Cox 1

Jasmine Cox
Professor Asher John
English 104
8 October 2013
Online Social Networking: Friend or Foe?
Could you survive without your cellphone for a day? Many would say no, because thats
what todays revolutionary society has become. With todays advancements in modern
technology, its becoming increasing aware to the general public that the amount of young adults
(Ages 18-25) that use their cell phones, PDAs, laptops, etc to access social media websites is
phenomenal. In a recent U.S national survey, it was documented that 87% of individuals between
the ages 18 and 32 currently go online regularly, with 60% of the individuals in that age group
having created a profile on a social networking website. (Szwedo, Mikami, and Allen, pg.454)
However, there is a reason for such a high rate.
Given the advancements in societys social media websites, many people now have 24
hour access to multisurface platforms that provide a multitude of informational outlets. As the
nature of most young adults, they access these social media websites daily and its fallen into
question whether or not those social media websites are contributing positively or negatively to
their social interaction ability with the people in their social network.
Many young adults today use their cellphones to access their social media websites, such
as: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram. These well-known social platforms provided a
gateway to relationships and opportunities that make up the daily life of any young adult.
Tweeting their favorite song lyrics, updating their Facebook with a new status about an article
Cox 2

they read online, or even Instagraming a cute kitten they just adopted. Regardless of the
situation, the user is creating a network field around them in which they interact with the
community. Whether or not this behavior is good or bad however, has yet to be answered.
Its been recorded that many young adults to participate in social media networking
websites have a higher chance of integrating within the social norms because they do not have to
face the challenges of adapting to physical cues that many humans are exposed to during
conversation. For those that are social inept, conversing online alleviates the pressure of having
to fit within those norms and act appropriately to said cues. (Szwedo, Mikami, and Allen,
pg.454) On the other hand, its also been documented that many of the youths that participate in
social media networking have shown increased signs of depressive behavior when using the
Internet to make friends. This may show that while youths are engaging in social interaction,
they are losing the key points of socialization and neglecting in-person relationships for online
ones. (Szwedo, Mikami, and Allen, pg.454)
With the inability to distinguish whether or not social networking with young adults is
good or bad for the future society, many scholars have begun to raise questions. Such as: If
social media websites were never implemented in this worlds society, would the network
connections that many hold today still be there? Would getting rid of social media websites have
a positive or negative impact on the youth around the world, essential those in college of higher
learning facilities that need social media outlets to make connections? How exactly would the
world differ today if social media websites were locked and made harder for younger adults to
access them? What would society be like today if social media websites were strictly
professional and designed only for making business connections, not leisure relationships? These
types of questions are consistently being asked around the world, for the significance of social
Cox 3

media websites has yet to be fully determined, though they have both positive and negative
feedback.
In addition to questions being asked, methods are used to answer said questions. Using
the University Libraries OneSearch, CardCat, and several other databases to conduct research on
the topic is the number one priority. Scholarly sources that have been peer reviewed by several
other scholars or professors and have full text with references available is the route chosen, as
well as delineating a survey to be handed out to a handful of students on the Ball State Campus.
Such questions to be asked on the survey may consist of: What social media websites to you visit
regularly? Have you gained any monetary value from the social media websites you visit daily?
How have the relationships youve retained through social media websites affected you, and will
you continued to use them for networking? Do you feel as though youve connected well with
many people you would not have connected with if it werent for the social media websites you
visit? This is just a handful of potential questions to be asked that all retain to the valued question
on if social media websites do truly give an impact to the user and if theyve social integrated as
well as theyd hoped due to the social media websites they daily visit. For a topic such as this,
the public opinion is crucial, since this is a topic that deals with the effects of social media
websites on young adults.
In such, the order in which the research will be conducted in something that is stabilized:
For two weeks, 12-15 scholarly sources were collected and analyzed to be rewritten in a
literature review following the research proposal. Upon finishing the literature review, conjuring
up a correct and concise survey or questionnaire would be viable, then distributing the survey to
local Ball State students to be completed then and there at their discretion. Once the surveys
Cox 4

