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CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE The purpose of this chapter in the study is to offer an overview of the research literature related to the study. There are presented to enable the researcher to have a thorough grasp on the topic under taken and the readers to have a common understanding of the concepts related to the study. Social networking The use of social networking has been found to have positive effects with the development of personal identity and self-esteem. Social networking sites are being used as a place to build personal identity and self-esteem, however along with the benefits of these sites come new concerns, issues and anomalies. Social networking has become staging grounds to test and implement personal identity among youth who desire a safe zone where they can experiment free from the scrutiny of authority figures. An increased level of self-esteem, especially among users with poor self-esteem, is also a trend that is stemming from increased use of social networking and other sites. In addition, the development of social capital seems to be more heavily reliant upon small network clusters, which are just as prevalent offline as online, revealing that social networking, are only of small value for building social capital. (Broeck, Pierson, & Lievens, 2007). The explosion in popularity of social networking site represents one of the fastest uptakes of a communication technology since the web was developed in the early 1990s. As of March 2009, 2 of the Top 10 most popular websites worldwide were social networking sites (Facebook and Myspace; Alexa Top Sites, http://alexa.com). Academic research on

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social networking is growing, with focus on a range of issues including privacy (Gross,Acquisti, & Heinz, 2005), identity and reputation (Boyd & Heer, 2006; Walther, Van Der Heide, Kim, Westerman, & Tong, 2008), and the role these sites play in relationship maintenance and the accumulation of resources like social capital (Choi, 2006; Ellison, Steinfeld, & Lampe, 2007). These sites typically allow an individual to connect her/his personal profile to the profiles of other users, resulting in a public display of ones entire (online) social network. On a technical level, becoming a friend requires only a few clicks of the mouse, rather than any investment in conversation or social support. This results in a diversity of approaches to understanding social networking friendship. General social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace include photo sharing as a key functionality. Miller and Edwards (2007) note that two relatively distinct modes of photo sharing can be observed onlineboth the traditional sharing of photos with an existing social network of friends and family, and an emergent form of public sharing with strangers and online acquaintances. These two groups are perhaps better understood as representing ends of a spectrum of sharing behaviors, as the boundaries of intimacy increasingly are blurred by technological affordances. However, it is reasonable to assume that a primary goal of digital photo sharing, like analog photo sharing, is the development and maintenance of interpersonal relationships. Recent research indicates that social networking sites should be seen as a cultural context in which young people engage in processes of identity development. Manago et al. regard social networking as a rich cultural context in which norms of social interaction and opportunities for self-presentation create new possibilities for experimentation and reflection about possible selves. Each respondent in a social

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networking site presents himself/herself through a profile, which can be modified every time the owner of the profile visits the site. In their qualitative study of social networking using focus groups with college students, Manago and colleagues detected several aspects of self presentation and identity formation. Above all, the students used social networking for presenting themselves in interactions with friends. Through the public performance they reify their selves, i.e. through the self-presentations intended for a more or less public audience they make themselves real. The use of social networking sites also creates opportunities for identity exploration. However, because of the online-offline connection, obvious contradictions between the profile and the offline characteristics would be realized by viewers. Some other aspects of social networking sites are that they are used for social comparison, to display social relationships through communication on the public comment wall or the friends list, and to display membership in exclusive groups. Regarding gender identity, Manago et al. conclude that gender role constructions on social networking site seem to correspond to gender role constructions in mainstream US culture: females as affiliative and attractive, males as strong and powerful. However, they also detected increasing pressure for young men to display their physical attractiveness. Because young peoples online world seems to represent an extension and elaboration of offline interaction, Subrahmanyam et al. further conclude that social realities and roles translate into the online context. Even though in the research on social networking sites, only a few students reported that the use of such sites has directly affected their face-to-face relationship, it suggest that it nonetheless has implications for young peoples offline development. First, emerging adults use such sites to interconnect with their peers, which is a core developmental issue during this life phase. Second, on

