Investigatng The Social Impact of Social Networking Media on Teenagers From 13 to 19 Years Old in Oman

Abstract

The burst in the use of social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Bebo and Friendster has brought many opportunities, changes and challenges into our world. The impact of this type of media can be social, psychological, and/or economic. For many societies, the social impact is a major concern since these technologies with their rapid spread have succeeded in influencing the attitudes of various groups of individuals. The role that social media played in the recent unrests in the Arab world is a clear example of such an impact. Oman, like all other countries, is also facing the same challenge. Among all other age groups in Oman, teenagers from 13 to 19 years old make up a major segment in the demographic structure of the country. Therefore, it is very important to study and understand the impact of the rapidly-growing social networking media on this group. The present research aims to contribute to this understanding by investigating the social impact of social networking media on teenagers in Oman. We survey teenagers’ use of and perceptions about these technologies, in addition to parents’ perceptions. By combining these two perspectives, this research aims to provide several contributions to both theory and practice. The results revealed that almost all teenagers (99%) agreed that the social networking sites are beneficial. They believe that using social networking sites does not impact their social behavior.