Introduction

Over the past years there has been an increasing interest in the new generation of web-based technologies, tools and services under the labels Web 2.0 and social software or social media (Bryant, 2007). The phrase "Web 2.0" became popular after the first O'Reilly MediaWeb 2.0 conference in 2004. Oberhelman (2007) notes that "Web 2.0 refers generally to web tools that, rather than serve as a forum for authorities to impart information to a passive, receptive audience, actually invite site visitors to comment, collaborate, and edit information, creating a more distributed form of authority in which the boundaries between site creator and visitor are blurred" (Virkus, 2008).

This learning object introduces some of the possible issues related to the use of social networking tools, as part of the course Information and Knowledge Management at the Institute of Information Studies of Tallinn University. The learning object discusses the following issues: the Web 2.0 Concept, the Use of Social Networks in Education, Studying Social Networking Use and Perceptions and the Issues of Social Networking Tools.