Share Paper: Examining Middle School Students’ Social Media Use

  1. Florence Martin, University of North Carolina Charlotte, United States
  2. Chuang Wang, UNC Charlotte, United States
  3. Teresa Petty, UNC Charlotte, United States
  4. Weichao Wang, UNC Charlotte, United States
  5. Patti Wilkins, UNC Charlotte, United States
Wednesday, June 26 2:45 PM-3:15 PM Oost

Abstract: As more schools and school districts are implementing 1-1 and “bring your own technology” initiatives, attention to inappropriate use of social media is becoming increasingly important. A total of 593 middle school students were surveyed about digital footprints and concerns about social media. The results show that 17% started using social media at age nine or younger, 40% accepted friend requests from people they do not know, and 40% reported that their parents did not monitor their social media use, which calls for the needs of cyber-security education. These middle school students reported using social media most often to connect ...