Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook: Oh My!

 Ever since the start of social networking sites in 1997, these sites have slowly taken over not only the internet, but our lives as well.

Thirty percent of the 6.9 billion people in the world have connected to the internet. Social networks have a staggering 10 billion registered users, showing that people generally connect to several social networking sites.

Many people have become oblivious to exactly how much their lives revolve around blogging on Tumblr, updating their status on Facebook, or constantly “tweeting.”

These sites can cause grades to suffer, social skills to decrease and distract us from our families. Why does the world need another social networking site, such as Google +, to pull us away from what should mean the most to us?

So what draws people to these websites? The chance to connect with old friends? Or how about keeping up on friend’s daily lives and photos?

While these positive aspects might seem appealing to generally everyone, in actuality these positives do not compensate for taking over millions of people’s lives.

Today’s current generation of young adults and teenager’s social skills continue to dwindle away. “It’s discouraging that we must acknowledge the fact that social networking is in competition with, social interaction,” said English teacher Mr. Garbo.

According to a study by Penn Olson, the average Facebook user wastes more than 55 valuable minutes a day on Facebook. Reality shows that people have a difficult time pulling themselves away from one networking site and having more sites simply feeds this addiction.

While one might have over a thousand friends on Facebook, how many of them do you actually talk with in person? Social networking has redefined the term friendship. Your real friends include those who laugh with and care for you, not those who click the “accept” button when you ask for their friendship.

While social networking in itself has positive attributes, it should not consume so much of one’s time and energy to distract one from spending time with true friends and family.

When you look back at your life thirty years from now, I can guarantee you that the most memorable events will include seeing someone face-to-face, rather than someone’s Facebook status from last night.

So next time you plan on logging on to Facebook, try to see your friends in person. I can assure you that old fashion face-to-face interaction will result in a more enjoyable experience.

Lurkin’ Gone Bad

There has always been a down-side of Facebook. Whether it too addicting, allows Internet predators to stalk people, or leaks just a little too much personal information to the world, users have always assumed that these down-sides would not be that detrimental. Now, however, a recent court case has proved that Facebook can cost a person a lot of money, dignity, and credibility.

In 2007, a 17-year-old girl claimed that she was brutally raped by at least nine men at a house party in San Jose on March 3. Three women on the De Anza soccer team, Lauren Bryeans, Lauren Chief Elk and April Grolle, busted the door of the room where the girl was alleged to have been gang raped and brought her to a hospital. She reported the rape, but none of the men were convicted.

Four years later, the plaintiff still seeks money for the damages brought against her. A jury of six men and six women, however, denied it on April 7, relieving defendants Christopher Knopf and Kenneth Chadwick, who claimed that the sex was consensual.

In this he said-she said case, the plaintiff’s reputation and behavior became an essential indicator of her truthfulness. Fair or not, her Facebook photos, some of which depicted her doing body shots and wearing revealing clothing, portrayed her as a party girl who was sexually promiscuous and inviting the wrong kind of attention.

The plaintiff said that these scandalous photos only made up about 2 percent of all her photos on Facebook. Her attorney, Spector, added that there were many more photos that portrayed the plaintiff as a loving mother of a 2-year-old and an devoted softball player. Nevertheless, those party photos cost her to not gain any money for damages and may even have cost her the trial.

As our counselors and moderators here at Presentation have also pointed out, Facebook is a portal that not only represents who we are, but what school, job, etc, we represent. As much as we would like to claim Facebook as a place of free expression and speech, it is not wise to go posting any pictures or statements that we want.

“We don’t look for it, but we have to deal with it when it comes to our desk,” said Ms. Schrader, referring to Presentation girls and issues on Facebook. She has seen a wide array of scandalous pictures, mostly of group shots, themed parties, and drug use. Along with civil laws, students are expected to abide by Presentation’s off-campus behavior policies.

“It’s putting too much personal info that’s the dangerous part,” said Schrader. Robyn Klitgaard, a probation officer for the County of Santa Clara, just had her first case where the suspect tracked his victim down via Facebook. “From a basic name search he was able to see which high school the victim attends, hung out in the school parking lot after school watching and waiting, and followed the victim home,” she said. Klitgaard warns everyone, especially teenagers, to make sure that they have enabled their security settings on Facebook.

