are not only mechanisms to connect with other people; they also provide a canvas onto which a student can project his desired identity. Students can reveal opinions, interests, and activities that they don’t get the chance to share or don’t feel comfortable publicizing at school. As a shy Texas senior explained, a profile “allows me to learn new facts about a person who I normally don’t talk to, which naturally spills over to the way I treat them in person.”
The identities displayed on SNS are also constructed by the network of a person’s friends. This feature not only visually maps out connections but also, thanks to the Top Friends application, orders them in a public hierarchy. Or exposes attempted social climbing; some kids use the term “friend eaters” to refer to people who collect online friends to pad their network and create an illusion of popularity. In a study conducted at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, undergraduates reported having an average of 455 Facebook friends (the maximum was 2,000 and the minimum was 4). Yet these same students averaged seven close friends. “In choosing [Top Friends], teens write their community into being, which is precisely why this feature is so loved and despised,” Boyd observed.
The dangers of SNS are less commonly media-driven fears of predatory adults than the same exclusionary behavior prevalent in the cafeteria. Consider the photos. “Pictures on Facebook are vital for high school,” a Florida senior said. “People can feel betrayed if they weren’t invited to a party. As soon as a new album is added, everyone looks at it, so within minutes everyone’s outfits are critiqued. If you were to look through the average girl’s Facebook inbox there would be hundreds of links to bad pictures of people with messages like ‘OMG what is she wearing’ or ‘AHAHA, IS SHE SERIOUS.’ ”
Pictures, comments, and status updates also let students keep tabs on each other, a common pastime called falking, or Facebook stalking. “It’s like you never really get away from your peers,” said a Massachusetts scene kid. “It’s like they’re always watching you.” A New York junior said this issue causes her social anxiety. “Although I love Facebook, I think it was quite possibly the worst invention in the world,” she said. “On Facebook, I prepare myself to find something that I didn’t want to know.”
These sites can take Boyd’s idea of writing oneself into being even farther, as words on a profile instantaneously can fuel widespread gossip. “It’s practically minute-to-minute on who’s breaking up and hooking