Understanding is only just a click away

By Zoe Crain- Princeton High School
@font-face { font-family: "Arial";}@font-face { font-family: "Cambria";}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
In the 19th century, it was letter writing. In the 90’s it was email. Today, it’s social networking.
Throughout history, teenagers, stereotypically misunderstood, have sought a way to communicate with their peers. It’s constantly criticized by adults, but for us, it makes sense.
Many adults assume that Facebook, Twitter and blogging are all about bringing the gossip of high school to the web- that we spend all of our time looking through pictures, and sending messages when we should be doing homework.
Most of the time, they’re right. Our generation’s obsession with the Internet and social networking does come from a large desire to stay in touch with our friends. But, as the technology has developed and become more accessible, the meaning of the Internet, and what teenagers use it for, has shifted.
This week specifically has shown me a new side of social networking. On the morning of March 11, the day the disaster in Japan began, I was on Facebook, browsing through pictures. When I refreshed my news feed, status updates about the earthquake and expected tsunami covered the page.
As more information became available, the statuses and wall posts continued. A friend studying in Japan reassured everyone that she was okay, and asked if someone could call her parents, because the phone lines in Tokyo weren’t working. Within seconds, over 25 people had commented on her status, sending their love and support.
There were also messages of confusion, fear, and anxiety. Some people had family in Japan, and they hadn’t been able to contact them. Other people lived on the West Coast, and feared a similar natural disaster there.
The world was becoming overwhelming. Unlike a high school relationship ending, we weren’t sure how this would turn out. Teenagers looked for reassurance from their peers, and craved the feeling of being part of a community. That is the connection that online networking provides. It creates a sense of unity, not just throughout a school, but throughout the whole world.
In the days following the disaster, Facebook users created groups, such as “A Prayer for Japan- Victims of March 11, 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami.” People sent mass messages about how to donate to relief organizations, and AT&T listed a link about how concerned family members could call Japan for free.
This response was not unique to the situation in Japan. Last year, when Haiti was devastated by an earthquake, supporters were able to donate thousands of dollars to the Red Cross who gave instructions on their Facebook page.Teenagers use the freedom of online media to add their own input to the events shaping history.
Watching the prayers and wishes for Japan multiply taught me how social networking is much more than superficial high school drama. As teenagers devote more hours to time consuming activities, and modern social interaction can be characterized as firing off a text message, the Internet serves as an outlet and a connection to the world. It’s our way of letting people know that we care, and we support what they’re going through.
Despite what some people believe, online social media doesn’t cultivate ignorance of current events. Teenagers don’t turn to Facebook instead of reading a paper. When a natural disaster such as the one in Japan, or a terrorist act such as 9/11 occurs it doesn’t matter how cultured you are. Real life can quickly become too scary for even the most mature of us. Instead of running away or hiding, teenagers turn to the online community to voice their thoughts and opinions.
When we cannot understand the world, our first instinct is to turn to a world that always understands us. Blogging, Facebook, Twitter- all provide teenagers with a voice when theirs becomes lost in a crowd.