Ms. Schrader and the counseling department believe that for in the near future, employers are going to be scrutinizing Facebook and other outlets in order to make decisions on whether to hire someone or not based on what they choose to share on social networks. It’s daunting to many people that we will have to be extremely careful with what we post on the Internet in order to get a job. Schrader concludes, “Your reputation is the only thing you’re born with; don’t just throw it away. Protect it.”

Prom Facebook Group

Students at Presentation High School have one less thing to worry about during Prom this year: wearing the same dress as someone else. A new Facebook group called “Prom Dresses 2011″ is saving girls the stress and anxiety of worrying about wearing the same dress as someone else at Prom this year.

This group was created by Presentation’s own senior Emily Wallace. The group is very simple and helpful for all the juniors and seniors going to Presentation’s Prom on May 14.

When a girl finds the prom dress she plans to wear, she takes a picture of it and posts it onto the group wall for all the other group members to see. All members of the group can then make comments and give their opinions on the dress.

Best of all – other students can make sure they do not buy the same dress. Prom is filled with more than enough stress, and this simple and easy process takes some of the anxiety away.

Because it’s important for students to remember the rules, this helpful Facebook group also provides the rules and regulations for dresses that students must follow to prevent being removed from the dance or receiving a detention. With this simple and easy process girls can take some of the stress of Prom away and make sure that they truly shine in their dress on that special day.

Many students are already a member of this group, including juniors Isabella Nguyen and Diborah Wubshet, who found the site helpful.

“I looked back at it each time I found a new dress to make sure I didn’t buy another person’s dress,” Wubshet said. “I really appreciated my friend’s comments, which helped me decide which dress to buy for prom without actually having to wait to ask them what they think.”

When asked about the difficulty of uploading a picture in the group she said, “It was really easy to post in the group all I had to do was upload a picture or you could just post a link on the group wall.”

So if you’re not a member yet, just ask one of your friends to add you and let the anxiety slip away.

Movie Review: The Social Network

 “Facebook me!” Two effortless words, yet the complex background of their story is nothing so simple. The Social Network, written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher, depicts Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) and the story behind the creation of one of the most popular websites today. Although the film is based on the real story of the creation of Facebook, Zuckerberg decided to take no part in the production. This may have been the best thing for the film, in turn giving much freedom to Sorkin.

In its first weekend alone, The Social Network brought in a whopping $23 million, which is no surprise. The movie opens with Zuckerberg being dumped by his girlfriend Erica Albright (Rooney Mara). Their fast paced discussion right away illustrates Zuckerberg as a genius nerd who is clearly smart but incredibly socially awkward.

Once dumped, he stampedes his way back to his dorm and begins blogging. Furious at being dumped, he creates a site called “Facemash,” in which Harvard girls are compared solely on looks. In a matter of hours his site is so popular that it crashes the Harvard network.

Soon he is approached by three fellow Harvard peers, twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (Armie Hammer and Josh Pence), and Divya Narendra (Max Minghella), who want him to help them create a website called The Harvard Connection. It is aimed at helping Harvard students connect with one another on the internet. Zuckerberg agrees to work with them, yet goes to his best friend Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), with a similar idea: The Facebook.

The story takes off from there, as both Eduardo’s and Zuckerberg’s popularity rises instantaneously. While CFO, the chief financial officer, Eduardo is all about making money, throughout the film Zuckerberg stays true to caring solely about earning status amongst his peers.

Their friendship is torn apart when Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), the creator of Napster and noted bad boy, comes into the picture. Parker suggests that Zuckerberg drop the, “the” and make the site simply “Facebook.” From there, jealousy emerges, betrayal is unavoidable and friendships are broken. Zuckerberg winds up being sued by not only Eduardo, but also the Winklevoss twins for intellectual property theft.

It’s not quite Inception confusion, but The Social Network does require an attentive audience. Fast-paced dialogue with frequent flashbacks creates a stressful viewing environment, yet the experience is enjoyable. The story line is intriguing, and Jesse Einsenberg, despite taking on a controversial role, convincingly portrays a kid who you both love and hate, whom you want to be friends with and want nothing to do with. The Social Network is an instant classic epically representing our generations’ obsession with online interaction.

