Brief description:
According to the Pew Research Center鈥檚 Internet & American Life Project more than 93 percent of teens (ages 12-17) and young adults (18-29) are currently online. Many Internet governance debates are held in the name of youth and many Internet policy decisions are made to guard or guide the young. But what do we really know about how young people use the Internet and what impacts it may have on them? What are the common claims about the influence of the Internet on children and young adults that fuel the Internet governance debate? How do young people really use new communications technologies and what issues do they see as most important?聽This roundtable explored some of the common myths about young people and the Internet, bringing together a group of college-aged participants from several U.S. universities to engage in a peer-moderated discussion.
Details of the session:
What do you know about how young people use the technology tools available online? Moderators聽Colin Donohue, a journalism instructor and student media adviser from 黑料不打烊, and聽Ali Hamed, from Cornell University led a guided discussion with a roundtable of panelists and forum attendees about this point and more at IGF-USA at Georgetown University July 18.
The young people who participated in the roundtable were:
- Ronda Ataalla, 19, rising junior at 黑料不打烊
- Kellye Coleman, 21, rising senior at 黑料不打烊
- William O’Connor, rising senior at Georgetown University
- Chelsea Rowe, rising sophomore at Cornell University
- Jeff Stern, 19, rising sophomore at 黑料不打烊
- Kristen Steves, Cornell University student, blogger for End Slavery Now
- Nick Troiano, rising senior at Georgetown University
- William Vogt, rising senior at Georgetown University
Their discussion and the title of the workshop stem from a number characteristics often assumed by the public about youth online that have been contradicted by research, including:
– All young people are highly active users of the Internet.
– Young people don’t care about their privacy.
– The Internet is a dangerous, dangerous place.
– All teens are naturally tech-savvy and adept at creating online content – “digital natives.”
– The virtual world of online communications is isolating young people.
– Social media leads kids to be deceptive.
– Social media is addictive to everyone who uses it regularly.
– The Internet is the great equalizer.
The Youth Roundtable began by discussing privacy issues, which generated conversations about young people’s behavior on the Internet, how the youth online define friendships and to what extent privacy issues should be incorporated into education.
The panelists agreed that young people value privacy, but have generally individual views concerning what content is private or deserving of privacy.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not about knowing (about privacy),鈥� O鈥機onnor said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about younger generations鈥� values about what is private and what is public are different.鈥�
He discussed how he criticizes his younger sibling鈥檚 activity online and acknowledged his parents鈥� similar sentiments about his own use of the Internet.
Vogt, Ataalla and O鈥機onnor agreed that they are aware of, and content with, public access to content that is willingly posted.
鈥淚 think privacy is the wrong word for things that are public on Facebook,鈥� O鈥機onnor said.
The students argued against the myth that youth are not aware of one鈥檚 own privacy. Those on the panel explained the benefits of sharing information, and Ataalla said her professors at 黑料不打烊 encourage students to keep Twitter accounts public in order to attract employers.
Private social media accounts indicate you have something to hide, she said.
When youth expect privacy
Hamed asked the panel if there is a different level of thinking regarding something willingly posted on a social network site compared to information protected by a password.
Although the panelists agreed that they value technical privacy, they also agreed that 鈥渄igital natives鈥� are more likely to trust that corporations will protect their information.
鈥淚 guess maybe I鈥檓 a little too trusting,鈥� Steves said. 鈥淚鈥檓 skeptical, but Google, for instance, I would look at the ratings and assume that maybe because everyone uses it I鈥檒l be safe, but that may not necessarily be the case.鈥�
Troiano said he believed it was in the company鈥檚 interest to protect the consumers鈥� information, which makes him assume a successful company is trustworthy.
On the other hand, Stern explained that when FireFox stores a user鈥檚 password, anyone that uses that computer has access to that information.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just something to think about,鈥� he said.
The conversation suggested it is not that young people do not value privacy, but rather that they distinguish between value-based privacy and technical privacy.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 understand this idea of privacy, the whole idea of data protection never crosses many of our minds,鈥� Coleman said.
Nevertheless, Troiano said that he is not concerned with information released to advertisers, marketers and other business interests because those transactions might improve the lives of the users.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 an invasion of our privacy. I think that鈥檚 the efficiency of the Web,鈥� Troiano said.
Cautionary relationships on the Web
While those on the panel admitted to trusting seemingly popular companies on the Internet, they expressed more skepticism concerning Facebook friend requests, Twitter followers and other more personal interactions online.
