Introduction
Social networking sites are places on the internet where people get to share ideas on an issue of interest. It is a place where mostly the youth get to exchange their interests, their personal information like one’s birthday, their likes and dislikes, extend invitations for social events, photos and videos as well as life experiences even when they have never met. The most common social networking sites include Face book, My Space, Twitter and Hi5.This proposal from a college student to a parent, seeks to find out whether social networking sites are really insecure (Bradburne, 219).
Why the Topic is of Interest
I have an interest in the topic because most parents are observed to forewarn their children about social networking sites and have a mind set that they are negative and are meant to spoil their children. Social sites are believed to play a big role in increasing the vulnerability of the youth to sexual victimization. A recent media survey on victimization of youth indicates that many youth are enticed into sexual activities through the internet resulting to unwanted sexual victimization, unwanted requests to talk about sex, provision of personal sexual information even to unknown people and internet sexual harassment (Magid, 87).
Key issues to be discussed
Research questions
1. What are social networking sites?
2. Why do the youth prefer using social networking sites?
3. Do social networking sites affect students negatively?
4. Why do parents discourage their students from using social networking sites?
The different types of social networking sites used by the youth will be researched. Students will be interviewed and questionnaires issued out to them to enable find out what particular sites they prefer to communicate with and the reasons why they use these sites. The research will also cover the effects of students and the youth engaging themselves in utilization of these sites. Positive effects will be looked into and whether they encourage and assist the students in their utilization of the sites. Negative effects of using the sites will also be researched and how much they affect the users.
The reasons why parents discourage children from using the sites will also be investigated and what prompted them to think that the sites are negative. Several parents will thus be interviewed and their views noted. How their children respond and react towards the same will also be investigated.
Empirical (field) research
Primary data will be collected through surveys and questionnaires that will be conducted within the college.
Secondary information will also be collected though a literature research to find out what different authors say about the merits and demerits of using such sites (Alemán, 55).
Conclusion
Social networking sites are highly increasing and many youth largely embracing the utilization. Due to this, parents have become concerned and argue that these sites are meant to spoil their children. This research thus aims to find out if these sites are really as in secure as they are claimed to be.
Works cited
Magid, Larry. My space: safe online networking for your kids. New York: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007.
Alemán, Ann. Online social networking on campus: understanding what matters in student culture. New York: Taylor & Francis, 2009.
Bradburne, Alan. Practical Rails Social Networking Sites. New York: Apress, 2007.
