INTRODUCTION

Only recently in Trinidad and Tobago have social networking become a prominent issue. Great deals of speculation have been made about the impacts of social networking sites (SNS) such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter on users lives particularly on youths. There is also justifiably some fear that SNS would diminish proper communication skills, human relationships and contacts, as well as cause social seclusion. However others believe that with the advent of social networking sites especially the modern day marvel Facebook, this facility could be used as a social utility that helps people communicate faster and more efficiently with their friends, family and co-workers all over the world. As could be expected, researchers have begun to put to empirical test these claims, reaching a more balanced understanding of SNS. This study investigates both the positive and negative impacts of social networking on youth, with emphasis on security, communication skills, and formal education. The research would also assess the awareness of parents about their childs involvement on social networking sites and will attempt to make suitable recommendations pertaining to a disciplined approach to the use of SNS to ensure positive outcomes. The age group to be studied is between 11 to 19 years, while the physical space of the research focus is St. Stephens College, Craignish Village, Princes Town, Trinidad. The purpose of this study is to discover the extent of the influence of social networking sites on the social lives of youths and to assess the involvement of parents in their childs use of social networking sites. This will serve to facilitate the evaluation of beliefs made by individuals about the pros and cons of social networking, also make help youths to reduce the amount of time they spend on SNS .
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The value of the research would be to help parents and guardians to be more aware of the impacts of social networking on the lives of their children and as such monitor their childrens use of these sites more stringently. It can also help youths to be more mindful of how these sites should be used to their benefit without placing themselves and their future at risk.

Research questions: 1. To what extent are students of St Stephens College engaged in social networking 2. What are the positive effects of social networking on the students of St Stephens College 3. What are the negative effects of social networking on the students of St Stephens College 4. To what extent are students monitored in their social networking activities. 5. What measures can be implemented to ensure positive outcomes of social networking

Definitions: Social Network Sites (SNS): web-based services that allow individuals to construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system.

Facebook: A social networking website on which users can connect with friends and develop new ones and can send messages or update their personal profiles to notify others about whats going on in their lives. Twitter: This is a social networking and microblogging site that calls itself a real time information network powered by people all around the world that lets you share and discover whats happening now. Messages are called tweets. Online: indicates the state of connectivity Offline: indicates a disconnected state Internet access: a service that provides access to the global system of interconnected computer networks known as the Internet. Interpersonal communication: communicating one on one with other human beings Virtual community: a social network of individuals who interact through specific media, potentially crossing geographical and political boundaries in order to pursue mutual interests or goals. Online predator: a criminal who uses the Internet to steal personal information or search for victims. Cyber bullying: the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another person

LITERATURE REVIEW
Social networking sites are virtual communities (Lenhart and Madden, 2007). Just like chat services, SNS incorporate a list of other users with whom individuals can share a connection. But unlike any other web service, SNS allow individuals to make visible their list of connections to others and to traverse their social networks (Boyd & Ellison, 2007). Hence, more than other virtual communities born online, SNS are usually online communities created and maintained to reflect offline relationships.

Social networking use has doubled since 2007,stated Ben Parr (2011). In 2004, PEW found that 87% of teenagers aged 12-17 have some level of Internet access. Over 90 percent of kids aged 12 to 17 are on the Internet and over 70 percent of teens have a social networking profile
(http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/trendmicro/49002/). In a study conducted in late 2006,

they found that 55% of online teens aged 12-17 have created profiles on social network sites with 64% of teens 15-17. The youngest teenagers are less avid.