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social networking sites youth can present themselves in an experimental way, which contributes to the development of their sense of self. In both respects, social networking sites seem to provide a new developmental playground for adolescents and emerging adults. Furthermore, respondents main reason for using social networking sites was to stay in contact/communicate with friends. Similarly, in a recent qualitative study in Germany of how 13-16 year old girls and boys participation in local online social networks (www.localisten.de) related to local offline integration into peer networks, found that in the virtual day-today communication with friends continues. As such, the teenagers activities in such local online communities document and stabilize existing relationships with friends. Other results from US populations support our findings. For instance, Ellison et al.s study that examined whether offline social capital could be generated online with the use of the social networking site,Facebook, found that college students, particularly girls, reported using Facebook mostly to connect with people from their offline world, above all to keep in touch with old friends rather than to meet new people. Similarly, Lenhart and Madden found that adolescents, particularly girls use social networking sites to keep in contact with peers from their offline life, either to make plans with friends that they see often or to keep in touch with friends they rarely see. The increased use of Social Networking Websites has become an international phenomenon in the past several years. What started out as a hobby for some computer literate people has become a social norm and way of life for people from all over the world (Boyd, 2007). Teenagers and young adults have especially embraced these sites as a way to connect with their peers, share information, reinvent their personalities, and showcase their social lives (Boyd, 2007). Social Networking Sites (SNS) have been

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popular since the year 2002 and have attracted and fascinated tens of millions of Internet users (Boyd & Ellison, 2007). Though only a few have gained worldwide publicity and attention, the Federal Bureau of Investigation estimated that there are over 200 different sites that are used for social networking (Duven & Timm, 2008). Most people who are members of these sites, such as Facebook (over 400 million users) and MySpace (over 100 million users) participate in them on a daily basis (Duven & Timm, 2008). Each person who becomes a member of a SNS has the opportunity to create his or her own webpage or profile which is supposed to be seen as a reflection of that persons personality (Tufekci, 2008). By using this personal profile, one can build an entire social network based on his or her own personal preferences (Boyd & Ellison, 2007). The idea behind most of this phenomenon, as with many websites, is to help people feel socially connected and part of a community, even though they may be sitting home alone at their computer (Coyle & Vaughn, 2008). Respondents may connect with other people they know through school, work, or an organization, or they may meet complete strangers from all over the world (Coyle & Vaughn, 2008). They do this by searching for people and adding them as friends so that they may share information with them and other networks that those people may be a part of (Boyd & Ellison, 2007). Being friends in the SNS world simply means that two profiles have been linked together (Tufekci, 2008). This, in turn, expands a persons network greatly, so that they may meet and share information with even more members (Coyle & Vaughn, 2008). In addition, being friends with someone on a SNS allows a person to communicate in a variety of ways such as sending private and public messages, participating in on-line games, commenting on photos that have been posted, sharing

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music or movie preferences, responding to journal entries, and much more (Livingstone, 2008). In one authors opinion, Creating and networking online content is becoming an integral means of managing ones identity, lifestyle and social relations Livingstone, 2008, 394). click of a button may mean the loss or gain of a friendship, and a friendship on a SNS may be with someone who is not a friend in real life (Livingstone, 2008).Though there are several options for privacy on these sites, research has shown that the public aspect of sharing information is what draws many to join and participate (Duven & Timm, 2008). Privacy has a new definition when referring to Social networking sites, since just becoming a member requires a person to give certain personal information (Duven & Timm, 2008). Some sites, like Facebook, started as a way for college students to connect and having an edu email address was required for signing up (Tufekci, 2008). Now, this site is open for all users, which also increases the amount of people who may have two accounts: One for private use, and one for business or school use (Tufekci, 2008).When conceptualizing why these sites appeal to so many people, it is significant to note that each SNS focuses on the presentation of self and social status (Tufekci, 2008). Each person who joins a SNS must choose a picture to post on their personal profile, which is the picture that will be used as a representation of themselves (Barker, 2009). Some people use a recent picture of their face or a photo of a group of friends, while others choose a different image that they want to represent them or their values (Barker, 2009). Either way, this picture is significant when looking at a SNS because it shows how each individual would like to be seen by others (Barker, 2009). Not only does joining a SNS help gain and preserve popularity, but selecting the perfect pictures to post are also very important aspects of the experience (Siibak, 2009).

