«The role of social network in the lives of modern teenagers »

Муниципальное бюджетное общеобразовательное учреждение

«Ярцевская средняя школа № 1»Ярцевского района Смоленской области

Индивидуальный итоговый

практико-ориентированный проект

«The role of social network in the lives of modern teenagers »

                                                 Автор проекта: Турашвили Егор

                                                 Руководитель: Собянина Екатерина Викторовна,

                                                 учитель иностранного языка

                                                           2019г

                                                Паспорт проекта

Содержание

Introduction

The use of computer technology in everyday life grows rapidly nowadays. Computers and the Internet have become an indispensable tool in study and work and even become part of our leisure time.

Internet access and information online extend the social possibilities of the users and increase mobility and the chances of success in life. Consequently, those people who have access and effectively use the Internet, occupy an advantageous position compared to those for whom this access is limited.

Almost all the possible tools of self-expression, communication and finding friends are concentrated in social networks. That is why they are so popular among teenagers.

Together with the positive moments of Internet usage, growing evidence about the negative impact of the Internet and social networking on the psyche and physical health of adolescents appeared recently.

The problem: Today teenagers are the most active Internet users who extensively use the possibilities of modern gadgets. In Russia 89% of adolescents aged 12-17 use the Internet every day.                                                                                     The hypothesis: I suppose that nowadays more teenagers are becoming the Internet addicts forgetting about its dangers.                                                          The aim of my project is examining the positive and negative aspects of teenagers’ use of social networking.

Accordingly to the aim I have put the following tasks: 

1. To determine positive and negative aspects of using social networks;

2. To conduct a survey and determine the motives of using social networking by teenagers;

3. To conduct a survey and analyze the opinion of teenagers about alternatives for social networks;

4. To create informative posters for pupils and senior students

At work I used the following                                                                            Research methods: observation, survey, comparison, analysis, questionnaires, and interviews.

Object of the research: social networking

Subject of the research:  positive and negative aspects of using social networks

Project produce: memos for pupils and senior students

Steps of the project:        

1. Motivation step
2. Preparatory step
3. Information and operations step
4. Practical step
5. Concluding step

1. Motivation step

 
Nowadays, students are becoming more addicted on social networks. I noticed that my classmates use the phone even during the lessons. But they do not understand that social networks also have disadvantages, that`s why I decided to help them by showing the disadvantages of social networks in my memo.

2. Preparatory step

On this step I defined the project theme: « The role of social network in the lives of modern teenagers », the problem, the aim and the tasks of it.

I spoke to my teacher. We worked out the plan and ways of my actions.

                                 Plan of my actions

3. Information and operations step

Looking through some youth magazines and searching the Internet I found out some facts about social networks.

The first social network with the use of computer technology in the history of the ARPA Net was created by the U.S. Department of defense in 1971 for their own needs. The first public social network has become an American portal Classmates.com in 1995 ("Odnoklassniki" - the Russian equivalent).

However, social networks started to gain popularity when LinkedIn, Myspace and Facebookwere launched. In 2006 in Russia there were "Odnoklassniki" and "Vkontakte".

General feachers of social networking are;

1. The creation of personal profiles.
2. Providing opportunities for the exchange of information.
3. The ability to create and maintain a list of other users (friends).

Company Angel Relations Group in their statistical study found that the monthly audience of the popular networks in Russia is around 250 million people. The leader in attendance in Russia is a social network Vkontakte - 52 million people, the second place is forYouTube - 45 million, the third place is for Classmates - 41 million, other popular networks (My World, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) have an audience from 10 to 27 million people.

On average, Russian users spend 2 hours and 18 minutes on social networking sites every day. According to Brand Analytics for 2015-2016, 24% of the monthly audience of social network "Vkontakte"are under the age of 18.

After that I decided to ask 80 senior students the following questions:

1. What in your opinion is the reason for the popularity of social networks?
2. What are the negative aspects angers of social networks?

They can choose some of possible answers. Then I analyzed the data and began to do the next step. 

4. Practical step

The results of my research have revealed the following the motives for the use of virtual social networks of teenagers:

77% - to communicate

45%- to get information about events in their friends` lives

42%- to be included into a group with common interests

39% -to find a place free from the control of adults

35%- to express their opinion and remain unpunished
26%- they can be anyone they imagine

 (Supplement 1 Diagrams 1)

The most of senior students understand that  the  Internet has negative aspects and there are dangers for its users.