Social networks are also being used by teachers and students as a communication tool. Because many students are already using a wide-range of social networking sites, teachers have begun to familiarize themselves with this trend and are now using it to their advantage. Teachers and professors are doing everything from creating chat-room forums and groups to extend classroom discussion to posting assignments, tests and quizzes, to assisting with homework outside of the classroom setting. (Staicu Christian, 2011)

"Benniger (1987) describes how mass media has gradually replaced interpersonal communication as a socializing force. Further, social networking sites have become popular sites for youth culture to explore themselves, relationships, and share cultural artifacts". Many teens and social networking users may be harming their interpersonal communication by using sites such as Facebook and MySpace. Stated by Baroness Greenfield, an Oxford University Neuroscientist, "My fear is that these technologies are infantilizing the brain into the state of small children who are attracted by buzzing noises and bright lights, who have a small attention span and who live for the moment." The convenience that social network sites give users to communicate with one another can also damage their interpersonal communication. Sherry Turkle, the founder and director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self, stated, Networked, we are together, but so lessened are our expectations of each other that we feel utterly alone. And there is the risk that we come to see others as objects to be accessed--and only for the parts we find useful, comforting, or amusing. Furthermore, social network sites can create insincere friendships, Turkle also noted, They nurture friendships on social-networking sites and then wonder if they are among friends. They become confused about companionship.

According to Larry D. Rosen, PhD, professor of psychology at California State University (2011), Daily overuse of media and technology has a negative effect on the health of all children, preteens and teenagers by making them more prone to anxiety, depression, and other psychological disorders, as well as by making them more susceptible to future health problems. Parents are unaware of the dangers their children face by posting details about themselves on social networking sites, according to research commissioned by Ofcom.

The survey of 5,000 adults and 3,000 children found that nearly half of children aged between eight and 17 have a profile on one or more of the popular social networking sites. Although Bebo and Facebook set a minimum age limit of 13 years old, and Myspace14 years, the research found that more than a quarter of eight- to 11-year-olds in the UK have used the sites. Despite twothirds of parents saying they set rules for their children regarding the use of social networking sites, one in five parents said they were unaware that their child may have made their profile public. (http://www.computeractive.co.uk/ca/news/1911962/children-putting-danger-socialnetworking-sites#ixzz1f25sgAHt). Pew Research Centre (2012) found that nearly two-thirds (61%) of social media-using teens report that their parents have checked their social network site profile.

Privacy concerns with social networking services have been raised growing concerns amongst users on the dangers of giving out too much personal information and the threat of sexual predators. According to a study conducted by the information Commissioners Office (ICO) (2006), more than half of those social network users polled revealed that the majority of their information was available for public consumption on a social networking page. Citizens and governments have been concerned by a misuse by child and teenagers of social networking services, in particular in relation to online sexual predators. A 2008 panel concluded that technological fixes such as age verification and scans are relatively ineffective means of apprehending online predators.

While teens across all demographic groups generally have positive experiences watching how their peers treat each other on social network sites, teenagers between the ages 12-13 stand out as considerably more likely to say their experience is that people are mostly unkind according to research conducted by PMW. A common misuse of social networking sites such as Facebook is that it is occasionally used to emotionally abuse individuals. Online bullying, also called cyberbullying, is a relatively common occurrence and it can often result in emotional trauma for the victim. Depending on the networking outlet, up to 39% of users admit to being cyber-bullied. Danah Boyd, a researcher of social networks quotes a teenager in her article, Why Youth (Heart) Social Network Sites. The teenager expresses frustration towards networking sites like MySpace because it causes drama and too much emotional stress. There are not many limitations as to what individuals can post when online. Individuals are given the power to post offensive remarks or pictures that could potentially cause a great amount of emotional pain for another individual.

Social networking can also affect the extent to which a person feels lonely. In a Newsweek article, Johannah Cornblatt explains Social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace may provide people with a false sense of connection that ultimately increases loneliness in people who feel alone. John T. Cacioppo, a neuroscientist at the University of Chicago, claims that social networking can foster feelings of sensitivity to disconnection, which can lead to loneliness. However, some scholars have expressed that concerns about social networking are often exaggerated and poorly researched.

