Social network sites (SNSes) like MySpace, Facebook, and Bebo are ubiquitous and
today’s youth are spending a great deal of time using these sites to access public life.
How is public life shaped by social technology? How are the properties of mediated
publics like social network sites different from unmediated publics? This article seeks to
explore the social dynamics of mediated public life in order to help educators understand
their role in socialising today’s youth.