Sheree McQueen

Focus Question:

How and why adolescence choose to change their personal identity online.

Why this topic?

MICRO understanding the motivations of my peers, find out why friends I meet online appear to act differently....a way to discover myself

MACRO understanding socialisation, how adolescence identity is constructed, technology’s impact on socialisation

Cross-cultural: TIME: 1960’s now. - How technology has developed

over time - Adolescence social interaction

changed with technology - Society’s norms and expectations

of adolescence would also change - Continuities? Social interaction.

The need of acceptance. Communication.

GENDER: - Girls and guys are seen to

behave differently online Girls form of social interaction Guys source of entertainment

Forms of communication are labelled by stereotypes and social construction

Concepts: TECHNOLOGY: development over

time, lifestyle change through communication styles

SOCIETY: social networking sites. New form of society found within Facebook, Myspace etc

CULTURE: beliefs of what is acceptable. A new tradition? Adolescence and their daily ritual to use online communication

Log: Phase One: Investigation. What

topics interest me? Brainstorms, suggestions...find advice.

Phase Two: Secondary research. State library, internet articles, newspapers, magazines. Facebook.

Phase Three: Primary research. Develop and conduct questionnaires. Interviews for personal experiences. Statistical analysis. (ABS and Facebook)

Phase Four: Write the PIP. Chapters 1 and 2 due together first. Followed by 3 and 4.

Phase Five: PIP presentation.

WHATS NEXT? Make a

final copy.

Secondary Research:

.Being virtual: who you really are online

Davey Winder

Good? Provides other opinions from other research. Colloquial language provides access to a wider audience to understand

Bad? Lacks evidence to support opinions. Lacks depth and detail throughout the text.

.Throwing sheep in the Boardroom Matthew Fraser

Good? Footnoting allows us to verify information, raises interesting issues, integrates fundamental concepts

Bad? Constant attempts of labelling; too complex. Publishing is older, therefore statistics have changed.

Instant Identity: Girls, Adolescence and Negotiation of Identity in the New Culture of Instant Messaging Shayla Thiel

Good? Cross cultural for gender, examines other of my secondary sources, use of case studies for supporting evidence, explores social exclusion.

Bad? Only explores girls and not guys behaviour, the ‘translations’ for teenage conversations were not accurate, how valid can the rest of the information be?

.Cartoons: 1993 “On the internet, nobody knows you’re a

dog” 2009 “On Facebook, 273 people know I’m a

dog. The rest can only see my limited profile” Good? comparing technology over time, shows

the manipulation, continuity; the use of the internet

Bad? Doesn’t explore multiple concepts, one persons perspective, might be taken for face value

.Myspace cadets sliding into addiction

Miranda Devine

Sydney Morning Herald; April 4, 2009

Good? Shows the impact/consequences of online social networking, includes university studies by social scientists, includes direct quotations

Bad? Bias perspective “the internet’s obvious peril is that it sucks hours out of a life” would the people using the internet word this in such a way...negative view point

Primary Research:

1. Questionnaires

2. Interviews

3. Statistical Analysis

Results:“Teenagers are getting involved in relationships where they don’t know the real person they are talking to”

“Well, that way I can find out what kind of person other people like best”

“Between 1998 to 2008-09, household access to the internet at home has more than quadrupled from 16% to 72%” ABS

“More than 400 million active users. 50% of our active users log on to Facebook in any given day” Facebook Company Figures