DATA COLLECTION In this research paper quantitative data was used, which took the form of statistical information. The main reason for this choice was that it facilitated theory formation because the large amount of data which was collected displayed cause and correlation therein made the formation of theory possible. The use of this type of data was also advantageous in that it provided objectivity; therefore respondents were not in any way influenced by the researchers personal views. The questionnaires were advantageous in that they were easily administered, easily tabulated, measured and analyzed. It also guaranteed the anonymity of the students and enabled a large number of students to be reached. All students were eager and willing to complete the questionnaires. However, some disadvantages were that close- ended questions possibility forced the respondents to choose an answer that did not capture his/her feelings. Also, there was difficulty in assessing the motivation of the students, some students might have misinterpreted the questions, or treated the issue too lightly. In order to prevent respondents from treating the issue lightly an effort was made to impress upon the respondents the importance of the research and the necessity for them to answer all questions honestly and seriously. Open- ended questions were also given to encourage free responses, however, these questions generated large amounts of data which was time consuming to process and analyze. Some students neglected to respond to the open-ended questions.

The instrument used to collect data was a 17 item questionnaire which consisted of 15 closed ended type and two open- ended questions. 54 students (27 girls and 27 boys- 6 from each age group ranging from 11-19 years old) were chosen by stratified random sample from forms 1 to 6 from St Stephens College. Stratified random sampling was chosen since it provided a method to ensure that the sample was representative of the population and it provided a convenient
technique to obtain separate estimates for population parameters for each sub domain in which the sample size was fixed and not a random variable. The students were approached individually and

asked whether they would like to participate in the study. All agreed. The questionnaire was administered to all students on the 29th of February 2012 during the lunch break and was collected after school. Secondary data sources were also used to gain a better insight into the topic of study. The secondary data sources used were various books and articles from the internet based on the topic of social networking.

DATA ANALYSIS
PRESENTATION OF DATA: FIGURE.1

PIE CHART SHOWING THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO USE SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

7%

Students on a SNS 93% Students not on a SNS

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FIGURE 2.

TABLE SHOWING THE PERCENTAGE OF YOUTHS ON SNS WITH RESPECT TO THE AGE GROUPS
PERCENTAGE AGE GROUPS On A Social Networking Site Not On A Social Networking Site 0 5.6 16.7

11-13 14-16 17-19

100 94.4 83.3

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FIGURE 3 GRAPH SHOWING THE AWARENESS OF PARENTS ABOUT THEIR CHILD'S SNS USAGE

80.00%

70.00% 76% 60.00%

67%

50.00% PERCENTAGE

55.60% Aware 44.40% Unaware

40.00%

30.00% 33% 20.00% 24%

10.00%

0.00% 11 to 13 14 to 16 AGE GROUPS 17 to 19

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FIGURE 4

AREA GRAPH SHOWING THE PERCENTAGE OF PARENTS WHO GIVE THIER CHILDEN ADVICE ON WHAT TO POST ON SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

100% 80% PERCENTAGE 60% 40% 20% 10.00% 0% 0 90.00% no advice advice

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FIGURE 5

BAR GRAPH SHOWING HOW STUDENTS PROFILES ARE SET UP ON SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

100% 11% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 47% 20% 10% 0% 11 to 13 14 to 16 AGE GROUP 17 to 19 20% 24% 17% 47% Private Partially Private PERCENTAGE Public 29%

72%

33%

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FIGURE 6

GRAPH SHOWING THE HOW AWARE STUDENTS ARE ABOUT THE DANGERS RELATED TO THE EXPOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION ON SNS

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%
PERCENTAGE

50%

unaware aware

40%

30%

20%

10%

0% 11 to 13 13 t0 16
AGE GROUP

16 to 19

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FIGURE 7

LINE GRAPH SHOWING THE AMOUNT OF TIME STUDENTS SPEND DAILY ON SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES
45%