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According to a recent study done on visual impression management and social networking sites, approximately 60% of adolescents will spend more time selecting which pictures to post on their profile than actually communicating with others (Siibak, 2009). This shows that these SNSs are not just for keeping in touch with classmates and meeting new people, they are used to build adolescent identities (Siibak, 2009). Because social networking sites are used primarily by adolescents and young adults, the next section will discuss this group of individuals and their Internet use. In the beginning years of personal computers and Internet access, websites were used primarily for information gathering and research (Alexander & Salas, 2008). In the past several years, the Internet has become the center of communication between people, as well as being their prime source of entertainment (Alexander & Salas, 2008). It has also become the tool used for almost every project or paper that a student will write in high school, and in their later years in college (Alexander & Salas, 2008). In recent studies, adolescents have shown to be the greatest consumers of the Internet, particularly for social interactions (Lin & Subrahmanyam, 2007). Social networking sites, as well as email, instant messaging, blogging, and online journals have completely changed the way that adolescents interact and gather information (Raacke & Raacke, 2008). Adolescents have become accustomed to this lifestyle much more than older generations have in recent years, as this way of living is all they know (Lewis, 2008). Teenagers now use the Internet for the majority their daily activities and information gathering, as opposed to older generations who used resources like the television or newspaper (Lewis, 2008). A recent survey showed that approximately ninety percent of teens in the have Internet access, and about seventy-five percent of these teens use the Internet more than once per

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day (Kist, 2008). This study also showed that approximately half of all teens who have Internet access are also members of social networking sites, and use the Internet to make plans and socialize with friends (Kist, 2008). As one researcher stated, Teens use [the Internet] as an extension of their personality, to show their friends-and the world- who they are, what they care about, and to build connections with other like-minded people (Goodman, 2007, 84). It is estimated that the vast majority of teenagers in the visit at least one social networking site approximately twenty times each day (Peter & Valkenburg, 2009). There is often controversy as to whether or not adolescents should be able to freely use the Internet for communicating with others (Tynes, 2009). Parents in particular are strongly cautioned by the media and school officials about online predators and the influence of certain websites on teenagers (Tynes, 2009). They may use Internet services such as CyberNanny to block certain websites and keep records of what their children may be looking at on the Internet (Tynes, 2009). Other parents make house rules about when the Internet may be used or insist that the computer be located in a central area of the house so that they may monitor what is being looked at by their teen (Tynes, 2009).Social networking sites have also been in the center of concern for many parents because of safety concerns and/or risks (Tynes, 2009). Other parents just simply do not want their children staring at the computer too long. The risks and dangers of teen internet usage are constantly flooding television shows, newscasts, and magazines, always warning parents to educate parents on teen Internet behaviors (Tynes, 2009).Sharing inappropriate information or disclosing too much information is another concern that many adults have about teens that participate in social networking online (DeSouza & Dick, 2008). In a recent study done on teens and their MySpaceparticipation,

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it was estimated that at least 65% of teens who had a MySpace account had very personal information on their profile pages (DeSouza & Dick, 2008). Behavioral impact of social networking The social network approach holds that the behavior of an individual is affected by the kinds of relations, or technical ties, and networks more than by the norms and attributes that an individual possesses. Behavior is the manner of conducting oneself and anything that an organism does involving action and response to stimulation. (MerriamWebster Online Dictionary, 2012)The behavior of an organism is that portion of the organism's interaction with its environment that is characterized by detectable displacements in space through time of some part of the organism and that results in a measurable change in at least one aspect of the environment. Human behavior is defined as: an observable, measurable movement of some part of the body through space and time. The defining characteristics of behavior include: an individual phenomena, includes some movement, regardless of scale, occurs in real time, and dynamic--it changes over time (Pelaez, 2009). Beyond a keen eye towards the technical features of an SNS platform, additional studies are needed to identify those youth who might be prone to risky online behavior and why they participate in such activities. One theoretical question is to understand what characteristicsi.e., social, emotional, or behavioralrelate to adolescents seeking or experiencing negative behavior in online communities. Factors such as age, gender, experience level, and personality traits appear to i nuence youth risks in online setting. For example, in a survey of 412 Dutch teenagers, Peter et al.(2006) nd that younger adolescents were more likely to talk with strangers. In addition, teens that used the Inter- net to explicitly meet new friends or to overcome their own shyness

