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Social Networking with a Purpose: Creating a Positive Online Profile

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Social Networking with a Purpose: Creating a Positive Online Profile Although social networking sites are still in their infancy, they have certainly become a primary means of communication and connectivity for millions of consumers. While most Internet users have heard of the largest online social networks like Facebook and MySpace, thousands of smaller networks exist that connect individuals through specific user communities (e.g. educators, physicians, professors, etc.). Boyd and Ellison (2007) define social networking sites as: web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and …show more content…

In 2005, Facebook became available to students at other universities, in high school, and eventually to anyone who wanted to join. At this time, Facebook is the fastest growing social networking site on the Internet (Nielson, 2008). As the social networking phenomenon enters its second decade, new issues arise as so much personal information becomes ever more available through the Internet. Since their inception, social networks have attracted millions of young people who have made social networking an integral part of their daily practice (Boyd & Ellison, 2007). In November 2008, MySpace had over 59 million unique visitors to its site, each spending about two minutes per visit. Facebook members logged in over 47 million times in the same month, an increase of 116% over the previous year (Nielson, 2008). But social networking isn’t just for kids anymore.
Social Networks and Teachers
As the teenage pioneers of social networks such as MySpace and Facebook reach adulthood, less-than-appropriate information that they innocently posted on their blogs years ago can affect their image in the professional world. In fact, the MySpace (2009) homepage now includes the following general tip: “It's easy to think that only our friends are looking at our MySpace pages, but the truth is that everyone can see it. Think twice before posting a photo or

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