The Social Network teaches us that there is no erasing what one says on the internet, and this new era of internet can damage relationships much more than help them. Zuckerberg didn’t create Facebook for the money; no, he wanted to be cool. It is as simple as that. He wasn’t in it for being the youngest billionaire alive; he wanted status. In the end, Zuckerberg is neither villain nor hero; he is neither cool nor popular. He’s the creator of Facebook, sued by a friend and two fellow peers and still socially unaccepted even in his wealth.

Parents on Facebook

One new friend request. Your breath catches—maybe it’s from the cute boy you met at the mixer or maybe it’s from… your mother?!The older generation has certainly begun making a noticeable creep onto Facebook and other social networking sites. The result: cross-generational awkwardness sprouting through what used to be considered trendy multimedia outlets.

Although Facebook has now been around for more than six years, people of all ages, particularly the older demographic, are still finding their way onto this social networking powerhouse, joining the ranks of the over 500 million active users.

National surveys show that nearly 32 percent of Facebook users are 45 years old and older. In fact, Facebook is rapidly becoming the site with the oldest users; the average age of users as of February 2010 was 38 years old, clearly a deviation from the user ages targeted, 18-24, when the site was initally launched in 2004 as a place for college students to meet and learn about their peers.

But with similar social networking sites such as LinkedIn for professionals, and Bebo for the much younger generation, why is this sudden lurch in the numbers of older aged members occurring in the first place?

Many adults claim that their reason to join Facebook is primarily to stay connected with family members. However, the results from Pres students who participated in a recent survey show that around 28 percent are not Facebook friends with their family. The reason? Being friends with their family members on Facebook would only encourage their relatives to take a more active role in their social lives. With this additional tool, Pres girls feel that their parents and other older relatives would have an unnecessary glance into the events that they prefer remain private.

For the most part, the top reasons for not confirming those ever pesky family friend requests include privacy, embarrassment and stalking. From questionable photos to questionable language, Pres students worried about their parents and other older family members coming across certain types of content online.

Of course, family bonding is not a bad thing—sharing about your day with your family is often relaxing, and essentially a necessity to retain close familial ties. However, many Pres girls also found the need to separate their personal lives from their families.

“It’s not that I’m worried they’ll find anything; I have nothing to hide. I’m just uncomfortable with my family having 100% access to my online activity. It’s like a privacy breach,” said sophomore Anne Gatsey.

Several Pres students were also quoted as stating that they worried the behavior, language and activities of their friends, and not themselves, would reflect negatively back onto themselves. Many worried that “Grandma” would interpret this type of behavior in a negative manner.

Having family members as friends on Facebook can also lead to some undue uncomfortable situations. “There was an incident where my grandma knew I had a boyfriend before my mom, whom I live with, did, as she’s constantly on Facebook and I never got a chance to tell my mom,” said junior Mandy Heiser.

Despite the number of girls who avoid adding their families on Facebook, a large volume of Pres girls are completely comfortable with pressing Confirm on their family friend requests. In fact, out of those polled, more than double the amount of girls were friends with their relatives than not.

Many stated that the reason for their confidence in their Facebook friendships with older relatives stemmed from their behavior in the first place—by remembering to act with aplomb at all times, some Pres students ensured that they avoided the conflict from the start.

Freshman Katie Brown said that she was comfortable with being friends with her family on Facebook. “My mom trusts me. I don’t put anything that would be inappropriate up. My mom uploads all my pictures for me,” said Brown.

One new friend request from your mother. Whether you accept or deny your family on Facebook, the decision is up to you. And as junior Katarina Klask said, “I’m friends with them in real life!”

Facebook at Pres: Yes or No?

Yes

The open access to Facebook gives Pres girls a sense of freedom and respect as mature women. When a girl reaches her mid-teens, she should have the ability to make conscious decisions for herself. Girls, including myself, are quite aware time in the computer lab during class is valuable. It decreases homework and stress and gets us into a different environment. How a person decides to use this time is entirely up to her, however. It’s a simple equation: you plus computer lab plus Facebook equals more work later that night. Inevitably, all students know this, and choose Facebook anyways. The access to the social site shows that each girl is responsible for her own actions.

