We are living in a digital era-- with text messaging, laptops, tablets and email all being utilized to stay in touch with one another, and to be connected with the outside world. The purpose of the research is to understand if there are certain individual characteristics that affect the way adolescents use social networking sites. Previous research has indicated that poor self-esteem can contribute to an increase in social networking usage. Also, research has shown a link with a high need for cognition and a decrease in social networking. Furthermore, I am interested in researching if parental involvement in monitoring internet usage will affect how social networking sites are frequented. Additionally, I would like to know how adolescents self-monitor their own behavior and image on social networking sites.