Opening+Statement+Suggestions

OPENING STATEMENT:
We live in a digital age. Communications has been enhanced by technology in dramatic ways. The way our grandparents communicated has been replaced with posts, tweets, skype, wiki updates, and blogs. People are social creatures and we are living an exciting time when there has been an explosion in the ability to communicate with others. Social networking through technology has opened up ways to communicate that had not even been imagined ten years ago. What is Social Networking? According to Webster’s Dictionary, it is a web interface that allows family, friends, or people with common interests to connect and interact by posting ideas. It can be used for personal connections, business and professional networking, or advocacy groups. Some common social networking tools are Facebook, Myspace, Skype, Twitter, Video Conferencing, Dating Sites, Wikis, Blogs, or Online Class Sites (such as Moodle or Blackboard).These relationships can be local or distant. Some social networking tools, such as Skype, allow users to communicate via web cam, thus creating a more intimate way to relate through technology. For example, Megan Harvey, mom of two, writes on a Life360 Parenting Blog. She says about Facebook that, On Facebook, the relationships we have with friends and family that we don’t see very often have turned into relationships where we talk almost every day. Skype can offer the same thing, only better because it’s live video. Our kids can see their cousins or other family members that they don’t normally get to see. A weekly Skype play date with cousins across the country can help foster a bond that they would not otherwise get to have. Skype play dates also help ease the pain kids feel after their best pals move away.” From the “ __Psychology Today Blog”,__   Skype is also being used by therapists, who can now treat individuals through video conferencing. Individuals feel more relaxed and comfortable from their home and can meet with therapists although they live in remote locations. Also, interviews are being conducted using a webcam. It saves time and money for companies and instead of a phone interview, through video conferencing, facial expressions and body language can be observed.

Two important advantages that come from social networking opportunities are that it provides a means of collaboration and communication. The U of CA’s Digital Youth Research conducted one of the most extensive studies of media use by young people during a 3 year study. They interviewed 800 young people and more than 5000 hours of observations. For today’s youth, technology is part of their culture—who they are. The report explains that technology gives them opportunities to “explore interests, develop technical skills, and experiment with new forms of self-expression and provide avenues for extending social worlds, self-directed learning, and independence.”The report found that most young people use social networking to interact with friends from school, church, sports, etc.—usually people they already know. In fact, newer social networking sites have replaced the anonymous chat rooms that were so popular in the Internet’s early years, where it was more dangerous because it was mostly a group of strangers. At a lesser degree, young people investigate other interests online that they don’t have access to at home or school. Through interest-based networks, they can find new friends or ways to share their talents with others. This is an interactive environment where they can comment on other’s work and receive feedback on their own. Social networking provides the opportunity to connect with people with similar special interests that many times is not possible with local friends. The Digital Youth Project explains that self-directed learning gives youth more freedom than in a regular classroom, and this gives exciting new promise for learning and the field of education. Even when just socializing with friends online, young people are learning both social and technical skills. Twitter is also a valuable social networking site. Jeff Kurtz, who is an elementary school teacher in Washington State increased positive relationships between parents, children, the classroom, and the teacher. A quote from his article is: “With our day-to-day busy lives, parents want to connect with their children and feel a part of their daily experiences. Often an inquiry is met with “Not much happened today..” or the ever popular, “I don’t know...” Twitter in the classroom allows parents to be a part of their children’s learning experience and more importantly, offers a prompt to begin discussions at dinnertime or enroute to baseball practice . Another benefit of Twitter is it increased student motivation. When you know your writing will be published, you are motivated to share ideas in a clear, concise way that is in an appropriate format. Twitter has been applauded for its ability to help teach word choice and stay on topic because responses are limited to 140 characters.

Collaboration is used through social networking sites and groups can be formed with similar interests. Based on an article about Cyberschooling from Tech Trends, " By the end of the first semester 119 groups   were created—most of which were created by the students themselves with only 12 created by teachers. Students formed common interest groups, including theater and literature lovers,

web design creators, mixed martial arts fanatics, comic book collectors, and enthusiasts of anime, teen documentary, and film and acting.

