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topics, and 50% use the sites to talk about school assignments. After George Middle School
in Portland, Oregon introduced a social media program to engage students, grades went up
by 50%, chronic absenteeism went down by 33%, and 20% of students school-wide voluntarily
completed extra-credit assignments.

Finally, social networking sites allow people to improve their relationships and make
new friends. 70% of adult social networking users visit the sites to connect with friends and
family, and increased online communication strengthens relationships. 52% of teens using
social media report that using the sites has helped their relationships with friends, 88% report
that social media helps them stay in touch with friends they cannot see regularly, 69% report
getting to know students at their school better, and 57% make new friends.

To sum up, although this kind of technology may pose risks to users, the online com-
munities promote increased interaction with friends and family, offer teachers, librarians, and
students valuable access to educational support and materials, facilitate social and political
change, and disseminate useful information rapidly.

Adapted from: “Are Social Networking Sites Good for Our Society?” Retrieved on July 4, 2013 from http://socialnetworking.
procon.org/.

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Students from ASEAN communities are meeting together in Thailand in a bid to promote

a better understanding of different practices and cultures among their foreign peers.
The six-day camp is being organized under the auspices of the Off ice of Basic Education

Commission (OBEC), which aims to build awareness and prepare young people for the ASEAN
Economic Community (AEC) which begins in 2015.

“It’s also to create a closer understanding among all ASEAN country members,” OBEC
secretary general Chinnapat Bhumirat said last week at the start of the 2nd International Youth
Camp, which attracted 85 students from seven countries. Only a few countries have not par-
ticipated in the camps.

Based in Nakhon Nayok province, the camp lets students aged between 15 and 20 years
old engage in a variety of teamwork, sharing and networking activities designed to increase
their knowledge of the region and its cultures.

They have also taken part in debates that address issues in a number of areas, including
trade. In addition, participating students have undertaken classes in management, as they
are expected to organize the ASEAN Festival, during which they will give presentations
demonstrating their respective country’s cuisine, arts and culture.