Conclusion

      The majority of adolescents are online currently and the number is most likely to keep growing. This new accessiblity of the internet has a lot of positives but it will inevitably affect this generation of adolescents who are growing up online. As educators, parents, and adults, we need to be aware of the ways in which adolescents can be influenced by the internet in such a impressionable time in their lives and be specifically aware of the issues that come from social networking—creating ideal identities, the influence of friends, and cyber-bullying. This new technological development is not inherently bad and should not be reacted to thus. However, as the culture in which adolescents develop changes, we must also adjust accordingly.