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(social compensation) communicated with strangers more often. Early studies of college students and Facebook nd that peer inuence is related to safety behaviors in SNS. Students appear more likely to have a private prole if their friends or roommates also used privacy settings (Lewis, Kaufman, & Christakis, 2008). Such results offer a hypothesis that peer effects inuence the safety behaviors of youth online. Finally, a recent report by the Berkman Center for Internet & Society observes that while the Internet may potentially provide access to negative experiences for children, technology alone is not the causal mechanism (Berkman Center for Internet & Society, 2008). Factors such as age inuence when and how youth experience unwanted sexual solicitation or cyberbullying. In addition, youth characteristics are related to both those who are victims of online harassment, and those who bully their peers. The underlying social, psychological, and emotional characteristics of youth inuence whether they engage in negative activity, and technology provides another avenue (but is not a cause) for these behaviors. Physical impact of social networking According to Susan Greenfield , Social Networking has a bad effect on your body and your brain. She stated in a British newspaper that social networking sites remind her of the way that small babies need constant reassurance that they exist and make her worry about the effects that this sort of stimulation is having on the brains of users. Also, Lady Greenfield told The Daily Mail that she fears the technologies because it infantilizing the brain into the state of small children who are attracted by buzzing noises and bright lights. These results to small attention span .While an Educational psychologist named Jane Healy believes that children should be kept away from

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computer games until they are seven. The fact that most games only trigger the 'flight or fight' region of the brain, rather than the vital areas responsible for reasoning. Also according to Steve Daviss of the Baltimore Washington Medical Center, frequent Facebook use rewires the brain and sparking fear that excessive social networking can cause mental and health issues.He also stated that social network use releases dopamine in response to online interactions that setting up a potentially addictive cycle. Social networking site were likely to develop eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and extreme dieting, Israeli researchers recently found. Exposure to online fashion and music content, as well as watching TV shows like Gossip Girl, were also associated with an increased risk for eating disorders. But researchers arent saying that social networking sites necessarily cause eating disorders, it may be that people prone to eating disorders spend more time online. The researchers found out that parents can help protect their daughters from harmful effects of media: The children of parents who were aware of what their daughters were viewing online and talked to them about what they saw and how much time they spent . This will help in not developing eating disorders. A study presented of the American Public Health Association's (APHA) annual meeting stated that teens that spend lots of time on social networks run a higher risk of developing health problems. Hyper-networking, defined as spending more than three hours a day on social networking sites, produced a higher likelihood of trying cigarettes, binge drinking, and using illegal drugs among other activities that researchers consider "dangerous," says Scott Frank, lead researcher and director of Case Western Reserve School of Medicine's Master of Public Health program. "This should be a wake-up call

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for parents to not only help their children stay safe by not texting and driving, but by discouraging excessive use of the cell phone or social websites in general." According to the Daily Mail, social networking could raise the risk of cancer. The newspaper reported that social networking sites could raise your risk of serious health problems by reducing levels of face-to-face contact. This, and several other media reports, is based on an article expressing the opinion of the psychologist Dr Aric Sigman, who is concerned that a reduction in personal contact could increase the risks of heart disease, stroke and dementia. Research at the UCLA School of Medicine is reported to have found that social isolation can affect the level to which genes are active in white blood cells. People reporting high levels of social isolation had 78 genes that were more active and 131 genes that were less active than in people with low levels of social isolation. Additionally the genes that were less active are reported to include those involved in the bodys response to stress and illness, while those that were more active are reported to include those involved in promoting inflammation during stress and illness. A study of people taking part in the landmark Framingham Heart Study found that if one sibling became obese during the study, the chance that another sibling would become obese increased by 40%. You could write that off to genetics. The same thing happened if a spouse became obese. Again, no surprise, since spouses share meals and may have similar exercise habits. But if study respondents had a friend who became obese, the chance the study respondent would become obese rose by 57%. Sure, friends share some meals, but nothing like most meals.Although scientists dont fully understand how obesity spreads, they suspect that a social network influences what its members