Despite the waste of time websites such as this bring about, they also help to reduce stress. Keeping our minds off of school for a while is never a bad thing, especially close to finals where our brains are on overload. True, using Facebook for an entire period may lead to consequences later, but a quick visit to your account is not a big deal. Rather than stressing out over a research project, many girls may choose to use Facebook. Seeing what all your friends are up to is a nice treat during a hard day. So I would encourage taking those brief breaks, just try not to get stay logged on too long.

Believe it or not, Facebook can also have some valuable information. Let’s say you are planning a Mission Drive fundraiser and want to advertise the event. Facebook allows its members to make groups and invite friends to join it. Promoting a school event will bring spirit and excitement to students, causing more people to attend. Such connections will help keep your event known.

Even if Facebook were to be blocked again, true fans will surely find a way around the block. For as long as I’ve been at Pres, girls have been logging onto Facebook at school with a simple, unspoken trick. Predictably, this would happen again with any block administrators put on the website. Teachers are smart, but Facebook fans are smarter!

Lastly, I am Pro Facebook at school because I understand it’s what girls like to do. Boys like to play video games and shoot hoops with their friends. Girls like to huddle around a computer and lurk their friend’s pictures. That’s just the way our generation is. Why fight it? Let girls be girls and admire the computer screen freely.

No

Recently, Facebook has been unblocked on Presentation’s school server. That means students are free to check their updates in between classes or during free periods. The amount of social interaction available to students during the school day, however, may have negative effects for students’ motivation and productivity at school.

This popular site can be very tantalizing to those looking to expand their social horizons whenever and wherever possible. With automatic status updates, fun pictures to browse through, and people to chat with, an entire world of social interaction exists on Facebook. However at school, students should focus on business before pleasure.

Students may use Facebook as an outlet to unwind, but this is unacceptable during the school day because it is difficult to concentrate on homework when a familiar popping noise signals an initiated chat conversation, or a little red box notifies a friend’s comment. “As much as I like Facebook, it shouldn’t be allowed at school because people could go on it during class and it’s a pretty big distraction, especially when we’re supposed to be doing homework,” said an anonymous senior.

Dr. Denise Pope, Senior Lecturer at Stanford University, agrees that unplugging from the media is a valuable resource in efficient work habits. Facebook is a big distraction for students working on homework, especially because the screen is always conveniently located right in front of them.

Technical blocking barriers on Facebook usage at school may have only deterred a small percentage of student users. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Pres authorities should look into a more permanent solution to blocking Facebook. Social networking sites are currently banned by the technology agreement in the handbook, even though Pres’ technical department has no longer blocked Facebook. “The thinking behind our lack of forced traffic mitigation is that students should exercise personal responsibility rather than be artificially policed,” said Mr. Cozort. However, when such a liberal privilege is offered, it is likely to be abused when it is unchecked.

Presentation is a private institution; therefore, Pres isn’t legally bound to block Facebook. However, students are contractually bound by the rules in the handbook against the usage of social networking sites for a reason. Facebook certainly detracts from the productive academic environment.

In addition to being harmful to the academic environment, Facebook could also negatively affect the social environment at a school. Facebook has recently been linked to some cases of cyberbullying, especially in connection to programs such as Formspring. Although Pres cannot be held legally liable if cyberbullying is done by a student on campus, the Pres administration can take any necessary disciplinary action against any misuse of the computers on campus. Therefore, Facebook is not only detrimental to the student population; it could also harm the school’s well-being.

It’s true that Facebook can be beneficial by offering creative resources to teachers and faculty. For instance, if pictures are needed for school projects, Facebook photos are sometimes goldmines of excellent candid shots. Still, Facebook is highly distracting to students, and it is difficult to be productive for a long period of time while using this site.

With all its allure for potential procrastinators, Facebook is detrimental to the student population’s productivity on campus. Especially as the weather outside begins to feel more like summer, the student population really needs to log off their Facebook accounts during school hours in order to foster an environment of productivity. It’s the home stretch until summer, and Facebook should not be home base.

Trend Report: Fall 2009

Every season comes with new trends. Here, The Voice gives you an update on what’s in.

