“I’m in the 7th grade. I’m 13. I’m not a cheerleader. I’m not the
president of the student body….I’m just a kid. I’m a little shy. And it’s hard
in this school to impress people enough to be your friend…But I go on these
great vacations with my parents…And I take pictures of places we go. And I write
about those places…because I think if kids in school read what I have to
say…they’ll want to be my friend” (Boyd, 2007).
“Our brains are attuned to social data. We love gossip. We love details
about one another” (Irvine, 2007).
As mentioned in Youth by Gill Jones (2009, p.62), the modern form of
Descarte’s ‘I think therefore I am’ would be ‘I am noticed, therefore I exist’.
“Social life is changing, and most who perceive a downward trajectory
are those who see their own culture vanishing. For my kids and their friends,
social life depends on digital networking” – Peter Suber, fellow at Harvard Law
School (Anderson& Rainie, 2010).
“Social network sites are providing teens with a space to work out
identity and status, make sense of cultural cues, and negotiate public life”
(Boyd, 2007). Teens“write themselves and their community into being” (Boyd, 2007)
“It’s like a big popularity contest- who can get the most friend
requests or get the most pictures tagged” (Tanner, 2011).
“Social hierarchies that regulate “coolness” offline are also present online” (Boyd, 2007)
“Social life is a powerful temptation, and most teenagers feel the pain
of missing out-not invited to the party, not having the right clothes…Digital
technology is both a way into it and a way out. It keeps popular teens in the
know…and gives unpopular teens an outlet and an audience.” (Bauerlein, 2009, p. 136-137).
“Long-term implications of being socialized into a cultural rooted in
networked publics are unknown” (Boyd, 2007).
O’Keefee states, “A large part of this generation’s social and emotional development is
occurring while on the Internet and on cell phones. Parents need to understand
these technologies so they can relate to their children’s online world” (Marc, 2011).
Graphs from Common Sense Media
Social Media Quotes section: Jennifer Bowden