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perceive as normal and acceptable. If people see their friends becoming heavier and heavier over time, they may accept weight gain as natural, even inevitable. Instead of exercising more or eating less when their weight begins to creep up, they may simply go with the flow and join the crowd. According to Dr. Matthew Gardiner an ophthalmologist at Mass Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston , he sees many patients with whats called computer vision syndrome that causes burning and irritation of the eye. This is because of too much social networking and exposure to the monitor.People focus intently on the screen and they forget to blink. This can lead to dry eyes which causes the irritation. Also according to Wake Forest Family Eyecare, people who spend two or more continuous hours in front of a computer or digital media each day are most at risk for computer vision syndrome. According to the UKs Society of Biology (2009) report Well connected? The biological implications of social networking , theres a decline in direct face-to-face social contact is linked to biological changes in 209 genes associated with a growing number of specific physiological alterations and significant health risks. The rapid proliferation of electronic media is now making private space available in almost every sphere of the individuals life. Yet this is now the most significant contributing factor to societys growing physical estrangement. Whether in or out of the home, more people of all ages are physically and socially disengaged from the people around them because they are wearing earphones, talking or texting on a mobile telephone, or using a laptop. An article of Child Refuge stated that social media is responsible for revolutionizing traditional communication. However, research has shown that social

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networking sites can be very addictive. People who use social networking sites for their daily communication are hooked to a point that they neglect health responsibilities, especially their diet. The addictive nature of social media leads to eating disorders, obesity, heart problems, sleep disorders, and other pertinent health issues. Additionally, constant exposure to the internet because of social networking addiction prevents a child or teen from engaging in physical activities and socialization. They become so dependent on it that they start to think making contact with other people outside the social network is not necessary. As such, they become socially and physically stagnant. Also, the result, according to research from Harvard Medical School, is all too familiar. Scientists interested in studying the social influences contributing to eating disorders focused on a population of school girls living in Fiji, an ideal setting to tease apart the impact of television, since in some areas, only 8% of households own TVs while in the more urbanized regions, 85% of homes have owned them since they were first introduced around 1995. By comparing rates of eating disorders, a condition highly subject to social influences, among the girls, the team determined that those exposed to television were 60% more likely to display abnormal eating habits than those without such exposure. Rebecca Gilbert (2011) stated that there is a difference between staying uplate to finish a task or to check a social network one last time before bed and neglecting sleep so you don't miss anything new or to keep chatting online. Connecting with others is a great way to catch up with others or to increase your career network, but allowing it to take over time you need to rest negatively affects your energy levels. Staying up late,or forcing yourself to stay up all night to socialize online, also hurts your mood and may make you short-tempered or easily angered. Spending more than an hour on a social