1. free access to the video websites for adults

2. free access to the sites with destructive content (e.g. "group of death", the nationalist sites, sites with instructions for making drugs or bombs)

3. addiction and as  a result absence of real friends, lack of time for homework, hobbies and communication with mates and relatives

4. difficulties in communication in real life

5. problems with health

To summarize the results of survey I have drawn the conclusion that my schoolmates don`t see all dangers of social networks That`s why I decided to tell about them.

5. Concluding step

5.1. Designing of the project.

 At this stage, I have entered into the system all the data on the project and formed a project plan. And then I created a memo for pupils and senior students. (Supplement 2)

A memo is a set of recommendations on a specific topic. The target groups to which the memos are addressed may be teenagers, parents, students, drivers, tourists and other categories of people. Memos are distributed in social, educational, cultural and other institutions in the framework of educational programs through the corners for visitors. Also, memos are used in the course of advertising campaigns of commercial companies.

Creating the memo I:

- collect the information that will form the basis of the memo;

- choose its color design, which should attract attention;

- the main text of the memo is made in the form of tips, which are divided into thematic blocks or sequences;

- the main requirements for the content of this part – the availability and relevance of the information.

5.2. Self-rating. 

Choosing the theme of my project I thought about the actuality and importance of the problem. I defined the aim of my project and put the tasks which helped me to solve the problem.

 Working on the project, I used new working methods such as analysis, survey for which I asked the necessary questions.

I analyzed the results of the study to build diagrams, drew conclusions and created  memos with useful advice for pupils and senior students.

The memos are made carefully, have aesthetic qualities (beauty, harmony).

While working on the project, I improved my skills in searching information on the Internet and learned to build and analyze diagrams.

I believe my project is easy to understand. It is interesting, logical and contains some new information

Creating the memos I:

-determined the colour scheme that will match, picked up the right font and drawings;

-learned the program to create a booklet in Microsoft Publisher

-cultivated a perseverance, neatness, aesthetic taste.

But to tell the truth, I had some difficulties with translation unknown words related to the design procedure of the project steps

Conclusion

As a result of the work done, the following conclusion can be drawn: the aim of the work has been achieved, the main tasks have been fulfilled.  I conducted a survey among senior students, made diagrams, and analyzed them, created a booklet and drew conclusions. 

In conclusion, I would like to note the following.

Computer technologies have become an integral part of the life of modern man and are increasingly being used to develop and educate children and adolescents. For children and adolescents with severe diseases and disabilities, the computer is a means of learning, development and communication.

In this context, computer technology is a boon. But in order to prevent computers and the Internet from harming the children, parents and the school must watch theme of the games and how the child uses the Internet. It is necessary to teach children how to use the computer and the Internet safely and monitor the time spent by the child at the computer.

Informative resources

1. Boyd D.It’s complicated: The social lives of networked teens. New Haven, CT, USA: Yale University Press, 2014. 296 p.
2. Davis S.A. A cognitive-behavioral model of pathological Internet use // Computers in Human Behavior. 2001. Vol. 17. № 2. P. 187–195.
3. Ehmke R. How Using Social Media Affects Teenagers. Available at: childmind.org.
4. Gubanov D. A Study of Formal and Informal Relations of Russian-Speaking Faceebook Users // Analysis of Images, Social Networks and Texts / Third International Conference, AIST 2014, Yekaterinburg, Russia, April 10-12, 2014. Р. 85-90.
5. How Does Social Media Affect Teens? URL: wehavekids.com.
6. Internet addiction ranks among major risks for adolescent health — minister Russia. May 27, 2014, 19:24. Available at: tass.com.
7. Revell T. Video gaming disorder to be officially recognized for first time. Available at: newscientist.com.
8. Гуркина О.А., Мальцева Д. В. Мотивы использования виртуальных социальных сетей подростками // Социологические исследования. 2015. № 5. С. 123-130.
9. Обжорин А.М. Профилактика компьютерной и интернет-зависимости в современной школе // Научное обеспечение системы повышения квалификации кадров. 2011. № 1 (6). С. 79-84.
10. Право на доступ к Интернету предложили закрепить в Конституции. 03.02.2016. Available at: forbes.ru.
11. Самосват О.И., Ахметзянова А.И. Значимость социального одобрения для подростков в условиях социальных сетей // Научные ведомости. Серия «Гуманитарные науки». 2016. № 7 (228). Выпуск 29. С. 181-190.
12. Янг К. Диагноз - Интернет-зависимость // Мир Интернет. 2000. № 2. С.24-29.

Supplement 1