Social Networking Safer Than We Think

Social Networking Safer Than We Think

15 Apr 2011

Social media has been called ‘dangerous’ for young people, but new research suggests otherwise

Concerned parents and an inflammatory media will perhaps be surprised to learn that a recent study has revealed that young people are actually far better equipped to deal with online safety issues than is popularly assumed.
The Cooperative Research Centre for Young People, Technology and Wellbeing (YAW-CRC) has found that young people themselves are the most valuable resource for adults concerned about the online safety of their children.
Researchers from the University of Western Sydney, Murdoch University and the Inspire Foundation have released the first two reports of the YAW-CRC. The research consists of a literature review on the Benefits of Social Networking Services and the results of a ‘living lab’ study on Intergenerational Attitudes towards Social Networking and Cybersafety in which researchers supported a group of young people as they developed and delivered a cybersafety education workshop for a group of parents with teenage children.

The research found that not only were young people generally able to protect themselves online, but that social networking actually held several benefits, including enhancing education, supporting personal relationships, providing safe opportunities to explore their identities and increasing the sense of community and belonging.

Young people are at home in social media

‘Our research has shown that young people have an incredible amount of expertise,’ says Dr Amanda Third from the University of Western Sydney. ‘With support they can be an excellent source of information and education for parents seeking to realistically assess the cybersafety risks their children face.’
This research fleshes out the previously uncharted territory of how young people engage with online tools and makes for some compelling evidence for the use of social media to help young people feel connected. It also offers benefits for parents and researchers working with young people (as opposed to making assumptions about their activity based on negative case studies).
While the online world is one older generations have had to learn, this sort of research demonstrates just how fluently our youth speaks social media.
‘It was really fantastic to have a young person who was able to show me the techniques that she uses to be able to block, or filter or manage her online relationships,’ says Maxine, a parent and research participant.
It seems that young people not only know acronyms that would baffle baby boomers and many Gen X-ers (ROFLMAO springs to mind), they also know how to be safe online.
Which means learning from them, as opposed to restricting them, is the best bet for creating an online space that is safer for everyone.

Image source: ANA Marketing Maestros