Social Networking also provides opportunities to learn about other cultures, religions, traditions—the change to appreciate another point-of-view- and this is only going to lead to more rewarding relationships. From an article titled, "Social Media's True Impact on Haiti, China, and the World," //After a magnitude 7.0 earthquake (and multiple aftershocks) devastated the nation of Haiti // // [on Jan. 12, 2010], ////social media became the medium in which everybody spread the word. Dramatic Haiti earthquake Twitter pictures swept across the web, while tech giants mobilized. The most impressive part of social media's impact on Haiti has to be the charity text message campaign that has already raised more than $10 million for Haiti victim relief. Social media spread the word, technology made it possible... //  //Real-time communication platforms like Twitter and Facebook have spread the word about what's happening within these nations, long before the mainstream media prints the story. These tools have also created a level awareness we've never seen before." Based on a study by librarians, In a study of African countries, the class used Google Maps to peer into the actual geography, culture, with a sense of real time exploration to enhance global understanding that could not be done with print or other multimedia. //

//Social Networking sites give users a choice to set privacy settings- you can block people or make certain information private. Social networking sites encourage you to report abuse. Users should not join a social site if they don’t agree with the terms of service. According to the National School Boards Association Study, only a minority of students has had any kind of negative experience with social networking sites. In addition, almost 60% of students use social networking to talk about education topics online and surprisingly, more than 50 percent talk specifically about schoolwork. Lastly, based on the PEW Internet Project Survey, over the years, 60 million Americans have received helps with major life issues using the social networking sites that aid in their decisions. Social networking has proven to enhance positive relationships. //


 * Opening Statement: **

People are social creatures and we are living in an exciting time when there has been an explosion in the ability to communicate with others. Social networking through technology has opened up ways to communicate that had not even been imagined ten years ago. What is Social Networking? Social Networking is the interaction between groups of people who share a common interest, using social contacts to network. Social networking can be used in business relationships to overcome geographical distances. It can be used to enhance business partnerships or consumer-business relationships. Social networking can also be used to connect people who share common interests, be it for personal entertainment or professional skills. A social networking site is a web interface that allows users to post ideas and interact. When using some social networking tools, such as Skype, it allows users to communicate via web cam, thus creating a more intimate way to relate through technology. Using social networking, relationships can be formed between complete strangers with common interests. Social networking helps to form connections between people who may never have met otherwise. Social networking can also be used to connect with family and friends. Some common social networking tools are Facebook, Myspace, Skype, Twitter, Video Conferencing, Dating Sites, Wikis, Blogs, Online Class Sites (such as Moodle or Blackboard), and Local Neighborhood News Sites (such as Patch, a local news site which can be accessed through your Facebook account, keeping you and your neighbors updated on local news, road construction, school events, etc.). Social networking can help advocacy groups get their message out. Communication has been dramatically improved in an unbelievably short amount of time.

Let’s face it; social networking is a great way to exchange information, whether it’s for business, educational, professional, or personal purposes—such as connecting with others for friendship or special interest groups. Using social networking can be an interesting way to hold classes. It’s now possible to attend virtual classes without ever having to leave your home. Although some classes are completely online, Blackboard and Moodle make it possible for traditional classes to meet if weather prevents meeting in person. Many people complain that social networking is unsafe and an invasion of privacy, but users have a choice to set privacy settings. There are flexible controls--you can block people and make certain sections viewable or editable by selected people.Social networking sites encourage you to report abuse, which can then be proven with the evidence left behind when using technology. Many people have negative attitudes because there’s a fear of the unknown. Users are forewarned that their information can be used for tracking or advertising information.There will be advertising regardless, so it is better that advertising is geared toward your interests.When you join a social networking site, you enter into an agreement when joining the group.Don’t sign up for something you don’t want. What some people try to pass off as harms associated with social networking is not necessarily unique to this type of medium. For example, some people think it is a waste of time, but if you are the type of person that wastes time on these sites, you are the type of person who would waste your time on watching TV or playing video games if you didn’t have access to the Internet. With social networking sites, at least you are connecting with other people socially or pursuing an interactive activity. Social networking content is not necessarily useless; in fact there is a wealth of valuable information to be gained. It’s not Social Networking sites causing harm, but the users. Examples of comparisons

