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Social networking isn’t really a new concept. For hundreds of years, we have been making connections with each other in one way or another. For example, let’s consider Jane Austen’s world at the turn of the 19th century when social networking was a real art form and everything depended, to some extent, on your interpersonal skills and your place in society – your profession, your income, your marriage, and even your friendships.

In “What Jane Austen ate and Charles Dickens knew,” Daniel Pool describes the “calling cards” of the 1800s and how people used these cards to “get into society.” People “wanted to claim members of the elite as their friends” and become “part of the social world of those who were the social world.” In some cases, the calling card was used “to screen those who would be allowed some entrée from those who would not.”

Sound familiar?

What is meant by online social networking?

In their article “InfoTech: want to be my friend? What you need to know about social technologies,” Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson describe social networking as “a particular application of social software” that “facilitates the creation of informal and formal connections among people with similar interests to form online communities.”

In Lee Lefever’s video, “Social networking in plain English,” we learn that the difference between social networks in the real world and online, is that in the real world, connections between people are hidden. All members of an online network can see each other and bring useful opportunities for networking with others to the forefront. These networks make connections between people “visible, and therefore more useful.”

Michael Stephens makes an interesting observation in “Social networking services,” when he says that “many people have discovered a way to extend their lives online – to engage with others, to talk, and to get a response.”  In response, one might ask – Does participation in an online social network guarantee one’s own mortality?

Common characteristics of social networking sites

• users need to register as members to view and participate on these sites
• users enter information into their personal profile
• users can connect with other members who have similar interests
• users can be invited to join a group or become “a friend”
• user-generated content (music, video, mashups)
• online communication can be “live” or “delayed”
• one-to-one communication (email, instant messaging, comments)
• one-to-many options (web site profiles, blogs)
• many-to-many participation (online collaboration, wikis, polls, surveys)
• most sites include “digital sharing areas” for social bookmarking, photos, video, and audio
• users can set privacy permissions as to who has access to their personal information and media
• international membership

Advantages of social networking

• family and friends can connect online, from all over the world
• most teens use these sites to stay in touch with friends (both locally and at a distance)
• opportunity to establish “support networks” for specific needs (allows you to connect with the friends of friends, and so on…)
• collaborative, participatory environment can promote creativity
• users have access to new information and personal contacts like never before
• gives students who are too shy to speak up in class a chance to find their voice
• opportunity “to create personal and meaningful content”
• “transforms learning” as users have access to a wide network of information and personal contacts

(Source: Hayes, Sandi. (2007). The MySpace culture).

Disadvantages of social networking

• loss of face-to-face communication
• risk of building a network of friends you don’t actually have and have never met
• cyberbullying (posting threats or insults to a wide audience, offensive postings by “friends”)
• inexperienced young users who lack online information skills (internet safety, sharing personal information, evaluating online content, intellectual property, ethics and responsibility)
• publishing of inappropriate material online
• invasion of privacy (too easy to post personal info, photos, and video)
• new legal concerns for schools in regards to inappropriate conduct by students, outside school hours
• often blocked from school use, which makes it difficult to educate students in how to use these networks safely
• copyright and plagiarism concerns
• can slow down productivity, both at home and at work

(Source: Brydolf, Carol. (2007). Minding MySpace: balancing the benefits and risks of students’ online social networks).

Why online social networks attract our students

• enjoy socializing with their friends online
• participatory environment and the opportunity to be involved in authentic experiences
• sense of belonging to a community
• opportunity to meet new people with similar interests from all over the world
• allows them to have immediate contact with others
• allows them to gather information and share ideas
• enjoy a sense of freedom, independence, adventure and risk-taking

(Source: Lamb, Annette and Larry Johnson. (2006). InfoTech: want to be my friend? What you need to know about social technologies).  

My top 5

Facebook is considered to be not only the “world’s largest social network,” but the “fasted growing” one as well (Source: comScore).  Originally developed for use in colleges, Facebook is now frequented by a wide variety of users who join networks “by city, workplace, school, and region, to connect and interact with other people” (Source: Wikipedia).  Even though Facebook has come under public scrutiny, it maintains a strong privacy policy that gives users control over who may view their personal profiles and how much they can see.  Membership on Facebook continues to grow rapidly, due to the availability of translated versions of the site that are now attracting a wider international audience.

MySpace describes itself as a “lifestyle portal for connecting with friends.”  After several years as the leading social networking site, it is currently ranked second in popularity next to Facebook.  Wikipedia describes MySpace as “an interactive, user-submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music and videos. It appeals to teens, but has also evolved into attracting a more adult clientele.

Linkedin describes itself as a “business oriented” social networking site and is primarily used for professional networking.  This social networking site encourages users to maintain a ”contact network” for business purposes.  People are referred to as “connections,” rather than “friends.”  Linkedin helps users to find jobs, search for potential employers, use their contacts to make introductions to new employers and provide job recommendations.