40%

35%

30%

Percentage

25% 11 to 13 14 to 16 20% 17 to 19

15%

10%

5%

0% Time interval

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FIGURE 8

GRAPH SHOWING HOW YOUTHS RELATE TO EACH OTHER ON SNS

PERCENTAGE

60%

40%

KIND RELATE TO EACH OTHER

UNKIND

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FIGURE 9

PICTOGRAPH SHOWING HOW OFTEN STUDENTS WITNESS ONLINE INTIMIDATION

HOW OFTEN STUDENTS WITNESS ONLINE INTIMIDATION PERCENTAGE ( =10%)

Frequently Sometimes Only once in a while Never

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FIGURE 10

TABLE SHOWING THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS INTIMIDATED/ ABUSE ON SNS IMITATED OR ABUSED AGE GROUPS

YES 83% 77% 53%

NO 17% 23% 47%

11-13 14-16 17-18

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FIGURE 11 GRAPH SHOWINGTHE STUDENTS PERSONAL EXPERIENCES ON SNS

G F Personal Experience E D C B A 0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00% 60.00% 70.00% Percentage NO YES

80.00%

90.00%

100.00%

Personal Experience: A= Resulted in face to face argument or confrontation B= Caused a problem with your parents C= Resulted in a physical fight with someone else D= Ended your friendship with someone E=Made you feel nervous about going to school F=Made you feel closer to another person G=Made you feel good about yourself

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INTERPRETATION OF FINDINGS
For the research, the 54 questionnaires which were distributed were all returned. Out of these questionnaires only 4 students indicated not to be on any social networking site. Therefore majority of students are on a social networking site, 93% of the 54 students. This shows that the level of participation in social networking sites is quite widespread. Figure 2 shows the youths between the ages of 11-13 are the most active users of social networking sites totaling 100%, than youths between the ages of 14-16 and 17-19. Students between the ages of 11-13 were given free laptops by the Ministry of Education therefore enabling them to easily access SNS. The age group 17-19 is the least involved in social networking with only 83.3% participation. Thus this indicates a trend that the students involvement decreased as their age increased. From the information gathered, most parents, 80%, are aware of their childs involvement on SNS. However, figure 3, indicates that the highest unawareness of parents about childs involvement is in the age group of 11-13, 55.6% unaware. Most parents, 76%, neither check their childs account nor give him/her advice, 90%, on what he/she should post on their account as indicated in figure 4. This shows that parents are unknowledgeable about the concept of social networking therefore they neither implement certain measures to protect their children from possible online dangers nor check their childs profile on a frequent basis. In addition they are unable to give their children advice on what information they should post and how they should conduct themselves on SNS.

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Figure 5 indicates that students between the ages of 11 to 16 opt to have their profiles on social networking sites public whereas the majority of students between ages 17 to 19, have their profiles private. This could be because the majority the students are unaware of the dangers related to the exposure of personal information, with the most unaware group being age 11-13, 79%, and the most aware group being ages 17 - 19 ,87%, as indicated in figure 6. The majority of those between in the age group 14 - 16 were unaware of the dangers but overall had higher awareness than those between in the age group of 11 13. This therefore indicated that most of those who have their profiles public are ignorant of the dangers related to exposure of their personal information on these sites and also the age group 11-13 is the most vulnerable group. From the responses received from the questionnaire it was also noted that most students, 70%, are unconcerned about the effect of what the place on social networking site would impact on their social life. On average most students spend more than 3 hours on social networking sites daily, the majority of them being between the ages of 11 to 13. Most students between the ages of 17 to 19 spend on average less than 30 minutes daily as shown in figure 7. From the results obtained figure 8 shows that youths are mostly kind to each other on SNS, 70%, with the minority being unkind 30%. This therefore indicates that youths have relatively good relations with each other on these sites. Most students do not witness online intimidation however they themselves are abused as shown in figure 9 and 10. Students in the age group of 11-13 experience the most abuse on SNS, 83% of them since this group is the most easily influenced.
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The majority of students have positive online experiences, but some are caught in an online feedback loop of meanness and negative experiences as seen in figure 11. The majority of students felt that social networking sites benefited them by improving their self-esteem, helped them to be more connected with friends, make new friends, develop closer friendships, assisted in school work through study groups which they joined and also helped them to be kept updated about current trends and issues. Students between ages 17- 19 stated that the best ways youths can guard against negative repercussions on SNS are by making their profiles private, to not accept people who they do not know, to not post revealing pictures of themselves, to not use explicit language on their account and to reduce the amount of time they spend on SNS.

