D o you know what recently sold for more than $580 million on the open market? Or, where 10 percent of all advertisements are viewed online?1 Or, what surpasses Google, eBay and America Online in number of pages viewed?2 Hint: more than 17,000 CSULB students are registered. If you guessed MySpace, you’re right! Founded in July 2003, MySpace is a social networking community.
What is a Social Networking Community?
The two most heavily used social networking communities are MySpace and Facebook. These online communities connect people through networks of universities, geographic areas, photos, blogs and user profiles. These sites are cost free for users. Users create a profile with basic personal information, such as major, hometown, birthday, residence, class schedule, interests, clubs, employment, relationship status and photos. Using categories within a person’s profile, users can search the database and meet others who share common interests. Users invite others to be friends online and can then post comments and photos on the other user’s site.
The major difference between MySpace and Facebook is eligibility. Facebook is open only to individuals with an “.edu” e-mail address. MySpace is open to all e-mail users. Both have minimum age requirements of 13 and 14 years, respectively. Combined, these sites have more than 83 million users. Facebook receives more than 250 million hits a day. These sites have transformed the way CSULB students communicate.
Use by CSULB Students.
Social networking communities are ideal for freshmen to receive an uncensored view of university culture. New students can learn who’s on campus, where students live and what’s cool. CSULB senior Shelena McClinton describes herself as “addicted” to MySpace. It provides a way for her to connect with childhood friends and high school classmates. She believes it is a great way to find people and stay connected via photos. Another CSULB student candidly admits that she checks her e-mail about 40 times a day. Christina Carroll, a second year student, uses her cell phone less because MySpace is free and she does not have to worry about the cost of minutes.
On April 17, MySpace users included 17,593 self-identified CSULB students; Facebook had 623. If this information is accurate, more than half of the current CSULB student population has MySpace accounts. The message is clear—CSULB students love MySpace.
What Students Don’t Know Could Hurt Them.
A student body president at Fisher College in Boston, expelled for his online activities, told the Boston Globe, “Watch which groups you’re members of, watch what you say in groups and watch what people post on your profile. There is no privacy—no one is safe.”3
Education is key to ensure students understand the complexity of issues involved with social networking communities. Many students do not realize that potential employers visit these sites to see how students portray themselves. When students register on these sites and agree to the terms, which very few people ever read, they are agreeing to allow personal information to be sold to third-party vendors. Web archival companies download internet information to store for future use.
Marketing major Mia Pham uses MySpace to keep in touch with her friends.
If a student ever plans to run for public office, they should be very cautious of what they say and display on social networking web sites. According to Steven Rothberg, president and founder of the collegerecruiter.com career web site, anything that is posted online, even on a site that offers limited password protection, is information that can potentially be accessed by anyone, anytime and forever.4 He advises students to only post information online that they would feel comfortable sharing with their grandparents.
Another very real risk is identity theft—the fastest growing crime in California. Many students reveal far too much information on networking sites, making themselves even more susceptible. Some students list class schedules, work schedules and home address on their sites. Predators and stalkers scan these sites to locate easy prey. Senior student Joe Baclig uses an alias to protect his identity online.
What’s Ahead?
According to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey recently published in BusinessWeek Online, 15- to 18-year-olds average more than six hours a day watching TV, playing video games and surfing the internet.5 The survey revealed computer use for activities, such as social networking, has soared nearly threefold since 2000. A January article in The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that universities seeking to build enrollment learned that “technology” rated higher than “rigor” or “reputation” when conducting focus groups with high school students.6
Social networking communities are still in their infancy. Experts think they have already created new forms of social behavior that blur the distinctions between online and real-world interactions.
The Division of Student Services has embarked on a campaign to educate CSULB students about the risks associated with these communities. During fall 2005, Student Health Services purchased 25,000 copies of Quick Clicks to educate students about the potential benefits and challenges of cyber communities. The Student Services Division will continue to seek the best ways to integrate technological trends with service delivery. —Klaus is director of Student Life and Development.
References:
- Hempel J., Lehmen, P. (2005, December 12). The MySpace Generation. BusinessWeek Online. http://www.businessweek.com
- Abcarian, R. (2005, December 19). The Pretenders. Los Angeles Times.
- Abcarian.
- Sholick, J., Stephen., P. (2005, December 21). Do Students use Technology Wisely? National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. NetResults E-Zine. http://www.naspa.org/netresults
- Hempel.
- Bugeja, M.J. (2006, January 27). Facing the Facebook. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