LibraryThing is “a social cataloguing web application” that allows users “to catalog personal collections, to keep reading lists, and to meet other users who have the same books” (Wikipedia).  Users, also known as “thingamabrarians,” can choose to keep their catalogue private, but most prefer to leave it public so that they can connect with others who have the same reading preferences.

Ning is unique in that it allows anyone to create their own custom, personal network or web site.  As a social network, the ning appeals to users who want “to create networks around specific interests” (Wikipedia).  It is an especially good choice for those users with limited technical expertise because it uses customized templates, and allows the creator to monitor content and set permissions.  Ning is popular with educators in developing educational resources.  In the article “Expanding your professional network with Nings,” by Esther Rosenfeld, the author states that “Ning has great potential value as an educational tool, especially for professional development and building professional connections.”  She also suggests using Ning to lead book discussions or as a meeting place for your teacher-librarian group.

Implications for teaching and learning

A 2007 study, from the Pew Research Centre, reported that approximately half of online users, aged 12-17, have social networking accounts.  A more recent study from Grunwald Associates suggests that the numbers of users has continued to increase, attracting children as young as nine years of age to social networking sites.  Knowing what we know about how some students portray themselves online or how they can publish and broadcast cruel content about others, perhaps teachers have good reason to be wary of advocating the use of social networks for teaching and learning.

However, there are many great opportunities for improving student learning, if social networking is advocated in a positive way:

• many of these sites offer opportunities to blog and write for a real audience
• students can build their own personal libraries of books, music and vides
• students can share their own self-generated content with others who can provide real feedback
• opportunities for students to develop online critical thinking and communication skills
• students can establish safe and more effective posting practises

In “What can MySpace teach us in school libraries?” Stephen Abram reminds us that since “learning is essentially a social activity,” educators need to give more serious consideration to social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace.  Meredith Farkas, in “Your stuff, their spaces,” would seem to agree when she talks about how libraries can use social networks to reach their patrons.  Quite simply, “you need to go, where the users are.”  In fact, librarians and libraries are already using networks like Facebook and MySpace to promote library services, advertise events, create online book clubs and organize study groups.  Librarians might also review profiles of patrons to develop a greater understanding of their needs, their preferences and their reading habits.  If our students are going to be frequent participants on social networking sites, Michael Stephens (”Social networking servivces”) cautions that “we [librarians] may want to be present there – ready to discuss and answer questions.”

In “Together for learning:Transforming school libraries in Ontario,” the inclusion of character development complements how teacher-librarians might educate students in using social networking services. There is new emphasis on practising safe and ethical behaviours online, demonstrating academic honesty, valuing other individuals (ideas and cultures), respecting intellectual property, using social tools responsibly, respecting intellectual freedom, and respecting privacy.  In “Scaffolding the new social literacies,” author Stephen Abram reminds us that “those schools that block social sites rather than taking advantage of a teachable moment are missing something.”  He adds that “smart schools will offer more balanced viewpoints and information.”

Reflections

As part of my research on social networking this week, I carried out my own informal search on how people within my personal network use these online services.  On Facebook, I browsed for the profiles of several library colleagues and found that many of the younger members of our library staff are indeed represented, while older, more established members, are not – no real surprise.  I browsed for teenaged children of my friends and quickly found their profiles, usually photographed with groups of friends.  I was surprised to learn, that in some cases, even though they were aware that their son or daughter was on Facebook, they hadn’t actually viewed their own child’s site.  I also found a cousin of mine on both Facebook and Linkedin, with two very different personal profiles.  While the Facebook entry was casual and included photos of his family, his Linkedin profile was highly polished with a formal studio portrait for his photo.  The different uses of the two networks were well defined by how he represented himself in each environment.

I wouldn’t call myself a “social butterfly” by any means, but after having joined Joyce Valenza’s Teacher Librarian Network on Ning, I am beginning to understand the appeal of social networking sites, especially in regards to establishing a wide-reaching professional development network. Ning means “peace” and that’s exactly what this site gave me.  I felt somewhat anxious about joining a social network site like Facebook or MySpace, so the opportunity to find and join a ning that I could actually sustain membership in, even after the course was over, was a welcome relief.  If I’m going to commit to a social networking site, I want it to be something that I will use and contribute to beyond my initial registration.

Teacher-librarians can sometimes find themselves rather isolated in a school, so I’m pleased to learn that these sites exist… and there are online places where we can network and connect with others who have similar teaching assignments, but different experiences.  Edward Albro (”Ning and Nexo: Do-it-yourself social networks”) tells us that even though Facebook and MySpace have led the way, the next step will be “social networks that you start yourself”… and for me, that would mean a Ning.