Fashion
The chilly season is coming up quicker than Pres girls can handle. With school, family, and social lives, many do not have time to hit the mall to browse for new trends. Have no fear, The Voice has all the trends that are in for this upcoming season.
One of the main focuses for girls is staying warm while attending events or going to school. There are ways to do this without layering three sweatshirts! Buy an insulated pea coat that has buttons or a belt. With a little extra length, they keep your torso and upper thighs warm throughout the day. These jackets are a huge hit with teenage girls as they allow girls to adjust the belt or buttons to accentuate their waists, the thinnest area in a woman’s midsection. Pair your jacket with a cute cashmere sweater underneath. Cashmere is a material that is extremely soft and traps in heat so your body stays warm and cozy. If bought in a neutral color, (black, white, tan, navy blue,) the sweater can be paired with almost anything, including your school uniform! If you are going out, match your jacket and sweater with a cute, fitted pair of skinny jeans. These jeans are still popular in the fashion world, and thus are sold at almost every store that carries jeans. Find a pair that fits your body type and rock your outfit at a football game, the movies or a family event.
As girls, we need to carry around our makeup, wallet, cell phone and iPod everywhere we go. Carry the “essentials” in a stylish new purse. The perfect purse for this season is a large, dark purple one. Purple is the new black for this season as seen in shirts, jackets, scarves and accessories. With a purse like this, girls will always be able to show off this beautiful color.
Finally, many girls’ favorite part of an outfit: the shoes. This season’s most popular shoe is the boot. The most versatile boots are the booties that go to the ankle. These come with buckles, peep toes, ruffles, studs or flats. The variety is endless with plenty of options for all kinds of styles. So grab a friend (or a computer!) and score some of the essentials for this season.

Music
Need to update your iPod soon? Don’t forget these three top songs for your playlist! For a calm, peaceful song, purchase Owl City’s song “Fireflies” which is currently number one on iTunes. If you are feeling overwhelmed from school, “Fireflies” will lift your spirits, due to the pleasant lyrics, such as “‘Cause I’d get a thousand hugs, From ten thousand lightning bugs, As they tried to teach me how to dance” and the soft voice of the lead singer. Another popular song to get girls out of their seats is “3” by Britney Spears. This song- exactly three minutes and 33 seconds long- is good to listen to while driving or cleaning up; it will bring some fun into tedious activities. For a sweet, upbeat love song, purchase “Replay” by Iyaz. This song will bring smiles to everyone’s faces. Since its release, “Replay” has been on the iTunes top songs and has remained there for more than a month. Other top songs include “Paparazzi” by Lady GaGa, “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z, and “Forever” by Drake, Kanye West, Lil’ Wayne, and Eminem.

Technology
One of a girl’s favorite pieces of technology is the cell phone. AT&T and Verizon came out with some cool new phones that seem to have unbelievable abilities. AT&T’s newest phone is the Blackberry Curve 8900. This black phone has voice-guided GPS, a 3.2 megapixels camera and Wi-Fi access. Text messaging capabilities allow sending pictures, videos, and voice recordings quickly, and the use of Instant Messaging through AIM, Windows Live and Yahoo Messenger. Another new phone available at AT&T is the HTC Tilt2. This cell phone has a touch screen front, and a slide-out full keyboard. There is access to full HTML web browsing and mobile email. The Tilt2 also offers Video Share, which is sharing live videos streaming videos with other phones. These new phones are very popular within AT&T and are expected to become more popular after they have been released for a longer period of time.
Verizon Wireless also offers some amazing new phones. One of the new phones is the Blackberry Tour 9630. This phone received four and a half out of five stars by customers according to verizonwireless.com. This smart phone has Visual Voicemail, VCAST music with Rhapsody and Bluetooth capabilities. The buttons of the phone are tilted for faster, easier texting. Verizon is currently offering a deal for buy-one-get-one-free Blackberries. Another new phone is the Samsung Rouge. This phone has a touch screen front and a full keyboard that slides out. The screen is large and easily reacts to the touch of a finger for easy texting abilities. This phone has a Widget toolbar with one touch access to Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and YouTube. The camera, which is more advanced than others, also offers multi-shot picture taking. No matter what network you are on, there is a cool cell phone that will fit your needs and make texting your friends easier for you.
This season has plenty of new and exciting trends for everyone. Whether you are looking for clothes, music, or technology, designers have made something for you. So go treat yourself to some new items or start some early holiday shopping for friends or family. Happy shopping!

