Abstract

Social networks are virtual environments created by humans through software and programs. Today, social networks have expanded and become more commonplace. Individuals identify themselves through these internet networks and use their communication methods to enable them to get in touch with people from the same or different cultures. It is known that social networks have advantages as well as some disadvantages. The main purpose of this study is to determine why, how, and how frequently students use online social communication networks, and to identify the effects of these social networks on their education and social lives according to the opinions of high school students. In this study, one of each of the three high education institutions in a city center were randomly selected and the opinions of 63 students studying at different grades of these schools were collected. According to the results of this study, a significant percentage of participants regularly benefit from social network websites. The majority of opinions indicate that the participants use social network websites with the aim of communication and education.

Keywords: social network, high school students, qualitative research

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