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networking site, other than for work purposes, and realizing you don't know how much time has passed is a problem. If you forget to pick up your kids from school or miss appointments because of social media, it is negatively affecting your life. Using a timer helps keep you from spending too much time online. Using Facebook at work could lead to job loss if you miss deadlines and meetings. For someone who telecommutes, spending too much time on social networking sites means incomplete projects and less money made at work. (Gilbert, 2011) A new study reveals that the amount of time spent on Facebook or other social media doesnt affect how much sleep college students get each night. (University of Hampshire, 2010) The research led by University of Hampshire shows no correlations between the times spend on social networking and amount of sleep. The study indicates that surfing social media barely keeps students up at night. (Professor Chuck Martin of University of Hampshire, 2010). Social networks taken as tools in the research were defined as Facebook, YouTube, blogs, Twitter, MySpace and Linked In. They found that of heavy users of social media, 60 percent get a light amount of sleep per night. Of light users of social media, 60 percent also get a light amount of sleep per night. Slightly more than one out of 10 (12 percent) of both heavy and light users of social media sleep nine or more hours per night. According to James Reiman, without privacy there are two ways in which our freedom can be appreciably attenuated. First, there is the risk of an extrinsic loss of freedom because the lack of privacy often makes individuals vulnerable to having their behavior controlled by others. Sensitive information collected without ones permission and knowledge can be a potent weapon in the hands of those in positions of authority.

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Such information might be used to deprive individuals of certain rewards and opportunities, such as job promotions or transfers, or may preclude eligibility for insurance for insurance and other important necessities. This thwarts our autonomy, our basic capacity for making choices and directing our lives without interference. As Carol Gould has observed, privacy is a protection against unwanted imposition or coercion by others and thus a protection of ones freedom of action. There is also the risk of an intrinsic loss of freedom. It is common known edge that most people will behave differently when they are being watched or monitored by others. In these circumstances, it is normal to feel more inhibited and tentative about ones plans and activities. As Richard Wassestrom puts it, without privacy life is often less spontaneous and more measured. Social impact of social networking According to Vitak (2008), There are some reasons why an individual uses a social networking site. The first reason is for them to meet strangers and become friends with them. This type of relationship is what we call a weak interpersonal relationship. Some were initially introduced to those friends through mutual friends, which increases the likelihood of such relationships developing into strong ties. Through social networking sites, the user tends to maintain his weak interpersonal relationship with his online friends because of an easy communication. A user can use private messaging, chat rooms, and other method of communicating provided by a website. On the other hand, a strong interpersonal relationship with an offline friend needs time and effort to be maintained. Distance between two users that can change an offline relationship is also a

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reason why an individual uses social net working. One reason for the use of social networking is to stay in touch with their offline friends. Keeping in touch with friends remains the primary reason for the site usage across both years in school and gender. With the use of private messaging and chat rooms of a site, students can communicate and maintain a healthy relationship with their friends from far places with ease that takes only a few seconds to complete it. However, social networking sites also have negative effects in offline relationships. Some things found in the site can lead to misinterpretation for some people. Because of online messaging or comments that are visible to everyone in the friends list of a user, an offline relationship can be affected or destroyed due to fights that will happen. One example is a jealous boyfriend saw a comment from a mysterious boy posted on the wall of his girlfriend that says intimate words, because of this, the relationship between the girl and his boyfriend can be broken. Another negative effect is, because of posting comments on the wall of a user became much easier, it will also be effortless, for the other people to spread rumors and gossips that can destroy a life of an individual. As a larger percentage of communication moves into the digital arena, we will see a general weakening of ties between people. This weakening will be less pervasive among a persons closest circle of friends and more obvious among lesser friends, as digital communication will become the primary mode of communication in these relationships. According to the PEW Internet Research Company (2006.), college students overwhelmingly reported that their social life on campus has been affected by the internet. The internet serves two purposes for students: using the internet to stay in

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contact with professors and for working on group projects; and secondly to be in sync with family members and friends. One principal in a school of Capital High School in Washington, named Clinton Giles (2012) said For every benefit, I have seen at least one negative, especially here in the school setting. You can say anything about anyone, anytime, anywhere and not fear any repercussions, except someone else might write something nasty about you. While the rise of social networking has made it easier for people to stay connected, some worry that the need for up-to-the-minute updates is negatively impacting a younger generations ability to mature socially and could be stunting academic growth. It is much easier to make a testimonial about one person based on the things you see on a users profile. Creating and extending information about someone can lead to misinterpretation and could possibly destroy the users image. According to Tynes (2008) Teenagers also use the online world to find information they may not have access to at school or in their local community. They turn to social networking forums and connect with people who share specialized interests and activities, such as online gaming, video editing or other artistic endeavors to help them with their personal projects. It is often noted that teenagers would first head online in search for a question than to ask parents or school educators for help. Many of them feel that the Internet can grant them the privacy they need and offer a quicker and more straightforward answer to their queries. Young people can also inadvertently learn a lot through trial and error and from their peers and online communities. In all of these cases, there is an opportunity to learn or gain new perspectives while browsing for information online, one which is not limited to textbook syllabus. By exploring new interests with

