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TeenTech Weekly: Facebook 'friending' students, virtual school, the Gen-Y workplace

The weekly roundup of Generation Y and student resources you may have missed.
Written by Charlie Osborne, Contributing Writer

This edition of TeenTech weekly rounds up Generation Y and student news that you may have missed. This week we've read about teachers 'friending' students on Facebook, Gen-Y in the workplace and virtual high schools.

1.) Should teachers 'friend' students? (USA Today)

Should students and teachers ever be friends on Facebook? School districts across the country, including the nation's largest, are weighing that question as they seek to balance the risks of inappropriate contact with the academic benefits of social networking.

2.) Not all today's students are 'tech savvy'. (Phys Org)

A small minority of today's university students don't use email and others are confused by the array of technologies available at universities. Yet many students couldn't bear to be without their mobile phones and find themselves distracted by social networking sites during study.

3.) Gen-Y business grants offered through Twitter experiments.

Twitter is being used as a medium to distribute financial advice to members of Generation Y. Southeastern University’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team is using Twitter in an experiment to engage the Gen-Y and "improve the quality of life of people through business practices".

4.) Study: Women embrace technology over men. (Online Athens)

Research by a University of Alabama senior finds that women are using technology to communicate more than men, contrary to several previous studies.

5.) Computing camp to teach tech skills to high-school students across state. (IDS)

This summer, high-school students from across the state can take advantage of IU's School of Informatics and Computing Summer Camp. Attendees of the camp will get hands-on experience in various technical areas, including animation, computer graphics, gaming, virtual reality and web design.

6.) Eight products the Facebook generation will not buy: 24/7 Wall St. (Huff.Post)

Consumer tastes are changing at a greater rate than ever before. Not surprisingly, the purchasing habits of the youngest generation present the most dramatic shifts -- a reflection of what they find important. 24/7 Wall St. has identified eight popular products that the "Facebook generation" is not buying.

7.) Embrace Gen Y tech skills to retain them: CEOs told. (The Financial Express)

Generation Y will take up leadership roles of the future but present company heads fret that they won't stick around long enough to get there, researchers say.

8.) Fairfax high school considers going virtual.

In Washington, Fairfax County could become the first to offer a completely virtual alternative to high school -- rather than catching the bus, students would commute only to their laptops.

9.) Forget 'likes', engaging Gen Y is key to Facebook. (Zee News)

The number of fans or "likes" an organisation’s Facebook page has may not be a precise indicator of success. Instead, it is all about what the organization does to keep those fans engaged that is important, especially if those fans comprise the "Millennials" -- individuals who are 18 to 29 years old.

10.) Applying for scholarships? Google yourself first.

Students: It is not only potential employers that are using the Internet to find information about you that isn’t stated on your resume or application. More frequently, organisations that offer scholarships are venturing online to do background checks on their applicants.

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