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The Potential of a Facebook Application for Enhancing Adolescents' Help-Seeking and College Knowledge Development

Mon, April 16, 2:15 to 3:45pm, New York Marriott Marquis, Floor: Fifth Floor, Westside Ballroom Salon 2

Abstract

This study explored the potential of applying the affordances of online social networking platforms (e.g., widely broadcasting content, aggregating social connections) to help high school students with the college-going process. The purpose of this study was to determine a) how online networks fit into students’ strategies for getting help with going to college, and (b) how an interactive network-visualization and engagement application, College Connect, affected students’ information-seeking strategies. Our findings suggest that most students’ do not initially think of their online social networks as being a resource for getting help with application process and matriculation to college; however, almost all students found information previously unknown to them among existing contacts that could help them with college information.

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