were completed, they would be analyzed and displayed within the research document yielding
the results of the research.
With all of this completed, many would be astounded with the actual reasoning behind all
of this work, though the answer is simple. Knowledge. Many individuals today do not know the
necessary etiquette and physical cues to be able to function in a social environment, though many
are ultimately ruined by the experience as well. The pros and cons of social media networking
websites have been outlined by many, but never truly touched on the value of these results in
college setting, where the social media networking websites are both crucial and detrimental in
the furthering of the students career. As a student, an informer, and a seeker of knowledge, its a
duty anyone would perform. It will enlighten many who simply do not know, or prove some
statements right or wrong in the eyes of the public.
Many scholars demean the value of social media websites for the negative aspects that
the websites may provide and shun or ignore the positives, as some may be the exact opposite of
this statement. The point is that social media websites are revolutionary in this day and age for
social integration of young adults. Without it, making an impact on the community is nearly
impossible unless the person chooses to stand outside with signs with their name pasted on every
billboard. Social media websites provide connections to situations that may further the education
of an individual or may teach the individual a lesson. They may learn something theyve never
known before or teach it to someone else who happens to share their interest. Whether or not
social media websites are positive or negative doesnt matter. What matters, is that they provide
information, possibilities, and relationships for young adults that is necessary for complete social
integration.

Cox 5


Literature Review

Online Social Networking Websites have becoming a crucial step in the social integration
of young and matured adults alike for the past several years. The value behind social integration
for young adults is a topic not normally touched on, for many believe that young adults social
lives is comprised mainly of real life companions and relationships. However, the average
teenager spends the majority of their time on some type of social media networking website,
whether it be Facebook, Twitter, or some other platform. Whether or not the social media
websites provide positive or negative effects on their social interactions with other young adults
has yet to be tested. In the present paper, the role of social media networking websites and its
effects on young adults is investigated. The following paragraphs attempt to explain the positive
and negative effects of social media networking websites on young adults.
Young adults social network friendships are linked to their psychological well-being and
whether or not the association can be linked to their social functioning is examined in a study
performed by Allen (2012) and explained in his research article. He goes on to mention that
social networking access has exploded, giving it timeless access from all types of platforms. This
makes way for a longer period of social interaction via the Internet. Allen also states that while
online communication has become a rapidly increasing priority for young adults, it has both
positive and negative effects such as: inability to function in normal physical conversations,
increased social habits, increase in depressive symptoms, as well as larger friend networks and
opportunities to meet successful individuals.
Continued on to state that young adults who participate in social networking have: a
higher risk of forming lower quality relationships, poor adjustment, as well as counterproductive
Cox 6

uses of self-report of internet use, furthered by the study done by Hare (2010), who has also
stated that young adults also cope better with internalizing symptoms, have better face-to-face
social interaction and an increased rate of success in social communication. Hare goes on to
analyze the quality of Internet-Based relationships to Face-to-Face relationships, mentioning that
both have their positive and negative side effects though they are subjected to the individual who
chooses to use the website in whatever way it may seem fit.
The social ties, social networks and the Facebook experience is all something that must
be congregated into one concise statement, as written in a study conducted by Young (2011),
suggests that Ideally, online communication between young and mature adults has been
strengthened by the invention of Facebook, being that you can connect with new friends and
reconnect with past classmates, workers, and family members whos communication had been
lost in travel or during the process of moving. Overall, as Young states, there is a positive
correlation between communication activities on Facebook and the strength of relationships and
social ties created both face-to-face and virtually. She goes on to explain that Facebook users are
more social adapted to any type of social gathering due the integration via the Internet platform.
Making and maintaining relationships has become less than a chore and the convenience of
social media networks is outstanding.
The importance of Myspace, mentioned by Rapacki (2007), rationalized that Myspace
was another form of social media networking although it is not as popular as Twitter or
Facebook. Rapacki states that Myspace is important for young adults so that they may be able to
properly express themselves through social media and find a place of belonging among their
peers. This also comes to conclude that the social communication is being forwarded as positive,
although negative terms may be used. He claims that although young adults may express
Cox 7

negative emotions onto their social networking site, its still an outlet that provides a safety net
type of network around that individual. This allows young adults to define themselves by the
social ties they have, as well as their freedom to express themselves unrestricted.
However, Stroms (2012) suggest that the social ties created with social networks are
poisonous to young adults. The Storms mention that while social networks provide a way for
young adults to more easily connect with one another, if also gives an underrated sense of danger
that many are not aware of. They say that poor social habits provide young adults with toxic
relationships that cause depression and worsened chances of young adults making successful
integration habits into a society that has both virtual and face-to-face relationships. They suggest
that young adults remember that cyberbullying is still a thing that exists, as well as those who
prey on individuals who disclose personal identifiable information easily, subjecting them to
victimization. The Stroms state that there are few benefits from the source, but the negatives
outweigh the positives in a subject as sensitive as this.
In addition, the negative effects of social networking websites outweigh the potential
benefits brought on by online communication due to the addictive behavior behind the notion
written in a study by Wilson, Fornasier, and White (2010). They state that because social
networking has become such an important task in young adult lives, its been known that the
addictive nature behind social media websites tends to form a build-up of personality and self-
esteem manipulators. They suggest that Internet applications give the user too much free will,
which incline them to become dependent on the freedom social networks give them. Consistent
checking for updates, stalking another persons profile, and even becoming illogically enraged
by the lack of online communication are just several adverse effects that they state social media
websites can conjure up for young adults. In their article, it is therefore mentioned that social
Cox 8

