Adolescents are known for their emphasis on peer relationships and identity formation. With recent advances in telecommunications and Internet technology, adolescents can now remain in almost constant contact through text messaging or Internet social networking sites.

Two of the most popular websites, Facebook and MySpace, allow participants to craft and promote a social identity by posting pictures, videos, and text on their own Web pages. Additionally, they can add comments to their friends’ Web pages.

The following quotes were culled from various high school students’ pages on Facebook. (Any identifying information has been removed or changed to protect confidentiality.) Note the playful and dramatic tone as well as the abbreviations, careless spelling, and emphasis on music, clothing, and technical gadgets.

• IM NORMAL I SWARE!!!
• well arent u just a ray of sunshine!!
• “boys with accents = hottness”—BLN
• omg so whenever me and Alyssa get ready for any outing we listen to really loud fun music on Z100 and the same for sleepover parties and fun nights at eachothers houses
• we’re like insane when it comes to music
• i like all music.… unless its the really boring kind with like no rythem at all lol
• anything thts fun to danse to but also the really cute slow songs that everyone loves
• “The creepy man asked if we needed a ride so we ran away and got lost”
• rich fat man: whats an ipod touch?
• Sarah: its like an iphone without the phone
• Megan: yeah u could talk to it but no one would talk back
• I don’t have ANY dresses!! Like seriously … not like in the spoiled way like omg my dolce is out of style. I totally need a new dress
• AmeliAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
  HHHHHH