Week 8 - Social Networking

To successfully complete No. 8 - Social Networking, you must...

READ this blog post.
DO and THINK about the information in the "Learn More About" activities.
LEARN by completing the Hands On Activities, including reading the Important Tips.

Your total time commitment is about 30 to 40 minutes.

Introduction to Social Networking
For many, online social networks (OSN) are about establishing and maintaining personal connections and finding friends with shared interests. As noted in the 2007 Horizon Report by the New Media Consortium and EDUCAUSE, “Researchers note that online spaces like MySpace and Facebook give students a safe place to gather, in much the same way that young people of previous generations hung out at the burger joint, the roller rink, or the mall…” (pg. 12)

There are social networking sites for almost every conceivable topic and hobby; these sites range from photo sharing to music to book clubs to social activism. According to a January 2007 Pew Internet & American Life Project, in the past five years, social networking sites have moved from a niche activity into a phenomenon that engages tens of millions of Internet users of all ages. “Almost sixty percent of teens, aged 12 to 18, use online social networks”.

The Internet is woven into everyday life; it is transforming communication into a seamless process. People move between telephone, computer and in person encounters actually increasing daily social interaction. Social networking sites play an interesting role in the lives of many people today.


"Learn More About" Social Networking
1. Read this Wikipedia article on Social Networking Services at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_network_service . (Time Commitment 5 minutes)
2. Listen to this podcast on social networking sites.(Time Commitment 5 minutes)

3. Watch this YouTube video, Social Networking in Plain English at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a_KF7TYKVc (Time Commitment 1:48 minutes)



Hands On Activities


Part 1 - Try out a social networking site.

I recommend that you try either Facebook or LinkedIn. The Library Department has an organizational profile in Facebook. Many library staff are Facebook users as well. LinkedIn is a networking site for professionals. Hundreds of City of Virginia employees are part of the LinkedIn network.

If you want to try LinkedIn, watch this YouTube video on LinkedIn at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzT3JVUGUzM. (2:28 minutes)
If you want to try Facebook, watch this video on

Part 2 - Create a blog post about Social Networking
1. Sign onto Blogger
2. Select the new post link in your dashboard or the create link under the Posting tab.
3. Use the compose tab to type a brief message about your experience with this hands-on activity. Questions to get you started: Was it easy? Did you enjoy it? How can social networking help you improve communication at home or at work?
4. Label the post: Week 8 - Social Networking
5. When you have finished typing and are ready to publish your thoughts, select the orange button, publish post. This will add the post to your blog. If you select the blue button, "save now, the blog post will be added to your list of posts for editing and publishing at a later time.

One more week to go!