My observations based on my students goes as follows.
My space = year 8 - 10.
Facebook = year 11.
Facebook and twitter = year 12.
All along they will race home to communicate with each other via msn rather then simply walking next door to say hello
. I think they feel bullet proof behind a key board. What is scary is how seriously they take these sites. It is their whole world and image is the only thing that counts.
I visted my sister and brother in law on the weekend. My young nephew Sam (year 11) was having a guitar solo competition with one of his school mates. Were they siting side by side having a classic jam??? No both were logged into msn web cams and all and had their phones next to the amps (naked DSL). They would take turns at trying to out do each other thus claiming the title of supreme guitar virtuoso
. Funniest thing was the other kid lives directly across the road
.
Mark