Internet and social networks caught up in the web

Abstract

This booklet closes a series of three brochures which put young people and the media at the centre of the discussion. After television and video games, social networks come up as a central topic that is prevalent in the daily lives of a significant number of people. The goal of this publication meets the purposes of the previous booklets, “TV and Me” and “Videogames–Stepping up to the Next Level,” to provide parents and educators with information about the relationship between young people and new media. The goal is to promote a more critical use of and approach to such media, namely, social networks. Social networks have been growing exponentially and their impact on the socialisation and communication processes of their audiences is undeniable. As with traditional means of communication, following social media networks with suspicious eyes might cause educators to neglect a powerful resource and a widespread reality in young people’s daily lives. On the other hand, analysing and questioning the impact of social networks on our private and social lives and, in particular, the lives of young people are an excellent way of maximising their potential. This is the contribution we wish to offer through this booklet, which, along with the previous booklets, is the result of a Media Education project awarded by Evens Foundation (Belgium) in 2009.