ONLINE COMMUNITIES: Why Do Youth Gravitate to Them?

1. ONLINE COMMUNITIES:Why Do Youth Gravitate to Them? Presented by: Kevin WentzelHewlett-Packard Company Halee ShaddenTexas 4-H Technology Team Member, Palo Pinto County Dr. Toby L. Lepley,Extension 4-H and Youth Development SpecialistDeeLee SmithCounty Extension Agent-FCS, VanZandt County Texas 4-H and Youth Development

3. Over 100 Online Communities! • Over 1,078,569,137 users! Texas 4-H Technology Team Texas 4-H and Youth Development

4. State level leadership group of both youth and adults. • Purpose is to explore ways to enhance use of technology in the 4-H Program. • Youth members range in age from 14 to 18, with collegiate members serving as well. • Youth and Adults are selected through an application process annually. • Team members assist with educational endeavors for the Texas • 4-H and Youth Development Program. Texas 4-H Technology Team Texas 4-H and Youth Development

5. State level leadership group of both youth and adults. • Purpose is to explore ways to enhance use of technology in the 4-H Program. • Youth members range in age from 14 to 18, with collegiate members serving as well. • Youth and Adults are selected through an application process annually. • Team members assist with educational endeavors for the Texas • 4-H and Youth Development Program. Texas 4-H Technology Team Texas 4-H and Youth Development

6. Team Membership • 20 members • Represent rural and urban areas Texas 4-H Technology Team Texas 4-H and Youth Development

7. YOUTH OF TODAY ARE…… • overwhelmed with technology opportunities. • the MASTERS of global technology! • enjoying the opportunities that technology provides them to become more “global”. • having the opportunity to have “friends” who are on the other side of the world. On-Line Community Survey Texas 4-H and Youth Development

8. YOUTH OF TODAY ARE…… • bizarrely comfortable with being looked at, as performers on the Facebook stage (i.e. photos of us cooking, doing keg stands) • reckless with our personal information • very secret on how and how they search! Youth feel that if their ability to privately search is ever jeoparized, Facebook and other on-line communities would not be used. On-Line Community Survey Texas 4-H and Youth Development

9. PARENTS OF YOUNG PEOPLE…… • are amazed at the phenomenon of on-line communities. • express concerns about on-line communities. • Are getting into the game, by signing-up and logging on! On-Line Community Survey Texas 4-H and Youth Development

10. Alice Mathias in a October 6, 2007 article in the New York Times stated “Facebook did not become popular because it was a functional tool – after all, most college students live in close quarters with the majority of their Facebook friends and have no need for social networking. Instead, we log into the Web site because it’s entertaining to watch a constantly evolving narrative starring the other people in the library.” Youth people see such on-line communities as Facebook and MySpace “as online community theater”, it is all comedy. On-Line Community Survey Texas 4-H and Youth Development

11. QUESTION OF INTEREST…… • On-line communities have intrigued the members of the Texas 4-H Technology Team to the point of wanting to know why youth enjoy these sites so much. On-Line Community Survey Texas 4-H and Youth Development

12. OBJECTIVES: • Determine the attraction of youth to on-line social communities. • Determine concerns and issues that youth see in relation to security and privacy through on-line social communities. • Determine the amount of time that youth people are spending on a daily basis’ through on-line social communities. On-Line Community Survey Texas 4-H and Youth Development

13. SURVEY INSTRUMENT: • Twenty-five (25) questions. • Delivered using Survey Monkey a web based instrument • Open from March 8th to April 15th • Solicitation to participate was done via e-mail through Technology Team Members, county Extension offices/agents, and 4-H Clover. On-Line Community Survey Texas 4-H and Youth Development

14. DEMOGRAPHICS. On-Line Community Survey Texas 4-H and Youth Development

15. DEMOGRAPHICS. On-Line Community Survey Texas 4-H and Youth Development

16. DEMOGRAPHICS. On-Line Community Survey Texas 4-H and Youth Development

17. DEMOGRAPHICS. On-Line Community Survey Texas 4-H and Youth Development

18. DEMOGRAPHICS. On-Line Community Survey Texas 4-H and Youth Development

19. DEMOGRAPHICS. On-Line Community Survey Texas 4-H and Youth Development

20. DEMOGRAPHICS. On-Line Community Survey Texas 4-H and Youth Development

21. DEMOGRAPHICS. On-Line Community Survey Texas 4-H and Youth Development

22. Q1: Do you have an on-line profile such as MySpace, Xanga, and/or FaceBook? On-Line Communities & You Texas 4-H and Youth Development

