Taking risky opportunities in youthful content creation: teenagers’ use of social networking sites for intimacy, privacy and self-expression
From New Media & Society
Over recent years there has been a global explosion in social networking sites. Embraced particularly by an enthusiastic youth, the public response has tended to be one of puzzled dismay regarding a generation that, supposedly, has many friends but little sense of privacy. This article explores teenagers’ practices of social networking in order to uncover the subtle connections between online opportunity and risk. The study finds that these sites are important for identity development. Influencing the balance between opportunities and risks online are the specific affordances of social networking sites, especially their conception of ‘friends’ and the provision of privacy settings.