When receiving a request from a Twitter follower, Ataalla referenced Facebook to confirm the individual鈥檚 existence and questioned mutual friends to verify the person鈥檚 intentions.
Mutual friends and photographs help determine whether it is safe to accept someone鈥檚 request, Troiano said.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 get credit for thinking these things through,鈥� Rowe said.
Although the panelists鈥� caution regarding relationships online counters the myth that youth are susceptible to dangers on the Internet, O鈥機onnor identified meeting new people as one of the benefits of the Web. Coleman said she uses social media as a way to contact those interested in similar topics. She uses Twitter to find experts in journalism, her field of study.
鈥淚 have learned so much from the people I follow on Twitter, and reading articles and blogs and even having conversations with them,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an opportunity to learn from, not only experts, but also peers and have discussions with them about different things through those social networks.鈥�
Hamed asked the panelists if social networks invite new connections or solidify the network users already belong to.
鈥淚t鈥檚 both isolating and opening,鈥� Vogt said.
O鈥機onnor first used social networks to maintain relationships with classmates he met at boarding school, he said. But he also said those same networks can create homogenous lifestyles and choices.
鈥淭here can be a discussion abut some of the things that are lost when surrounding yourself with people only like you,鈥� he said.
How to communicate proper online behavior
Hamed asked the panelists if they believe the youth should be educated about proper online behavior.
Although some advocated formal education, others said they think the Internet is simply life expressed in a new platform. In other words, the same values you learn that guide you in your everyday life are applicable, in most ways, to how you interact online.
鈥淵ou can apply the same values you have in life (to the Internet),鈥� O鈥機onnor said.
For example, children are taught not to talk to strangers. Well, that concept is applicable to the Web, too. New social networks continue to enable the Internet to mirror real life.
鈥淥ur parents had the luxury of having a life where they could separate friend life and church life and family life, but information we鈥檙e putting out all has one shared life,鈥� Troiano said.
Facebook categorized parents and friends in the same network, so all had access to the same content and information. Security controls were buried in the network, causing youth online to hesitate becoming 鈥渇riends鈥� with their parents.
But now, circles on Google+ divide social groups online similarly to how social groups are divided in real life. These fragmentations also help youth control who sees what content, giving users greater control over privacy.
Who should control Internet security?
Hamed posed another question about who should inherit responsibility of controlling privacy online.
Troiano said he doubts whether the government would have the right answers concerning privacy, but he said he believes that the market would regulate itself.
鈥淭here are bad things that happen, but the Internet, in its free form, can counteract those things,鈥� Troiano said.
Filters communicate what is appropriate to access, Stern said, but Rowe argued there should be formal education to teach young people how to search and find credible resources on the Internet.
Nevertheless, education does not need to come from a formal setting. The youth online have the ability to standardize online behavior, Coleman said.
鈥淲e have an opportunity, as younger people, to be a part of educating, not only younger people, but our peers about these things,鈥� she said.
– Melissa Kansky
A selection of Twitter reports on this IGF-USA 2011 event:
#IGF11-USA Eight young adults from four US universities comment on youths鈥� expectations and concerns for the Internet.
#IGF11-USA Youth panel discusses how to safely define 鈥渇riends鈥� online.#IGF11-USA Social networks are an opportunity to branch out @kellyecoleman. Other students say it also solidifies their current network.
Panel says youth more likely to trust that corporations will protect their personal information. #IGF11-USA
Adults don’t understand the Internet as manifestation of real life. Same behavioral values apply when on the Internet. #IGF11-USA
Being online is both isolating and beneficial in opening up new channels of individual communication. -William Vogt #IGF11-USA
Youth do care about privacy, but they trust communication on the Internet to a higher degree than adults. #IGF11-USA
“Bad things can happen, but the Internet, in its free form, can counteract those things.鈥� -Nick Troiano IGF11-USA
The multimedia reporting team for Imagining the Internet at IGF-USA 2011 included the following 黑料不打烊 students and alumni: Jeff Ackermann, Natalie Allison, Ronda Ataalla, Ashley Barnas, Joe Bruno, Kristen Case, Lianna Catino, Nicole Chadwick, Kellye Coleman, Colin Donohue, Steven Ebert, Jeff Flitter, Anna Johnson, Elizabeth Kantlehner, Melissa Kansky, Morgan Little, Brian Meyer, Julie Morse, Derek Scully, Rachel Southmayd, Katy Steele, Jeff Stern, Bethany Swanson and Carolyn VanBrocklin.