When thinking up three topics it was clear that I would choose them with my personal interest level in mind. Whether I chose the pros and cons of texting, or if the drinking age should be changed, or, what I chose to research further, online social networking, and how it's taking over the lives of the teenage generation, I would be interested either way. I chose topics where the availability would be easy to locate, and what I could possibly relate to directly, and indirectly.
I had to decide on something that wouldn't put me to sleep every English class from the next five to six months. I had to settle on a topic that I could relate to. I ended up choosing online social networking. The attentiveness I will sustain while researching this matter in hand is at a high. I realize the people are addicted to blogging, and that includes MySpace, and Facebook. People can even be addicted to YouTube. This is interesting to me because it is only the teenage realm that is part of this issue.
Hopefully this problem will change in the near future, and that's exactly what I will be tracking in the duration of five to six months. Every day 65,000 videos are posted on YouTube. In 3 months that may change drastically do to better technology being developed, or teens finally coming to realization. This topic is sure to change more than once in the next five to six months. I'm excited to learn more about the addiction, and certain statistics. Since the matter at hand will be changing rapidly of the duration of time that I'll be studying it, I know that it will keep me interested.
I also know that I will keep me absorbed in the information because of the quantity of information there is out there on this certain topic. I've already researched for a day and found enough information to fill the Grand Canyon. More than 90% of students on a College campus have MySpace or Facebook. All around colleges in the US there are blogs that invite the entire campus to participate. Mostly they're about the juicy gossip that's been going around school, whether it's true or not. It's gotten to the point where when a student applies to a college, the board observes their MySpace, and/or Facebook. The information on this topic is endless, and I know that if I word my search correctly, I will be over my head in information about online social networking, which is good, but could also be challenging. What do I do with all the information? Do I use it all? I need to answer these questions on my own, and realize what's important and what's really not.
I've always thought that online social networking was okay when you're talking directly to the person, such as AOL Instant Messenger. I got a little nervous when it came to putting up all your personal information for anyone to see like its done on MySpace and Facebook. It seems like an invasion of privacy you bring on yourself. By researching this topic I will better understand the good in online social networking, and the bad. With every rose, comes its thorns. No matter how fun it may seem at the time, there are always consequences.