23. Q2: On average, how much time do you spend (in hours) on social networking sites (per week)? On-Line Communities & You Texas 4-H and Youth Development

24. Q3: What is the purpose of having your on-line community profile? On-Line Communities & You Texas 4-H and Youth Development

25. Q4: How important are social networking sites in your daily life? On-Line Community Survey Texas 4-H and Youth Development

26. Q5: Do your parents know you have a social networking account? On-Line Community Survey Texas 4-H and Youth Development

27. Q1: Do your parents know what a social network (MySpace, FaceBook) is? Parent’s Knowledge of On-Line Communities Texas 4-H and Youth Development

28. Q3: Do your parents monitor what you do on-line? Parent’s Knowledge of On-Line Communities Texas 4-H and Youth Development

29. Q4: Do your parents have passwords to your profiles? Parent’s Knowledge of On-Line Communities Texas 4-H and Youth Development

30. Q1: Do you worry about your security and safety with on-line communities? Awareness of On-Line Security Texas 4-H and Youth Development

31. Q2: What is your biggest security/safety concern about on-line communities? Awareness of On-Line Security Texas 4-H and Youth Development

32. Q1: Have you ever felt uneasy by someone on-line? Communicating On-Line Texas 4-H and Youth Development

33. Q2: Have you ever been approached by someone you don’t know while on-line? Communicating On-Line Texas 4-H and Youth Development

34. Q3: Do you approach people you don’t know on-line? Communicating On-Line Texas 4-H and Youth Development

35. Q4: Would you rather have an argument with someone online than in person? Communicating On-Line Texas 4-H and Youth Development

36. Q6: Do you feel you are 100% yourself on-line? Communicating On-Line Texas 4-H and Youth Development

37. Q7: Do you create false statements about yourself online? Communicating On-Line Texas 4-H and Youth Development

38. Q8: Have you been asked to give personal information to someone you don’t know while on-line? Communicating On-Line Texas 4-H and Youth Development

39. Q9: Have you ever asked someone to give personal information while on-line? Communicating On-Line Texas 4-H and Youth Development

40. Q10: Do you have alternate profiles or identities online? Communicating On-Line Texas 4-H and Youth Development

41. Q11: Do you feel the majority of people on-line are fake/not themselves? Communicating On-Line Texas 4-H and Youth Development

42. Q12: Do you regularly have contact with people you have never physically met before on these sites? Communicating On-Line Texas 4-H and Youth Development

43. Q13: Using the scale below, how secure do you believe your social networking experience is? Communicating On-Line Texas 4-H and Youth Development

44. Q14: On average, how often do you use a cellular phone for a phone conversation or for texting? Communicating On-Line Texas 4-H and Youth Development

45. Q15: How would you rate your “in-person” one-on-one communication skills. Communicating On-Line Texas 4-H and Youth Development

46. On-Line Usage - YOUTH Conclusions • 71% of youth in this study have an on-line profile. • 51.2% of the youth spend between 1 to 5 hours per week on-line. • 78.2% of the total spend 1 to 10 hours per week. • 75% of youth use on-line communities to communicate with friends. Texas 4-H and Youth Development

47. On-Line Usage – PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT Conclusions • 81% of the youth indicate their parents know about their on-line profile. • 91% of youths parents know what a on-line community is. • 46% of youths parents are aware and monitor on-line activity, whereas a close 54% does not. • 68% of respondents parents do not know their kids passwords. Texas 4-H and Youth Development

48. On-Line Security Conclusions • Most of the respondents in this study revealed that their network is with people they know and they do not purposefully communicate with people they do not know. • 64% stated they have never felt uneasy on-line. • 49% stated they have been approached on-line by someone they do not know. • 14% claimed they have approached someone on-line. • 90% have never asked someone for personal information on- line. Texas 4-H and Youth Development

49. On-Line Security Conclusions • 60% of respondents do worry about on-line security and safety. • The biggest concern from the respondents (57%) was someone getting their personal information from on-line sites. • Even though only 3% of respondents felt that on-line communities were not secure, only 46% felt very sure. • Thus, 49% were unsure about on-line community security. Texas 4-H and Youth Development

50. Communication • Revealed that respondents are honest and are trusting when discussing on-line networking. • 77% said they do feel like they are 100% themselves. • 91% do not create false statements about themselves and 84% do not have alternate profiles or identities on-line. • 84% said they do not have contact with people they have not physically seen before. • Respondents were split on whether they feel like the majority of people on-line are fake or not themselves (48% said no, 52% said yes). Conclusions Texas 4-H and Youth Development