media opportunities that ride on online communication to be handled at a moderate level or the
relapse into destructive behavior is eminent.
The concern surrounding social networks is that they provide an opening for self-
promotion via self-description, a variety of photos consisting of several different things, and a
large number of shallow relationships which are all continually linked to narcissism is furthered
by a study written on this topic by Buffardi and Campbell (2008). They go on to claim that
Narcissism is explained to be a personality trait reflecting boasting or inflated self-concept.
Central to the articles statement is that narcissism breeds a ground for weak social ties, due to the
user building the relationship upon narcissism. Such a habit has the ability to detach the user
from the rest of the social community as other users will undoubtedly spread the concept of the
user being so narcissistic. This breeds grounds for social rejection, giving the opposite intended
effect of social networking websites and reducing the chances of proper social integration by
means of personality defaults.
The subject of negative effects on young adults due to social media networks is continued
by a study done by Moreno, Jelenchick, Egan, Cox, Young, Gannon, and Becker. (2011) This
group focuses primarily on the adverse effects social media websites ( Mainly Facebook ) give
young adults. The main adverse effect is depression, as it is something that is high debated
throughout the whole topic of college students and the use of Facebook. They go on to state that
while Facebook might supply signs that a student may be suffering from an undiagnosed type of
depression, its often the very cause of the depression. With their studies and research, they
concluded that the majority of their Facebook sample that was surveyed showed signs of
reflecting depressive symptoms through their statuses and the reason for those depressive
Cox 9

thoughts were somehow correlated to the relationships theyd enhanced or created through the
use of Facebook.
Social ties created through Facebook are neither positive nor negative, but have achieved
a title of grey area as written in a study done by Ellison, Steinfield, and Lampe (2007). They
state that social connections created through Facebook proved a gateway for socialization for
young adults that cannot be matched by any other social media website, but its also mentioned
that the negative effects of Facebook are something that cannot be overlooked by the positives. It
goes on to claim that the social relationships created via the Internet do not hold the monetary
value that a relationship from a face-to-face relationship may hold, but it is in no part less
significant than the other. It continues on to mention that the social integration tool is a widely
known platform but should be used with caution to avoid the negative effects that can bloom if
not taken into consideration.
The effects of Facebook in relation to attitudes, behaviors, and personality traits that may
enhance an individuals ability to successfully integrate into society, a study done by Valenzuela,
Park, and Lee (2009). It mentions these things to even out the balance between both positive and
negative significant associations that come with the social integration process of young adults. It
is not meant to provide an arch that suggests that one half if better and the other half is not. The
articles purpose is to provide the visual variables they can be taken advantage of when a user
chooses to delve into the online social community. They go on to explain that online social
networks are not the worst solution of social integration, but at the same time it is not the
greatest.
The concept of social networks being used by millions of people simple for the fact of
social integration and gratification given by the use of social media websites is something that
Cox 10

this centuries scholars need to get behind. Another study created by Wilcox and Stephen (2013),
who state that little is known about social media websites effects on an individuals behavior. In
their study, they conclude that social network users experience enhances self-esteem and strong
social ties, while at the same time increasing the risk of loss of self-control and an increase of
body mass index and high levels of credit card debt due to the users finding while browsing the
social media website. They also touch on the significance of self-control in young adults as a
mechanism for maintaining social order and the ability to integrate. The article places an
importance on self-presentation while on social media websites but to refrain from slipping into a
narcissistic attitude on the subject.
The importance of the being able to distinguish the difference between real life and
internet social networks was the final addition, touched on in a study done by Acar (2008). He
explains the outcomes of creating social ties via the Internet, and the outcomes of creating social
ties via face-to-face, their effects, and the importance of each. His article goes over the reasoning
behind the significantly different size in both online and real life social networks, and provides
examples as to why. The results show that gender and social exposure are the main reasons why
network size and time put into it are significantly different, as well as the importance of young
adults understanding this difference and applying it to their daily habits. He finishes his article by
touching on the negative impact on self-esteem by online social networks and directions for how
to change such results.
In conclusion, the previously mentioned articles touch on various different aspects of
online social networking, as well as the positives and negatives and what should be done to
change outcomes for either. Young adults are more susceptible to the negative effects of social
media networking due to the face that the majority of these users are either working or in college,
Cox 11