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DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
The research conducted in this study demonstrates the effect of social networking on the social life youths of St Stephens college between the ages of 11 19. In-depth research was done to determine the extent, to which they are affected, the positive and negative impacts of social networking on their lives, the awareness of parents about their childs involvement on social networking sites and also measures which can be implemented to ensure positive outcomes of social networking. The results obtained from the research, showed some similarities and differences to previous research carried out on this topic. The results showed that 93% of students use SNS. This is an increase from the expected usage according to research done by Pew Research Centre. This shows that the rate of usage of these SNS is growing at a very rapid rate. SNS are constantly growing and evolving to meet the users needs, thus they become increasingly important to the needs of students. Most students indicated that they use social networking to communicate with their peers and teachers for educational purposes as well as making new friends and strengthening ties with old ones. Students between the ages of 11 13 were found to be the largest age group present on social networking sites and students between the ages of 17-19 to be the smallest group, unlike previous research conducted by Ben Par (2011) which showed that the age group 11 13 was the least keen to join SNS. However, due to the increased prevalence of computers in in school younger students have easier access to SNS.

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Students especially those between ages 11 13, spend on average more than 3 hours daily on SNS. This overuse can impair their interpersonal communication skills as suggested by Benniger (1987), as well as cause numerous negative health effects as stated by Larry D. Rosen (2011), Like previous research conducted by Ofcom, it was found that the majority of parents were aware of their childs involvement in SNS; however, they are unaware of the dangers their children face by posting information about themselves on SNS. Thus, most parents neither check their childs profile nor give advice on what he/she should post. This could be as a result of parents being unable to manipulate the internet or being unaware of the negative effects of social networking. According to a study conducted by the information Commissioners Office (ICO) similar findings were obtained in this research showing that most students who have their profiles set up for public consumption are both unaware and unconcerned about the related dangers, such as that of online sexual predators as well as being cyber bullied. This research found that the most unaware students were between the ages of 11-13. The bulk of students do not witness cyber bulling on SNS sites, however they themselves are bullied, 59%, especially students between the ages of 11-13. This is an increase in the amount of youths being cyber bullied. Danah Boyd stated that only 39% of youths admitted to be cyber bullied on SNS. However similar to the results found by Pew research Centre, the majority of students admit to having generally positive experiences on SNS in that they gain new friends, strengthen friendships, improve their self-esteem and help foster student teacher communication.
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Students also indicated that in order to guard against the negative effects of social networking they can make their social networking accounts private, reduce the amount of personal information placed on these sites and to refrain from accepting people who they do not know.

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CONCLUSION
The students of St Stephens College demonstrate similar social networking habits of youths worldwide. It therefore supports studies done on this problem before. However, it goes further to show that the number of youths involved in social networking have increased with the largest group being between the ages of 11-13. In addition, the study shows that a higher percentage of parents are aware of their children being on social networking sties but however neglect to check their accounts. The students especially between the ages of 11-13 spend more than 3 hours daily and unaware of the dangers of having public profiles and are unconcerned about the dangers this could cause to their social lives. The majority students especially between the ages of 11-13 admitted to being cyber bullied but however still indicated that they had relatively good experiences on SNS. This study is limited by the small sample size and so results cannot be generalized to a wider body of students but it certainly presents ideas that could be built on a larger scale study. A questionnaire should have been given out to the students parents to assess their awareness of their childs usage of SNS, however due to the time constraint this was not done.

