The school bell rings, and, as if by clockwork, several students reach for their cell phones. No longer are these everyday devices used just for phone calls or text messaging, but they provide on-the-go access to social networking Web sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.
Students are living in a digital age where writing letters to far away friends has become obsolete. Now, social networking is a preferred way to stay in touch with people who, in the past, would have been nothing more than pen pals. Daily updates and digital photo-albums only scratch the surface of this online craze.
As of August 2009, Myspace had more than 100 million members. If it were a country, it would be ranked 12th largest in population, falling just behind Mexico. Even in this school, a majority is known to use these Web sites. Out of 50 students surveyed, only seven said they did not use any social networking Web site. Sixty-four percent of those surveyed said they used Myspace, and 80 percent claimed to use Facebook; yet only 10 percent said they use Twitter.
Senior Brittani Ortscheid is a big fan of Facebook and claims to visit it about every half-hour with the help of her Blackberry. With more than 300 friends, she loves being able to “comment” to others and view photos. She even stated, jokingly, “Without Facebook, life would be as pointless as a broken pencil.”
Though these Web sites have many uses, people should always be conscious of what they put up on their profiles.
The football team of Texas Tech was recently banned from using Twitter after a player “Tweeted” about the coach being late to a meeting. Player Marlon Williams posted, “Wondering why I’m still in this meeting room when the head coach can’t even be on time to his own meeting.”
Universities and businesses are now also known to check the Facebook and Myspace profiles of their applicants. Marlyn McGrath, the admissions director at Harvard, told The Twin Cities Daily Planet that, in regards to these sites, “If students make it public, it’s public information.”
In other words, if one does not want his or her potential bosses seeing it, it should not be posted online.
With more and more people jumping onto the social networking bandwagon, it’s hard to imagine what the future may hold. Long-lost friends and even family members are creating Facebook “walls” and keeping in touch like never before. It may often be surprising to find out who is Tweeting or Facebooking — from parents, to friends, and even teachers; long distance communication will never be the same.
Editor’s note: Robbie is a Coventry journalism student who is participating in a mentorship program with The Suburbanite.
