ABSTRACT
In the public imagination, social networking sites (SNS) have been branded as a source of problems ranging from teenaged narcissism to replacing face time with close friends to abduction by sexual predators. Yet despite the impulse on part of parents, educators and policymakers to curb these risks, there is comparatively little empirical research on how SNS is incorporated into the everyday lives of those 25 and under, and the early findings are far from frightening. This research review compiles the extant, evidence-based literature on SNS from the USA and abroad to summarize what is known about SNS and youth and point out gaps in the research base. The research is discussed in terms of education in an increasingly digital world and the challenges and opportunities this poses for educators.