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RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Teachers can formulate various projects for students to do research on social networking to present to the class, hence students would be more aware of the dangers of social networking and become more cautious on SNS. 2. The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) in the school and the village councils in each community can set up seminars to enlighten parents about the negative effects of social networking and about ways in which they can protect their children from these negative effects

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Boyd,D. [2007] Why Youth (Heart) Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life. [Online] Available: http://www.danah.org/papers/WhyYouthHeart.pdf 2. Christian,S . (2011) The Impacts of Social Networks On Society [Online] Available: http://americanstudiescta.wordpress.com/2011/06/14/the-impact-of-socialnetworks-on-society-by-staicu-cristian/ [2011, June 14]

3. Huber,M.L & Scheider,H.L. (2008) Social Networks Development, Evaluation & Influence. New York: Nova science Publishers, Inc. 4. Nations,D. What is Social Networking? [Online]. Available: http://webtrends.about.com/od/socialnetworking/a/social-network.htm 5. Parr,B [Online] Social Networking Accounts for 1 of Every 6 Minutes Spent Online [STATS]
Available:

http://mashable.com/2011/06/15/social-networking-accounts-for-1-of-every-6-minutesspent-online-stats/ [2011, June 15] 6. Patridge,K. Social Networking. (2010) New York: H.W Wilson Company 7. Rosen, D.L. Poke Me: How Social Networks Can Both Help and Harm Our Kids [Online] Available: http://www.fenichel.com/pokeme.shtml [2011]

8. Rainie, L. , Lenhart, A. & Smith, A. The tone of life on social networking sites [Online] Available: http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Social-networking-climate.aspx. [2012, February 9] 9. Vassou,A. Children putting themselves in danger on social networking sites [Online]
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(http://www.computeractive.co.uk/ca/news/1911962/children-putting-danger-socialnetworking-sites#ixzz1f25sgAHt). [2008, February 4]

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QUESTIONNAIRE My name is Binta Baptiste. My project is to evaluate the impact of social networking on the social life of students of St Stephens College, between the ages of 11- 19years old. Please read the questions carefully and respond truthfully to all answers. Your responses will be treated with the strictest confidence and the questionnaire of all respondents will remain anonymous. Place a tick in the box provided

1.

What gender are you? Male Female What is your age? 11-13 3. Yes 14-16 17-19

2.

Are you on any social networking site? No

4.

Are your parents aware that you are on a social networking site? Yes No Have your parents ever checked your social networking account? Sometimes Often Never Have your parents ever given you advice on what you should post on your social networking Yes No site?

5.

6.

7.

Are you aware of the dangers related to exposure of personal information on social networking sites? Yes No Are you concerned about the effect of what you place on the social networking sites?? Very concerned Sometimes concerned Unconcerned

8.

9.

How is your profile set up? Public (everyone can see it) Partially private (Friends of friends) Private (Friends only)

10.

On a typical day about how much time do you spend on the social networking site?

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Less than 30min

1-2hrs

2-3hrs

more than 3hrs

11.

What benefits do you gain from social networking? Connection with friends and family living abroad Make new friends Develop closer friendships

Join study groups Please indicate any others?_______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________

12. Overall in your experience how do people your age group relate to each other on social networking sites? Kind Unkind

13.

How often do you witness online intimidation/abuse? Frequently sometimes only once in a while

never

14.

Have you ever been intimidated/abused on the social networking sites? Yes No 15. Have you ever personally had an experience on a social networking site that: Yes No

a) b) c) d) e) f) g) h) 16.

Resulted in face to face argument or confrontation Caused a problem with your parents Resulted in a physical fight with someone else Ended your friendship with someone Made you feel closer to another person Made you feel nervous about going to school Get you into trouble at school Made you feel good about yourself In your opinion what ways can youths guard against negative repercussion on social networking sites?

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