Session Information
16 SES 04, Virtual Learning Communities and Social Networks
Paper Session
Contribution
Technology is one of the most influential contemporary social transformations in our society. In fact, at the end of 2010 social networking websites have almost 1,000 million users. Thus, we could affirm that social networks have become an important mean of communication, even a form of socialization and interaction with others. According to Korupp and Szydlik (2005), benefits derived from internet use are positively related to social interactions, improving school performance, math and language skills. Compared to other European studies on social network use, a recent Spanish study (Pfizer Foundation, 2009) has found that 98% of Spanish youth between 11 and 20 years use Internet. Of this percentage, seven out of ten users daily access to social networks at least 1.5 hours. However, only a minority of users (around 3% or 6%) makes improper use of it. These findings indicates an obvious reality about the high level use of new technologies among young people (Johansson & Götestam, 2004; Munoz-Rivas, Navarro & Ortega, 2003).
Internet is part of our lives, taking more and more hours of our personal and working time. Few years ago, internet access was an individual action. However, according to Bringué and Sádaba (2011), nowdays 50% of advanced users access to social networks with friends and 56% use social networks as a tool to share photos and videos. In relation to education, 70% of advanced users utilize technology to support their study or homework, and this percentage is reduced to 50% when they are not involved in social networking websites. However, how do social networks affect us in our way of communication? Do students prefer this new way of communication with others ? How are social networks attitudes related to our emotional stability?
The aim of the present study focuses on different objectives: 1) confirm previous findings on the use and frequency of social networks, 2) examine the relationship between social network access and relationships preferences, and 3) investigated how social networking attitudes affect personal characteristics related to a positive or negative self, and social comparison processes among secondary students.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Almerich, G., Suárez, J.M., Belloch, C. y Orellana, N. (2010). Perfiles del profesorado a partir del conocimiento de los recursos tecnológicos y su relación con el uso que hacen de estas tecnologías - Teachers’ profiles in relation to their technological resources knowledge and how they are used. Revista Complutense de de Educación,21, 247-269. Bringué, X, & Sádaba, C. (2011). Menores y Redes Sociales. Colección Generaciones Interactivas. Fundación Telefónica. Madrid. Carmona, C., Buunk, A.P., Dijkstra, A., & Peiro, J.M. (2008). The relationship between goal orientation, social comparison responses, self-efficacy and performance. European Psychologist, 13,. Korupp, S & Szydlik, M. (2005). Causes and Trend of the Digital Divide. European Sociological Review, 4, 409-422. Johansson, A., & Götestam, K. G. (2004). Internet addiction: characteristics of a questionnaire and prevalence in Norwegian youth (12-18 years). Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 45, 223-229. Muñoz-Rivas, M., Navarro, M. E. & Ortega, N. (2003). Patrones de uso de Internet en población universitaria española. Adicciones, 15(2), 137-144.
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