The growing digital world elicits mixed reactions and feelings. Social media, such as: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or Instagram, just to name a few, have introduced new possibilities in communication, networking, and staying connected to others. With these growing possibilities, navigating technology and social media can be fun, confusing or just plain common.
Increasingly, teenagers are spending more time on social media and parents are expressing ambivalence and sometimes frustration. danah boyd (she prefers not to capitalize her name), the author of It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens researched the role social media plays in the lives of teenagers. She emphasizes that the activities at the core of social media are here to stay. They include:
- socialization
- self expression
- exploring privacy and
- sharing information
- persistence
- visibility
- spreadability
- searchability
