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Social Networking Sites, Teen Identity, and High Schools: Unregulated Social Spaces in Formal Learning Environments

Mon, April 16, 4:05 to 5:35pm, Millennium Broadway New York Times Square, Floor: Third Floor, Room 3.11

Abstract

This study examines how high school students use social networking sites both in and out of school, exploring themes of identity, context collapse, and implications for school social and academic interactions. Data were collected from 2 high school classes (n=48) across three class periods each, through surveys, worksheets, and class discussions about social networking sites. Findings show that teens are astute at online identity and context collapse management, and use different social networking sites purposefully, including in a school context. Far from irrelevant for these students, social networking sites supported both the development of teenage informal learning environments and learning activities in formal educational settings.

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