I think the reason there is a fascination among teens for Facebook is because teens (and many adults) are still trying to find an identity, and being online lets you be whoever you want. Teens are able to express themselves in ways that they otherwise would not be able to in a more structured social setting like school.
For example, a teen that is into comic books might not be expressive in front of teens that are into sports/other popular groups in school. However, this teen might have a huge following online. Another example would be people who might be too shy to interact with real people in person, but behind a computer screen they don't have to worry about what they look like etc.
Another reason I think there is a fascination among teens, is facebook allows the user (teen) to self glorify themselves/stand out amongst the crowd. High School is all about popularity, and sites such as these can objectify the person as who they want to be/the image that the want to send out to people (through pictures, video, text, or even the amount of friends that they have). All of this is just a way to portray themselves as being popular.
As Shane was mentioning in an earlier post, the popularity for these sites is different among ages groups. For people in the young professional age group, it's purpose is more for reconnecting with lost friends, meeting new people, and even dating. Yet, there are some of us that still do hold on to that “popularity thing”.
For example, a teen that is into comic books might not be expressive in front of teens that are into sports/other popular groups in school. However, this teen might have a huge following online. Another example would be people who might be too shy to interact with real people in person, but behind a computer screen they don't have to worry about what they look like etc.
Another reason I think there is a fascination among teens, is facebook allows the user (teen) to self glorify themselves/stand out amongst the crowd. High School is all about popularity, and sites such as these can objectify the person as who they want to be/the image that the want to send out to people (through pictures, video, text, or even the amount of friends that they have). All of this is just a way to portray themselves as being popular.
As Shane was mentioning in an earlier post, the popularity for these sites is different among ages groups. For people in the young professional age group, it's purpose is more for reconnecting with lost friends, meeting new people, and even dating. Yet, there are some of us that still do hold on to that “popularity thing”.
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