One important advantage that comes from social networking opportunities is that it provides a means of collaboration. There is strength when many minds work together—be it in education, business, special interest, or professional groups. Sites such as wikis or blogs allow users to follow continuous contributions from members. Email cannot even compete with these types of tools because they are all at one place, where emails are disjointed. You forget what was emailed a week ago. You may have to search and open many emails to get to the material you’re looking for. Another benefit that can be gained from social networking is the opportunity to learn about other cultures, religions, traditions--the chance to appreciate another point-of-view that you hadn't even thought of—and this is only going to lead to better relationships. This is especially important in today’s world, in which we have become members of a global community. One of the first things people think of when they hear “social networking” is Facebook. Facebook began with a small base of college-users, but within 7 years it grew to more than 500 million members, including all age groups--from elementary students to the elderly. (Stats from the Orange Copper blog at []) Facebook and similar social networking sites help people keep in touch with relatives and friends; helps relieve isolation of shut-ins/people who can't get out due to age or illness; allows people to communicate and learn from others that have a common interest or even a common problem; helps you to cope with stressful problems--find examples The U of CA’s Digital Youth Research conducted one of the most extensive studies of media use by young people during a 3 year study. They interviewed 800 young people and more than 5000 hours of observations. [] [] For today’s youth, technology is part of their culture—who they are.The report explains that technology gives them opportunities to “explore interests, develop technical skills, and experiment with new forms of self-expression and provide avenues for extending social worlds, self-directed learning, and independence.”The report found that most young people use social networking to interact with friends from school, church, sports, etc.—usually people they already know.In fact, newer social networking sites have replaced the anonymous chat rooms that were so popular in the Internet’s early years, where it was more dangerous because it was mostly a group of strangers. At a lesser degree, young people investigate other interests online that they don’t have access to at home or school.Through interest-based networks, they can find new friends or ways to share their talents with others.This is an interactive environment where they can comment on other’s work and receive feedback on their own.Social networking provides the opportunity to connect with people with similar special interests that many times is not possible with local friends. The Digital Youth Project explains that self-directed learning gives youth more freedom than in a regular classroom, and this gives exciting new promise for learning and the field of education.Even when just socializing with friends online, young people are learning both social and technical skills. So, does social networking have a place in school? Definitely. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Students need to be taught how to use social networking responsibly--not just blocked by filters as if it doesn't exist. Using this type of media in a controlled school environment gives teachers the opportunity to prepare students how to learn how to be critical users and recognize or deal with any negatives that could occur. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So, what are some other uses in the class room other than teaching students to be responsible users? On benefit is that social networking increases student motivation. When you know your writing will be published, you are motivated to share ideas in a clear, concise way that is in an appropriate format. They are learning the real power of communication through literacy. The ability to use multimedia with some social networking sites, allows student creativity. Twitter has been applauded for its ability to help teach word choice and stay on topic because responses are limited to 140 characters. Bullying is nothing new, but cyberbullying is a fairly new way of bullying. When social networking tools first began being used, many people did not know about cyberbullying. However, as public awareness about cyberbullying grows, society is beginning to respond accordingly. In fact, bullying in general has become a hot topic lately. There will always be bullying, but the good thing about cyberbullying is that there is a permanent record that can be used to prove that bully is going on. There have been several cases in which bullying has been part of a court case. In most of these cases, bullying was being done at school and in the community, along with using social media. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The tendency to bully someone else is present in an individual, and b ullying will continue. However, as children and young adults become more and more aware that engaging in bullying using social networking technology will be a sure way to provide evidence of what they’ve been doing, people will begin to think twice before using technology to bully someone. Publicity having to do with recent high profile cases has been effective in increasing awareness for parents, teachers, and students—and therefore creating a general disdain for this type of behavior. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The knowledge that you will be held accountable for your actions may actually help people become more cautious about their behavior--there is a record of everything--bullying, etc. This isolates the issue of who is doing bullying to a specific individual.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif';">For example, in Los Angeles a jury convicted a Missouri woman, Lori Drew, for her role in perpetrating a hoax on MySpace against a 13- neighbor who ended up committing suicide. In reality the 13 year old girl was already in fragile conditions. She suffered from depression, was on medicine and under psychiatric care since third grade. The blame was directed toward the individual and not the social networking site. Eventually a judge acquitted her, but said that if she had been convicted of the original felony charges, instead of three misdemeanors, he would not have overturned the jury’s decision. After Lori Drew was acquitted, Megan’s father said, <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif';">“a jury of her peers did convict her, so that itself is a victory.” Cyberbully crimes are relatively new and the courts are still working out how to handle such cases, but it’s only a matter of time before the laws in this area catches up. [] <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif';"> Ultimately, it is important to put ownership of behavior on individuals, not the social medium.

Some people have complained that social networking has contributed to obesity. However, even before social networking, a large base of our society had become sedentary “couch potatoes” watching TV, videos, or playing video games. Obesity can be attributed to lack of exercise, poor diet, or possibly medical reasons. Choosing to take time to exercise has absolutely nothing to do with social networking, but individual character. If being health conscious is not in someone’s character, social networking certainly can’t be blamed. Those same people would be doing something else instead of exercising, such as eating in front of the TV, playing video games, etc. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Along the same lines, some people say that social networking distracts students from school work, but it is ultimately the students responsibility to buckle down and get work done. It's always been this way--there's always been slackers, just different forms of distractions.

