OFcom referance (794221), страница 4
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Alongside moregeneral sites such as MySpace, Bebo and Facebook, other niche sites have sprung up.Examples include LinkedIn, which was founded in 2003 and is based on developingbusiness and employment networks, and Flickr, which is based on photo-sharing.New sites continue to emerge. In October 2007 Saga announced that it was launchingSagazone, a social networking site aimed exclusively at the over-50s.There are several factors that help to explain the recent growth of today’s social networkingsites and the mainstream use of similar technologies.
The following is a brief outline of someof the biggest changes; it is by no means an exhaustive list.Home internet penetration has increased as have connection speedsIt is likely that increasing home internet access facilitates the use of social networking sites.Although potential users often have alternative points of internet access (for example atschool or at work), they are less likely to be subject to restrictions on using social networkingsites at home. Furthermore, increased connection speeds and the wider availability ofbroadband enable richer use of the internet, including uploading as well as viewing content.Whereas social networking site profiles were previously simple and text-based, they can nowsupport images, site customisation, audio and even video content.Increasing ICT confidenceThere are an increasing number of people who have basic computer and internet skills andthe confidence to use them.
These people are much more likely to take to new onlinecommunication technology such as social networking sites.User-friendly programmesIn the past, setting up one’s own blog or webpage involved a relatively sophisticatedknowledge of computer programming. While this has changed over the years, socialnetworking sites have developed a system that, at its most basic, simply involves filling in thegaps or using drop-down boxes.Even on MySpace, where users can design their own sites using html or java, knowledge ofprogramming is not essential.
Other users have set up help sites where people can copy andpaste script to design their site.11Communication based around social relationshipsAn important difference between social networking sites and earlier forms of many-to-manyconversations such as chat rooms and blogs is that social networking sites arepredominantly based on social relationships and connections with people, rather than a10Boyd & Ellison, ‘Social Network Sites’ (2007).Boyd, Dana.
‘Why Youth Love Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics (2008) pp.119-142.1111Social Networkingshared interest. Online communication has changed from being merely task-based or forsharing information and is increasingly an end in itself.Social networking sites are part of the wider Web 2.0 contextThe specific technology that has enabled this growth in the number and popularity of socialnetworking sites is part of a wider online phenomenon, enabling self-expression,communication and user interaction online, known as Web 2.0.This technology is not unique to social networking sites and has helped the development ofother interactive applications such as user-generated content (UGC) sites (like YouTube),file-sharing sites and Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) such asSecond Life, World of Warcraft and Runescape, all sites typical of Web 2.0.12Applications have increased the versatility of social networking sitesSocial networking sites are not limited to messaging, communicating and displayingnetworks.
Nearly all sites allow users to post photos, video and often music on their profilesand share them with others. Started by Facebook, sites have increasingly opened theirinterfaces to third-party applications.13 This has led to an expansion in what users can do onsocial networking sites, from taking part in film trivia quizzes to playing mini games.Established applications and functions have also found their way onto social networkingsites in recent years. It is now possible to make voice calls through certain sites usingSkype,14 while Bebo has led the way in incorporating video drama with its KateModernseries.15 Bebo has also signed a deal with the BBC and Channel 4, among others, to providesome of their broadcast content to Bebo users.163.3Recent developmentsThe rapid growth of social networking sites, their popularity among young people and theirrelative success in retaining users has ensured that social networking is never far from thenews.The level of concern in society about privacy and safety, particularly with regard to socialnetworking sites, is evidenced by the focus in 2007 on these issues by governments in theUK and the US.In the US, the New York state attorney-general challenged Facebook and reached a dealwith it to introduce safeguards to reduce the risks to minors from use of the site.17 RecentlyMySpace followed suit by agreeing voluntary privacy rules with state authorities in the US.These included setting the default of the profiles of under-16s to private and blocking adultsfrom contacting under-18s unless they knew their surname or email address.18In the UK, the Prime Minister commissioned child psychologist Dr Tanya Byron to investigatethe risks to children from exposure to potentially harmful or inappropriate material on the12It should be noted that Web 2.0 is a technical term that is not widely recognised by most people.13http://developers.facebook.com/news.php?blog=1&story=21http://www.myspace.com/myspaceim15http://www.bebo.com/KateModern16http://media.guardian.co.uk/trends08/story/0,,2237886,00.html17http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/17/nyregion/17facebook.html18http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-7225071,00.html1412Social Networkinginternet and in video games.
