Is internet use of Facebook and MySpace hindering the development of relationship skills for teens? One study suggests that it depends on the teenager. Some psychologists believe that social networking sites have tuned the internet into a more intimate and safer place for teens and young adults than it was ten years ago.
Parents of Teens Question MySpace and Facebook
Parents of teens have good reason to be skeptical and seek answers about teenage activities that weren’t available when today’s parents were coming of age. It's normal for parents to wonder whether it is healthy for teens and young adults to spend a bulk of time instant messaging or updating their Facebook page status.
News reports and daytime talk shows continue to warn parents about teen internet use, online bullying and sexual harassment issues that teens may encounter online. Most parents of teens would admit they wonder about the kinds of messages teenagers are writing back and forth to each other on Facebook and MySpace. Some parents of teens also wonder if using social networking sites prevents young adults from learning relationship skills.
Social Networking Activity Similar to Real Life
A long-term study conducted by psychologists at the University of Virginia, assessed 172 youths at age 13 and 14 for qualities of friendship and popularity and then monitored their internet use seven years later. "We're finding that the interactions young adults are having on their Facebook and MySpace pages are more similar to than different from the interactions they have in their face-to-face relationships," said psychology professor Amori Yee Mikam.
Mikam’s study found that those in the study who had positive face-to-face friendships were the same teens and young adults who used social networking sites to deepen and extend relationships. Youth in the study who lacked social skills and positive interactions in real life were more likely to use social networking sites in negative ways such as making threats, posting put-downs and posting inappropriate photos of themselves.
Facebook and MySpace Can Enhance Relationship Skills
Psychologists at the University of Amsterdam, Patti Valkenburg and Jochen Peter have studied internet use for teens for the past ten years. In the 1990’s, only one in ten teens routinely used the internet and ones who did had only public chat room sites for interaction. In the twenty first century, the world-wide-web has experienced an explosion in networking opportunities.
In Social Consequences of the Internet for Adolescents: A Decade of Research (Current Directions in Psychological Science, February 2009), Valkenburg and Peters credit networking sites like Facebook and MySpace for the increase in positive interactions for teens on the internet. They believe that social networking sites have created a more intimate atmosphere where teens and young adults are more likely to connect with peers and discuss personal issues in a positive way.
Research can offer a bit of comfort for parents of teens who are concerned about internet use and its effect on relationship skills. Although studies can show the positives of Facebook and MySpace, parents should continue to monitor internet use and activity for teens and young adults and educate adolescents about unsafe internet practices as well as promote face-to-face relationships for teenagers.
Reference:
ScienceDaily.com. Facebook or MySpace, Youths' Use Reflect Face-to-Face Interactions, January 26, 2010.
Kelly Pfeiffer - Kelly Pfeiffer teaches Positive Discipline workshops to parents and trains child care providers on various child development topics.
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