These are just my personal notes that will be deleted as I go through everything.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Education <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Business <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Social—Friendship <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Social—Dating <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Special Interest <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Professional <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Gaming

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Not the Social Networking sites causing harm, but the users. Examples of comparisons--not the gun, but the person behind the gun <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">*Side note: Look up Face Time article--monster match <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Hate speech--true nature of people is going to come out anyway--this way there is a physcal record <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Allows communication for people who do not have freedom of speech--examples, Egypt, Japan, China, etc. <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Isn't laziness, however, increases convenience; allows important information to be shared immediately; just another <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Examples of parental controls--parents have the ability to set parental controls <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Parents can actually keep tabs on child's life by viewing posts (their child and friends of their child), pictures, etc. <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">It's human nature to be social. Social networking sites increase communication and enhance relationships <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">People can abuse many things, but that doesn't mean we should stop participating in things. For example, some people abuse friendships, but that shouldn't put us off from having friends. <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Great way to make friends, meet new people, set up social activities with groups of friends. <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Fear of unknown--People have negative feelings about s. networking because there is a fear of the unknown. There are technophobes that spread negative thoughts--this creates fear in people ignorant about technology <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Allows teachers to clearly communicate expectations to students and parents. Students and parents cannot use the excuse that they didn't know or understand what is expected of them. <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Social networking allows people to initiate conversations. <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Can bypass biases, disabilities, racism, etc.

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Megan Harvey, mom of two, writes on a Life360 Parenting Blog. She says about Facebook that, <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif';">On Facebook, the relationships we have with friends and family that we don’t see very often have turned into relationships where we talk almost every day. Skype can offer the same thing, only better because it’s live video. Our kids can see their cousins or other family members that they don’t normally get to see. A weekly Skype play date with cousins across the country can help foster a bond that they would not otherwise get to have. Skype play dates also help ease the pain kids feel after their best pals move away.” <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif';">[] <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif';">Skype is also being used by therapists, who can now treat individuals through video conferencing.

Facebook’s group-making options allow young and seasoned professionals alike to gather virtually, exchanging ideas, business tips, and industry news. The site’s messaging system and personalized privacy controls make following up on the educational vendor you met at last week’s convention simple and safe. The sites offer a casual way of keeping in contact, without the letter-style formality of e-mail or forced cheeriness of a phone call during business hours.

=End of notes=

= Welcome to the Opening Statement Suggestions wiki page! = <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Like it or not, we live in a digital age. Communications has been enhanced by technology in dramatic ways. The way our grandparents communicated has been replaced with posts, tweets, skype, wiki updates, and blogs. All communications is out there in cyberspace when you are using social networking websites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, dating sites, Skype, and video conferencing. What is social networking? Social networking is the interaction between groups of people who share a common interest, using social contacts to network. It is used for business relationships in geographical areas between consumers and business. It is used to internet communities to network and communicate using shared interests, related skills. A social networking site is a web interface that allows users to post ideas and interact. Groups and relationships of complete strangers may be formed by various means such as interests or mutual friends.It opens the door for opportunity and makes communications more visible. Example: through social networking sights you can see all of your friend’s friends. This opens many positive opportunities that were never there before like connecting with people who have similar interests to communicate.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">As with all technologies, there are positives and negatives. For this debate, I will focus on the positive aspects of social networking. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">If bulling tendencies are present in an individual, all social networking is setup to block, report, capture, and put a stop to it immediately. This isolates the issue to the specific individual. For example, in Los Angeles a federal grand jury indicted a Missouri woman for her role in perpetrating a hoax on MySpace against a 13- neighbor who ended up committing suicide. In reality the 13 year old girl was already in fragile conditions. She suffered from depression, was on medicine and under psychiatric care since third grade. The blame was directed to the individual and not the social networking site, MySpace for this crime. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Post, edit, print, share, thoughts, common interest, debate, lean something new, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Facebook for the good example: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Megan Harvey (mom of two children) says, <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">“The relationship we have with family and friends that we don’t see very often have turned ito relationships where we talk almost every day” <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">“Skype can offer the same thing only better because it’s live video. A weekly Skype play date with cousin’s across the country can help foster a bond that they would not otherwise get to have” <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">When friends move away, Skype offers a way for them to stay connected and shows the different cultures and lifestyles in the new location. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Skype is also being used by therapist who can now treat individuals through video conferencing. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Facebook’s group-making options allow young and seasoned professionals alike to gather virtually, exchanging ideas, business tips, and industry news. The site’s messaging system and personalized privacy controls make following up on the educational vendor you met at last week’s convention simple and safe. The sites offer a casual way of keeping in contact, without the letter-style formality of e-mail or forced cheeriness of a phone call during business hours.