Ofcom was invited to contribute evidence to this review, whichreported in March 2008. Some of the bespoke research commissioned for the Byron Reviewis referenced in later chapters of this report.It is clear from the development of social networking sites to date that the sites’ furtherevolution is uncharted territory for stakeholders and it is difficult to accurately predict whatimpact this will have on communications, ICT skills and social issues. As users, policymakers, businesses, educators and parents seek to understand many-to-manycommunication such as social networking sites, it is essential we understand current usageand behaviour and identify potential problems so that they can be addressed.13Social NetworkingSection 44Engaging with social networking sitesThis section of the report gives a context to social networking by exploring internet take-up(in particular broadband) in the home as well as the rules and restrictions that parents andtheir children say are in place for using the internet and other media.
The second half of thissection addresses the use of social networking sites as well as the demographic andbehavioural profiles of users, and the attitudinal profiles of those who have not used socialnetworking sites.4.1Internet penetration and accessSocial networking sites can be accessed through any internet connection; however, havingthe internet at home, and, in particular, broadband access, increases participation in socialnetworking sites. Research by Boyd (2008) showed that young people (16 or younger) weremore likely to access social networking sites on the internet at home than anywhere else.Media reports have suggested that some schools, libraries and work places have bannedaccess to these sites.
If these reports reflect widespread practice, it is likely that access tothe internet at home will become an increasingly important factor in use of social networkingsites.19.Figure 2 shows the levels of home internet and broadband take-up in the UK. Nearly twothirds (64%) of people have access to the internet at home, although this varies by age andsocio-economic group. In particular levels of take-up peak among 45-54 year olds anddecrease significantly among over-65s (33%) and DEs (38%).Figure 2: Take-up of internet and broadband by age and socio-economic groupAny internet connectionBroadband connection100%84%80%60%72%68%64%60%78%74%61%65%67%53%72%71%65%62%60%49%40%48%38%33%31%23%20%0%Total15-2425-3435-4445-5455-6465+ABC1C2Q.
Do you or does anyone in your household have access to the internet at home/Does yourhousehold use broadband to connect to the internet at home?Base: All adults – 2235Source: Ofcom communications tracking survey Q3 200719http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/aug/07/digitalmedia.facebook1.14DESocial NetworkingHome take-up of the internet is higher in households with children than in those wherechildren are not present (73% vs.
60%). We see a similar pattern for broadband take-up(61% vs. 50%).20Broadband connections make social networking sites easier to use, as a faster connectionallows more creative use of the site, such as streaming video and music, as well asperforming basic tasks such as uploading photos.Eighty-three per cent of home internet access is via a broadband connection; this translatesto 53% of the UK population.Just over half of all adults in the UK have broadband at home (53%). Broadband take-up byage-group is broadly similar among 15-64s but decreases significantly among over-65s witha take-up level of 23%.There are also differences in take-up by socio-economic group. Take-up is highest amongABs (72%) and lowest among DEs (31%).While broadband take-up has increased over time,21 those who do not have access to theinternet, and in particular broadband, at home will be less likely either to take advantage ofonline social networking, or to use social networking sites to the extent that they might wish.It remains to be seen how mobile phone access to sites could affect this.ChildrenOfcom’s Young People and Media tracking survey showed that nearly two-thirds (67%) ofchildren reported having broadband at home, compared with just over half of adults (53%).Older children were more likely to have access to broadband, with 72% of 12-15 year oldshaving broadband at home compared to 60% of 5-7 year olds.Socio-economic variations in broadband access for children are similar to those alreadyreported among adults.
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