Teens and the Literacy Debate: On Social Media, R U Rly Writing?

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 20
  In Roundtable Session: Technologies in Their Lives: Families and Media

Abstract

Today’s teens spend more time writing on social media than they do writing in formal classrooms. These experiences contribute to teens’ development of complex literacies apart from those developed through traditional writing curricula. Although recent literature has explored implementations of social media in the writing classroom, we know little about teens’ perceptions of their writing on social media outside of school. This case study examines how two teens think about their informal writing practices on social media. Using data from interviews and artifacts collected from participants’ social media platforms, we discuss several factors teens consider when writing online, including audience, content quality, and identity presentation. Implications for research and the integration of social media into the writing classroom are described.

Authors

• Sarah Galvin, Michigan State University

• Christine M. Greenhow, Michigan State University