Social Networking and the Millennial Generation

Social Networking and the Millennial Generation Shae Tetterton, South Carolina State Library January 2007 What is Social Networking/Social Software? • Wikipedia defines social software as software that “enables people to rendezvous, connect or collaborate through computer-mediated communication and to form online communities.” • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_software/ • Traditional forms of social software include listservs and e-mail. • Newer forms include blogs, wikis, media sharing sites, instant messaging clients and social networking sites (MySpace, Xanga and Facebook). Social Networking Sites • Social networking sites are sites that ask you to create a profile and provide the capability to “network” with other people through the creation and sharing of usergenerated content. • They are a natural extension of blogs and instant messaging. They incorporate various types of media (videos, podcasts, music, photos, etc…). • The average demographic for social networking sites is 18-35 (Note: This number is rising with more people signing on daily). • MySpace is currently the most popular of these sites. MySpace Statistics • Nielson/NetRatings reported in April 2006 that 68.8 million people were using social networking sites. This was a dramatic increase of 47% from the 46.8 million signed on in 2005. The Washington Post published an article in April 2006 entitled “New Trends in Online Traffic.” See chart to the right. SecurityFocus published an article in June 2006 reporting that there were 87 million accounts on MySpace with 270,000 new users daily. Fast forward to December 2006 when BusinessWeek published an article reporting that MySpace now has 130 million users with 8 million new accounts being created monthly. • • • Yalsa‟s Positive Uses Campaign • • • • • • • • • Del.icio.us Library Thing Blogging The Library as a Place to Social Network?! MySpace Bulletins Empowerment Youth Participation Raising Awareness Educating Parents • Reading and Writing • Building a Community through Gaming • Photo Sharing • Second Life • YouTube • Collaboration • Networking with Authors • Personalization • Innovation • Learning Community Building • It all comes down to community. How are we going to connect with our community? • Type of content: calendar of events, listing of new materials, access to the OPAC, research guides, book discussions, blogs, etc. • It‟s a great way to get feedback from users. Ask them to post comments and suggestions. • Look at how many connections this library has made! Millennials and their Community • Millennials (AKA digital millennials, Gen Y, etc.) • Currently 14-24 years old. • They are defined by technology. One study states that “they were born at the keyboard and are perpetually connected.” (Resource Interactive) • They are comparable in size to the Baby Boomers. They are expected to reach 100 million in time. • They see the world differently than previous generations. • They are described as “diverse, multi-taskers, optimistic and entrepreneurial.” • They spend 10 hours online weekly but consume 20 hours of media daily. They spend at least 30 minutes on their mobile phone daily and send 6-10 text messages daily. (Resource Interactive) Millennials Cont… • “The 14-24 age group has grown up knowing a world that has been „always electronically connected, portable and customizable.‟ The technology immersion of the digital millennials is what is visible from the outside. On the inside, the digital millennials are breeding a new social order by using technology for „sharing, creating and validating via peer networks or social networking‟.” – From MySpace-Facebook $200 Billion „Digital Millennials‟ article on ZdNet (October 11, 2006). Millennials Cont… • The Resource Interactive study proposes a five-prong strategy for optimizing relationships with the digital millennials: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Keep it real Hear me out Be original or don‟t be My way…now Entertain me Libraries Using MySpace • • • • • • • • • • • • Abbeville County Library (SC): http://www.myspace.com/abbevillelibrary/ Albany County Public Library (WY): http://www.myspace.com/acplwy/ Austin Public Library (TX): http://www.myspace.com/austinpubliclibrary/ Charlotte‟s Library Loft (NC): http://www.myspace.com/libraryloft/ Denver‟s Evolver (CO): http://www.myspace.com/denver_evolver/ Hennepin County (MN): http://www.myspace.com/hennepincountylibrary/ New Castle-Henry County Library (IN): http://www.myspace.com/nchcpl/ Osceola Library System (FL): http://www.myspace.com/osceolalibrary/ Randolph County Library (NC): http://www.myspace.com/rcplteencorner/ SC State Library (SC): http://www.myspace.com/scstatelibrary/ Topeka & Shawnee County Library (KS): http://www.myspace.com/tscpl/ YA Zone at Rockford Public Library (IL): http://www.myspace.com/yazone/ Getting Started Advice & Resources • Check out other library sites first! If you see a feature you like and need help setting it up, contact us or that library for assistance. • Review this article from “How Stuff Works”: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/myspace.htm • The Boiling Brain Blog has a bunch of great MySpace info. Here‟s one article to check out: http://www.boilingbrain.com/getting-startedon-myspace.html • If you‟re feeling creative, check out Pimp MySpace for some fun and FREE layouts and features: http://www.pimpmyspace.org/ • Get input from your patrons and just play around with the layout and features. You‟ll know soon enough if it‟s working for you. • Decide ahead of time who will monitor comments from the site. • When you‟re happy with your site, be sure to promote it! Step by Step • • • • • Go to www.myspace.com Click SIGN UP. Enter info. Upload a Photo. Invite Friends! Start Adding Content. – Post blogs, bulletins, photos, videos, catalog searches, slideshows, etc… • Update your template with a background color or graphics (optional). • Monitor comments and friend requests. Issues & Concerns • DOPA – Deleting Online Predators Act – It would prevent libraries and educational institutions from receiving e-rate funding if they should allow minors to use social networking tools and chat rooms. – It is part of CIPA – Children‟s Internet Protection Act. – Passed by the House in July 2006. It has been tabled in the Senate until 2007. – For more information and updates, see Wikipedia‟s article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deleting_Online_Predators_Act_of_2006 – For ALA‟s take on DOPA and what you can do to prevent it from passing: http://www.ala.org/ala/washoff/WOissues/techinttele/dopa/DOPA.htm Beth Yoke, Executive Director of ALA‟s YA Literacy Services Association “In order to ensure that our patrons will have access to critical communication tools, librarians and library workers should continue educating their congresspersons, local decision-makers, and library users about social-networking sites… if we don‟t, then we are doing a disservice to our patrons – especially those many thousands who depend on public libraries for internet access.” Issues & Concerns Cont… • So, what is being done about the online predators? – MySpace has partnered with Sentinel Tech Holding Corporation to build a comprehensive database of sex offenders in order to block them from the site. – MySpace also hired Microsoft‟s child-safety expert and chief security officer in April of 2006. Since then, more monitoring is being done on the site to check for inappropriate contacts and content. – EDUCATION is the key!!! We have to do our part. Teens are going to use these sites whether we allow them to in the library or not. Let‟s educate them of the awesome benefits of these sites as well as the potential problems that sharing information on the internet may pose. Final Issue – Over Sharing • If you choose to have a personal account, be mindful of what you share about yourself and your place of employment. • Remember, anything on the internet is public information. • Employers are hiring and firing based on information shared via social networking sites. • Talk to your library‟s millennials about the potential dangers of over sharing on these sites. Remind them that what they share today may catch up with them tomorrow. Additional Resources • LibraryTrax Blog: http://librarytrax.wordpress.com/ • How Stuff Works: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/ • ALA‟s Online Safety Rules and Suggestions: http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/foryoungpeople/youngpeopleparents/espe ciallyoungpeople.htm • Library Success Wiki: http://www.libsuccess.org/ – Search for MySpace, Online Safety, Library 2.0, etc… • Teen Tech Week Wiki on DOPA: http://teentechweek.wikispaces.com/DOPA/ – – – – Social Networking Toolkit from ALA Compilation of YALSA‟s 30 Positive Uses Blog DOPA Information Packet MySpace for Parents Booklet Questions? Shae Tetterton Stetterton@statelibrary.sc.gov Find me on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/1bookaddict/