Children+and+Young+Adult+Use+of+Social+Networking+Sites+in+Libraries

= Children's Use of Social Media Tools in School and Public Libraries = toc Social Networking Sites and other social medium allow people to interact and exchange ideas and information in volume and at a rapid pace. One of the primary users of social networking sites and other technology are children and young adults. Children are typically early adopters of technology and often use it to connect with their peers, exchange and information and ideas and remain current on the latest developments in pop culture and in their social circles.

Due to the ease of access and widespread use of social media, teachers, librarians and others interacting with children and hoping to positively influence them should also have an understanding of social media technology and be able to wield it to their advantage. Nearly every aspect of children’s lives, from home life to social groupings to scholastic achievement, can now be facilitated through social media tools such as Google Docs, Flickr and, of course, Facebook. So, just where are children accessing and becoming such astute users of social media?

Equitable Access and the Digital Divide
Many children have access to one or several computers or Internet accessible devices in their homes. However, there are others who are not as privileged. These children do not merely allow their disadvantages or family situations to place them behind the social media eight ball. They instead utilize computers provided at schools and, once the school day has ended, many of them sometimes flock to their local public libraries to use computers and an ever-increasing array of other social media tools that allow them to engage with others and entertain themselves over the Internet.

According to the 2010 article by Donna Celano and Susan Neuman, "A Matter of Computer Time", many children and adults living in lower income areas rely heavily on the schools and public libraries for access to the Internet as these institutions play a significant role in evening the technological divide. In the article Celano and Neuman assess the use of public libraries by certain economically challenged communities as being important to all children, but "vital for low-income children", who flock there to "do homework, explore cyberspace and interact with books and other print media".

Measures of Protection and Advocacy
Social networking sites can also be used by children and adults in a very predatory manner to befriend and then harass and/or harm children. As a result of the many users and uses of social networking sites, it has become necessary for social networking sites and the schools and libraries where they are accessed to make concerted efforts to monitor the use and protect the users, particularly when they are children or impressionable young adults.

While it is agreed that some measures must be taken, there is often debate about what protection may be excessive and serve to stifle a child's social development. For example, [|the state of Rhode Island was met with much criticism in early 2011 when they banned the use of social networking sites in schools], primarily in response to growing concerns over cyber-bullying. Other more notable and widely accepted measures to ensure the safety and protection of children over the Internet and on social media tools include the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act and the Children's Internet Protection Act.

Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA)
Children's Internet Protection Act was established enacted by Congress in 2001 and addresses the access to offensive material over the Internet in public and school libraries.