In the New York Times, January 15th, 2007, an article was published titled "Boys and Girls Use Social Sites Differently". The writer, Alex Mindlin, wrote his article, Boys and Girls, after a telephone interview study was conducted to households with minor children. The study, conducted by Pew Internet and American Life Project, found older teen girls are more likely than younger girls or any age boys to use special networking sites like Myspace and Facebook. However, boys are more likely to meet new people through theses sites. 60% of boys questioned said they use the sites to make new friends and are more than twice as likely to use it for flirting purposes. The message behind this study is centered around the idea of socialization between the sexes. The media and public sends safety messages out to girls about online predators since they are seen as the more vulnerable sex who seem to be targeted through these type of connections and social interactions whether face to face or not. This study found this to play a prominent part in the results and showed how the media's warnings and highlight on this specific medium have affected how girls think versus boys when it comes to meeting people.
The study had an interesting approach to this hot topic of social networking for the younger generation. The results were not at all shocking. As a girl, I can relate to meeting people in person and developing friends through school and other friends, whereas boys are more technological and go online to search for someone to talk to or flirt with, hence the predator problem. I did find it shocking that more older teen girls use these sites. It seems like the younger, less developed girls would go there for laughs and gossip, whereas older girls are more savvy and at jobs or in school, whether it be preparing for college or in college. They just don't seem to have that kind of time. This is only my view as a female, but maybe a male would see it differently.
-Amy
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2 comments:
I'm not really sure how I feel about what this article discusses. I think that a lot of guys tend to flirt and become acquainted with the opposite sex face to face rather than on sites such as Myspace even though males do love technology and mechanics and stuff. Ha! I've even ran into a few who felt that Myspace and sites of that such are...well... wack. Which is completely not my opinion. In terms of myself I'm a people person to some small degree and would rather meet people in person. That way I can size them up.
In the world that we live in today kids and young adults are forced to look their best. If you aren't dressed nicely and have a nice face then no one will even give you the time of day.
I partly also blame the people who are involved and make it so you have to have this lotion or your face will break out. Making and taking advantage of they situation.
They are all there to make money off of young people that really don't know anything about it.
There are also a lot of people think that telling young people that then they are more sure they don't want to.
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