Much has been discussed about Facebook, MySpace, and other social network sites from a number of perspectives. Last week the Economist magazine created an online forum to discuss social networks in education. I think much of the discuss was directed toward K-12 usage, but not all. Is there a place in education for social network software? Are Facebook and MySpace the best programs? Please review the Economist forum (speakers comments on right side) and the responses listed below.

• Economist forum on Social Networks
• Response to the forum by danah boyd
• Response by John Larkin

Tonight PBS’ FRONTLINE airs “Growing UP Online”

“MySpace. YouTube. Facebook. Nearly every teen in America is on the Internet every day, socializing with friends and strangers alike, “trying on” identities, and building a virtual profile of themselves–one that many kids insist is a more honest depiction of who they really are than the person they portray at home or in school.

In “Growing Up Online,” FRONTLINE peers inside the world of this cyber-savvy generation through the eyes of teens and their parents, who often find themselves on opposite sides of a new digital divide. From cyber bullying to instant “Internet fame,” to the specter of online sexual predators, FRONTLINE producer Rachel Dretzin investigates the risks, realities and misconceptions of teenage self-expression on the World Wide Web.”

If you miss the TV program, watch it online.

FRONTLINE homepage