Social Networks and how it affects college students

Do you Facebook? Do you MySpace? This is a common question I hear from college students every semester as they find new friends in the classes I teach. They then exchange information online and in most cases talk about what some other student was wearing or how they know everything already. Of course I am kidding, students wouldn't do that or think that...right?
A generation of Facebook, MySpace and Twitters are upon us and according to a recent USA today poll, "More than half (57%) said their peers used social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter for self-promotion, narcissism and attention-seeking". The research indicates that students or Generation Y feel that they are self-centered and all knowing or attention grabbing. USA Today surveyed 1,068 college students and, "Two-thirds said their generation was more self-promoting, narcissistic, overconfident and attention-seeking than others."

As educators we have an obligation to our student not only to educate them in the field of study we are trained for but to make them good citizens. By making the good citizens we will and can install a sense of pride in giving back and end the naricissistic attitude these websites encourage.
To accompish this task educators will have to incorperate an understanding of morals and citizenship into the curriculm with the use of group work tactics and technology. Teachers should put aside the four R's for a brief moment each day and develop a discussion within the social science area to touch on topics that expose students to proper moral behavior link with citizenship.
As former Secretary of Education William Bennett recently urged conservative activists to join him in a fight to restore a "coherent moral vision" to America's public schools. Speaking to leaders of Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum, he declared that "We can get the values Americans share back into our classrooms," and "Those who claim we are now too diverse a nation, that we consist of too many competing convictions and interests to instill common values, are wrong."
http://www.freeinquiry.com/teaching-morals.html
I don't think this is political between the right and the left but an issue to all parents and teachers about how the next generation looks at itself.
The are many issues when tackling this subject, especially from a public school persepective, but I think that if Generation Y already seems themselves as this then we need to take notice. There maybe many solutions to this problem but I will list two websites that will help teachers develop a curriculm of citenship, because I believe if you teach them this then morals in relation to self-centerness will fade away.
The first one is http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr008.shtml this site has activities teachers can use to teach the main themes of citizenship, again there isn't much for higher ed but we are talking about building blocks and we need to start at the beginning. The lesson plan that caught my eye was "Remembering our Soldiers" on Veterns Day.
The next one is http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3614/is_200301/ai_n9226263/
which list some ideas on what students can do to give back to the community, such as offering peer tutitoring.
I mentioned group tactics and technology to also help battle this epidimic per say and here are my suggestions; one, have the students discuss the pro's and con's about this social networks in groups and write down their thoughts. Then have them write down what they think citezenship is and what actions should they take or would take in the future to prove to someone that they are a good citizen of the United States. In regards to technology, student can research different countries view points on citizenship, for example Israel. Where each young adult has to serve in the military. Is this right or wrong? Have them contact someone on the social network from these countries and ask them questions.
Basically, educators need to use many resources to install a sense of "thinking of others" and not "yourself" attitude into thier classrooms. Once this is done I feel you will find a more compasionate classroom and maybe one that talks more about the subject at hand then the latest posting on Facebook.