This document discusses how social media can be used to engage youth in education. It notes that 90% of teens have internet access and spend over 24 hours per month online. Many teens access social media sites like MySpace and Facebook. The document advocates incorporating social media into classrooms based on theories of positive youth development and relational-cultural theory. It describes a social media website called GenerationPulse that was set up in three sections and focused on involving youth, keeping it accessible and interactive.

1. Social Media and Youth

2. Utilizing an education based social media website to engage students with real world interests and technologies.Incorporating Social Media into the Adolescent Classroom

3. Among the 33 million youth of the US: 90 % have internet access at home and 73% have access at a school computer Teens spend on average over 24 hours per month on the internet(Nielsen Company, 2009) Youth are “Digital Natives”

4. In 2009, 28% of MySpace page views and 12% of Facebook’s were attributed to the teens accessing the social media sites, thanks to nearly half of the teens on the Internet(Nielsen Company, 2009)Social Media Usage Among Teens

5. CompetenceConfidenceConnectionCharacterCaringPositive Youth Development (PYD)“Five Cs”

6. Focus on the impact of relationships on youth development including: 1. Mutual engagement2. Authenticity 3. Empowerment4. Conflict toleranceRelational-Cultural Theory (RCT)

7. Based on the PYD “Five Cs” and the RCTSet up in 3 Sections:ExploreShareActGenerationPulse

8. Involve YouthAsk for feedbackKeep accessible and sustainableBe flexible and creativeKeep it interactivePersonalizeLessons Learned

9. Liang, B., Commins, M., & Duffy, N. (2010). Using Social Media to Engage Youth:Education, Social Justice, & Humanitarianism. Prevention Researcher, 17(5), 13-16. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.Bibliography