A recent study of University of Minnesota researchers found educational benefits of social networking sites, contradicting the results of a Pew study three years ago. According to Minnesota, usage of sites like MySpace and Facebook adjust the computer and technology knowledge of low-income students to that of more advantaged fellows.Especially features like "technology skills, creativity, being open to new or diverse views, and communication skills" would be given by social networking sites. "Students are developing a positive attitude towards using technology systems, editing and customizing content, and thinking about online design and layout," University of Minnesota
learning technologies researcher Christine Greenhow says. (Source)

I'm not convinced about this. "Thinking about online design and layout" indeed would be needed at many MySpace sites! And what's the worth of these many social contacts you have? Are they real friends or just passerbys of your daily communication walk? I can't see why the pure quantity of contacts in my address book makes me technically affine or why this rises my creativity. I would also make a difference between people that just do the ususal copy-and-paste jobs, take a video from YouTube, some MP3s and presto! from others who really try to tell who they are and what they found interesting! (Design issues wouldn't be a problem here.) Social network sites, as well as the ordinary website, are just tools that you can use for any purposes possible. Thinking that they increase computer knowledge and other skills because they are there, isn't really convincing.