Danah Boyd (2007). "Why Youth (Heart) Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Lifel”

About the Text

The author talks about the importance of social media in social life and also how it emerged.

Intro

Nowadays social media is everywhere, but there was a time when and why this all started. In 2002 the site Friendster went online, 2004 MySpace followed. In early 2006, being on MySpace would be considered as cool if you would ask a teenager.

Social networks sides providing teens with a space to work out their identity but also to negotiate public life.

How popular was MySpace?

In 2004, PEW found that 87% of teenagers between 12 and 17 have some level of Internet access. In a study conducted in late 2006, they found that 55% of online teens aged 12 to 17 have created profiles on a social network.

But at least every teenager hears about it or has an opinion about it.

Under the people that don’t participate, there are two types:

1. Disenfranchised teens, aren’t allowed to and can’t access through school / public internet because it’s banned
2. Conscientious objectors, don’t want to, politically minded teens which are against the companies

There are also people just saying “I don’t use it, because it’s stupid”.