Google + and Facebook
Two popular social media sites that Advisors can use to provide better services to the Net Generation are Google + and Facebook. Both are social networking sites that give people an opportunity to create an online profile and then share it with whomever they choose. Facebook currently has more than 800 million active users, with fifty percent of those active users logging onto the site in any given day (Facebook, 2012). Google+ has 90 million+ users as of January 2012 making it the 4th largest social network and the fastest growing network of all time (Google +, 2012). Current research shows that over eighty five percent of college students currently use Facebook (Facebook, 2012). Among there many features, Facebook and Google + mix personal web pages, video conferencing, instant messaging, with picture and video uploading, chats, news feeds and blogs. These sites can be personalized very easy and for the Academic Advisor, it can be used as an administrative tool (Nackerud, & Scaletta, 2008). The blogs can be created very quickly and are a convenient way to post announcements, facilitate discussions and link resources (Heiberger & Harper, 2008). Advisors can use the video conferencing features to host meetings with distance learners as well as provide innovative services for on campus students using the other tools like blogs and news feeds.