study of teenagers use of social media

Read/Write web describes a new study released today by the National School Boards Association that shows
“96 percent of students with online access use social networking technologies - defined as as chatting, text messaging, blogging, and visiting online communities such as Facebook, MySpace, and Webkinz. 81 percent say they have visited a social networking Web site within the past three months and 71 percent say they use social networking tools at least weekly. The report also claims that one of the most common topics of conversation on the social networking scene is education. Nearly 60 percent of online students report discussing education-related topics such as college or college planning, learning outside of school, and careers. And 50 percent of online students say they talk specifically about schoolwork.

The study also shows that students are engaging in creative activities on social networking internet sites; including writing, art, and contributing to collaborative online projects “whether or not these activities are related to schoolwork“.

The report, ???Creating & Connecting: Research and Guidelines on Online Social and Educational Networking,??? is based on three surveys: an online survey of nearly 1,300 9- to 17-year-olds, an online survey of more than 1,000 parents, and telephone interviews with 250 school districts leaders who make decisions on Internet policy. The complete NSBA report, is available on NSBA???s Web site.

Findings include:
* Video: Nearly a third (30 percent) of online students say they download and view videos uploaded by other users at least once a week. Almost one in 10 say they upload videos of their own creation at least weekly.
* Photos: Nearly one in four (24 percent) of online students say they post photos or artwork created by others at least once a week. 22 percent say they post photos or artwork oftheir own creation at least that often.
* Blogging: More than one in six (17 percent) of online students say they add to blogs they???ve created at least weekly, and 30 percent of students have their own blogs.