Title: Social networks impact: the case of Jordan youth

Authors: Ibrahim Al-Oqily; Ghazi Alkhatib; Ahmad Al-Khasawneh; Marwah Alian

Addresses: Prince al Hussein bin Abdullah II Faculty for Information Technology, Hashemite University, 150459, Zarqa 13115, Jordan ' Prince al Hussein bin Abdullah II Faculty for Information Technology, Hashemite University, 150459, Zarqa 13115, Jordan ' Prince al Hussein bin Abdullah II Faculty for Information Technology, Hashemite University, 150459, Zarqa 13115, Jordan ' Prince al Hussein bin Abdullah II Faculty for Information Technology, Hashemite University, 150459, Zarqa 13115, Jordan

Abstract: Social networking has drawn a great interest. It is a web-based service that allows users to interact individually or per groups. Therefore, it facilitates social relations and learning between users and institutions that share common interest. On the other hand, we witness a widespread access to information and communications technology (ICT) by young people which facilitates their engagement in social networking. Therefore, social networking should be viewed within a context related to the effects on the life of young people today. Young Jordanians in the 18 to 24 age groups enjoy widespread access to ICT, and their accessibility has been steadily increasing over the past years. Therefore, this paper examines the engagement of Jordanian youth in higher education with social networks. It considers how properties unique to such mediated environments affect the ways in which youth interact and learn. This paper aims to identify ways in which social networks can be used creatively in the community. In order to reach this goal, we present detailed results for a survey conducted using Facebook community.

Keywords: youth; virtual communities; web based communities; online communities; e-communities; electronic communities; Jordan; social relations; common interests; shared interests; ICT; information technology; communications technology; young people; higher education; universities; mediated environments; Facebook; social networking services; social networking sites; SNS; continuing education; life-long learning; social media; internet; world wide web; networks.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCEELL.2013.051953

International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning, 2013 Vol.23 No.1, pp.100 - 114

Published online: 30 Dec 2013 *

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