Facebook: Adult Attraction

On any given day, hundreds of millions of people return home from school or work to log in to their Facebook accounts. In case you’ve been living under a rock, Facebook is a social networking site that people use to catch up with old friends, share pictures, and make new friends. It is a tool that you may use to remain connected to other classmates and family.

Many high school students who use the site assume that their parents are only on Facebook to check up on them, so they are not aware of the gigantic growth of adults on the site, other than, of course, their parents.  But of Facebook’s reported 300 million active users, 36.3 percent are over the age of 35. This might not seem like much, but their numbers have been quadrupling in the past year.

In fact, in June 2008, people between the ages of 18 and 24 made up 53 percent of the Facebook community, but in July of this year, they totaled only 25.1 percent. They went from comprising a small majority to only one fourth of the website’s users. Their numbers have remained generally stable, while those between 35 and 54 years old grew 190.2 percent. They almost tripled in number over the course of a year. Even more surprisingly, Facebook went from having 954,680 users over 55 years old to 5,859,160. Almost 5 million people over the age of 55 have joined Facebook in the past six months.

Many may not know this, but our own Presentation teachers are contributing to the growth of adults on Facebook. Many like Mr. and Mrs. Cozort, Ms. Raposa, Mrs. Livingston, and Mrs. Stampfl all use Facebook to stay in touch with old friends from high school and college. “It’s really neat to find people you haven’t seen in fifteen years and see what they are up to,” Mrs. Livingston said.

Although they all use the site for varying reasons, all of them appreciate the ability to find old friends. They also dislike the same aspects. Mrs. Stampfl and Mrs. Cozort both shared their aversion to the new format of the site, but were able to adjust quickly. Mrs. Stampfl is happy with Facebook because she can contact her friends without worrying about interrupting them or calling at an inconvenient time. However, she also has some grievances with the site. She dislikes being updated on people’s progress in games or quiz results in her news feed. She also said, “I also don’t like receiving 10 different types of gift applications for which I need to install another application.  I hit ignore for most of them.” Computer teacher and track/cross country coach Mr. Cozort said, “I don’t like all the superfluous content like mafia wars, polls, causes etc.  I feel it takes away from the nature of a social environment rather than enhancing it.” Despite this, Mr. Cozort uses the site for somewhat different reasons. He said, “Social technologies are the tools that students use to communicate, and I feel as educators we have a professional obligation to learn to communicate with students in whatever language they are speaking.” So, instead of using Facebook for other purposes, he uses it as a way of communication that all students use. Unlike the other teachers, he also uses Twitter and Linkedin.

People of all ages are joining Facebook quickly, for example, Mrs. Livingston’s mother created one this summer. Some teachers are using Facebook to answer any questions their own peers may have.  Mrs. Livingston described Facebook as, “a great source of information for me as a new mom as I am able to post questions to all my friends who are moms out there and get responses back.”

Others, like Mrs. Cozort, who is both a social butterfly and a coach, use Facebook for talking with friends and contacting those involved with swim teams. She enjoys constantly keeping up on what everyone is doing through her iPhone and networking with other coaches. She says that Facebook is a great and easy way to congratulate former students on the new house, or the new baby.

Mrs. Raposa said, “When I was in high school, the internet as we know it didn’t exist.” She, as well as our other teachers, describes the site as a fun experience. They appreciate being able to get in contact with friends from their past that ended up going to different schools or moving away.

Since the website appeals to various different interests, our teachers also differ in how often they visit.  Mrs. Cozort said, “I’m on FB all the time- mostly on my iPhone though.” Mr. Cozort, in contrast, uses the site once every couple of weeks. When asked about how much she uses Facebook, Mrs. Livingston said “my husband would say I’m on Facebook too much, but that’s just because he wants to check his!”

With a growing population of new users, Facebook is no longer just available to current high school and college students. Parents of students have been joining recently, sparking a large increase in Facebook members. To Pres teachers, Facebook is obviously a great way to reconnect with old classmates or to just keep in touch with family members in or out-of-state. Facebook has allowed people of all ages like our own Pres teachers to update their contacts with what’s going on their life. Talking with new friends or catching up on the latest news with old friends and family is also available courtesy of Facebook.