This presentation examines child and adolescent social networking with an emphasis on how this unprecedented form of communication can be used to contribute to healthy growth and development. Most literature about child and adolescent relationships reflects yesterday's world, a time when face-to-face encounters were the only concern. Students saw each other in school, at the mall, or visiting someone's home. Changes in technology have brought about a significant shift in the way friendships are formed by reliance on cell phones, texting, instant messaging, iPads, email, pdas, and blogs. To understand how these changes impact development, researchers have begun to explore new issues in communication.