where stress is enhanced two times the normal rate. The need for social interaction is extremely
important to these individuals, and should be taken advantage of with the proper precautions set
in place. All young adults that plan to engage in online social media networking should refrain
from developing a narcissistic personality and use the media platform sparingly. While its
important to keep relationships strong, it is not worth the negative connotations that develop with
an obsessive attitude is prolonged exposure is initiated.

Cox 12


Reference List

Ellison, Nicole B., Charles Steinfield, and Cliff Lampe. "The Benefits Of Facebook Friends:
Social Capital And College Students Use Of Online Social Network Sites." Journal Of
Computer-Mediated Communication 12.4 (2007): 1143-1168. Communication & Mass
Media Complete. Web. 8 Oct. 2013.
Rapacki, Sean. "Social Networking Sites: Why Teens Need Places Like Myspace." Young Adult
Library Services 5.2 (2007): 28-30. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 Oct. 2013.
Acar, Adam. "Antecedents And Consequences Of Online Social Networking Behavior: The Case
Of Facebook." Journal Of Website Promotion 3.1/2 (2008): 62-83. Communication &
Mass Media Complete. Web. 8 Oct. 2013.
Buffardi, L. E., & Campbell, W. K. (2008). Narcissism and social networking Web sites.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34, 13031314. Web. 8 Oct 2013
Valenzuela, Sebastin, Namsu Park, and Kerk F. Kee. "Is There Social Capital In A Social
Network Site?: Facebook Use And College Students' Life Satisfaction, Trust, And
Participation." Journal Of Computer-Mediated Communication 14.4 (2009): 875-901.
Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 8 Oct. 2013.
Amanda L. Hare, et al. "Adolescent Peer Relationships And Behavior Problems Predict Young
Adults' Communication On Social Networking Websites." Developmental Psychology
46.1 (2010): 46-56. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 Oct. 2013.
Cox 13

Wilson, Kathryn, Stephanie Fornasier, and Katherine M. White. "Psychological Predictors Of
Young Adults' Use Of Social Networking Sites." Cyberpsychology, Behavior & Social
Networking 13.2 (2010): 173-177. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 Oct. 2013.
Moreno MA, Jelenchick LA, Egan KG, Cox E, Young H, Gannon KE, Becker T. Feeling bad on
Facebook: depression disclosures by college students on a social networking site.
Depress Anxiety. (2011) Jun;28. Web. 8 Oct 2013
Young, Kirsty. "Social Ties, Social Networks And The Facebook Experience." International
Journal Of Emerging Technologies & Society 9.1 (2011): 20-34. Academic Search
Premier. Web. 8 Oct. 2013.
Szwedo, David E., Amori Yee Mikami, and Joseph P. Allen. "Social Networking Site Use
Predicts Changes In Young Adults' Psychological Adjustment." Journal Of Research On
Adolescence (Wiley-Blackwell) 22.3 (2012): 453-466. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8
Oct. 2013.
STROM, PARIS, and ROBERT STROM. "Growing Up With Social Networks And Online
Communities." Education Digest 78.1 (2012): 48-51. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8
Oct. 2013.
WILCOX, KEITH, and ANDREW T. STEPHEN. "Are Close Friends The Enemy? Online
Social Networks, Self-Esteem, And Self-Control." Journal Of Consumer Research 40.1
(2013): 90-103. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 8 Oct. 2013.

Cox 14

Survey of Online Social Networking

1. What social media websites do you visit regularly? ( IE: Facebook, Twitter, Myspace )

2. Have you gained any monetary value from the social media websites you visit daily?

3. How have the relationships youve retained through social media websites affected you,
and will you continued to use these online social websites for networking?

4. Do you feel as though youve connected well with many people you would not have
connected with if it werent for the social media websites you visit?


5. Do you find it is easier to connect with friends via the Internet or face-to-face?


6. How often do you use your social media websites? ( Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)

7. How do you think you would differ if you were never introduced to these social media
websites?


8. Are you grateful for the social networking websites you visit daily?


9. If so, why? If not, why not?