2007-08 National Third-Place Winners
Third-Place Winners
$20,000 Scholarship
Elyssa Goldberg
Roslyn High School
Roslyn Heights, New York
Nobody Wants to Be Lonely: Factors Contributing to Friend-Networking Site Use
"I became interested in this research because everyone I know uses friend-networking sites, but some use them more than others. I wanted to see who uses them and the possible implications of using them so frequently."
Knowing that friend-networking site use will probably continue to grow in popularity, Elyssa wanted to explore some of the factors that predict the amount of time people spend on friend-networking sites. She also wanted to see how spending time on these sites affects teenagers' health. She surveyed students in the eighth grade, and then again when they entered ninth grade, about self-esteem, loneliness, social anxiety, and their use of social networking sites.
Elyssa found an increase in site use as students advanced to the ninth grade and that students with higher loneliness and social anxiety had greater use of social networking sites. By exploring the relationship between common psychological disorders and modern technology, this study could be used to help predict future technological trends and patterns in psychological disorders.
She thinks that, "Researching should never be about competing or achieving an award, but about what you're interested in and want to learn more about." Elyssa is involved with mock trial and mock Congress at school. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing, listening to music, and playing tennis. This summer, Elyssa is working at her local fire and rescue company, responding to ambulance calls with the emergency medical services team. She plans to attend Columbia University in the fall.
Katherine Xue
Oak Ridge High School
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Sleep Deprivation in Adolescents: Causes, Extent, and Effects
"The YES Competition speakers were absolutely amazing. They've completely changed my perception of epidemiology and public health and have shown me that it is a field in which I can truly make a difference."
Katherine conducted a survey of high school juniors and seniors to investigate the causes, extent, and effects of sleep deprivation in adolescents. She found that 95% of the students she studied sleep less than the recommended nine hours of sleep on school nights.
Her research also found that a greater number of electronic devices in the student's bedroom, phones in particular, were associated with greater sleep deprivation. This study could produce a greater awareness of the effects of sleep deprivation and may lead to changes in student perception and changes in high school class schedules
She has won numerous science competitions, including the 2006 National Science Olympiad. Katherine is president of the Science Club at her school and has plans to do research at Oak Ridge National Laboratories for a school-related program this summer. Currently a junior in high school, Katherine has not yet determined her career path. However, she is interested in biological research and public health.