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new forms of media, young people are also picking up basic technical skills, such as how to create a video or customize a MySpace page. As stated by McMillan and Morrison (2006.), online relationships often mirror offline relationships, and provide students with a way to strengthen their real-life connections. With this information we feel that this relates to our hypothesis in that having relationships via social networking sites, personal relationships may be affected. The Internet has caused college students to be more creative, literate, and possess stronger social skills. The internet makes it easier for students to possess non-dominant viewpoints, as the internet has outlets for many issues and movements, such as in forums, online chat rooms, and social networks. No matter what a student finds him/herself involved with they can always relate it to other students via the net. A chat forum can only help to benefit students' social skills by forcing them to interact with other students as opposed to sitting and pretending to be intrigued. Social networking sites are designed for students who want to network themselves. No student is forced to deal with utilizing these sites, however with technology at such a strong hold with society today it is almost expected that students participate. For every student nowadays, it much easier for them to get involved in a discussion since they just need to get online and post their thoughts, ideas and feelings about the topic being discussed on the board. One interesting note about social networking is its use of updating the status. According to Madalena David (2011),its use as a way of updating status relationships as 37 million people has changed their status to married and 44 million changed their status to single. The decision of posting the status relationship on the Facebook and other sites their profile brings about discussions and decision-making among partners and single

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users as well. Some research indicated that young people perceive psychological risk associated with feeling uncomfortable or regretful about their disclosure, and social risk such as experiencing conflict with parents whenever they post their relationship status. It also found that online disclosures can have a negative impact on romantic relationship from Muise et al (2009). In the area of romantic relationships, Matsuba (2010) research has shown that real life relationships are looked at as more real in the negative and positive dimensions of personal qualities, while internet only relationships were less extreme. If real life relationships are seen as more real and the other social networking is an online medium of communication for those real life relationships, then research needs to look at how far it defines the romantic relationships. Research has found that those who use the internet to create and maintain a secondary romantic relationship in addiction to a real life one showed higher levels of relational certainty and high expectations of future interaction with their online partners. Its also been found that time spent online and positive views of the internet lead to a more favorable view of online romantic relationships. Therefore, theres a possibility that personal romantic beliefs are used more for a conventional relationship than an online-only relationships. While these studies have little relevance to the cultivation of a real life romantic relationship through social net working, it is more important to see the connections and disconnects between real life and internet life. This needs to be developed further to see how much a social net working is used in the initial stages of romantic relational development compared to usage when the partners have a highly developed real life relationship.

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Junior Meghan Gavin (2011) agrees that social net working does effect face-toface communication. She states, People become so distracted in social networking that they often forget about communicating in the most influential way and they have a little hope of being connected to people personally. Student does often forget how to communicate correctly with people in person. Since they tend to see others online and get to talk to them in just a click away. Additionally, Katie Mitcheson, says instead meeting in person, many people choose to virtually chat with friends, family members and even employers on instant messenger, or comment section. Students rely on interpersonal communication on internet rather than face-to-face communication in view of the fact that it may enable users to broaden connections that they otherwise may not have and to strengthen existing friendships. It seems as if the use of these sites could potentially lead to a stronger or larger social circle, depending on the goals of their use. Some users, their focus on using a social net working is to have a larger circle of social friends and acquaintances which they are likely forget to use the right way to communicate and build their own circle of friends in person. Traditional bullying occurs face-to-face and is more than likely related to school problems. It has been researched well in the past and Ybarra, Diener-West and Leaf (2007) observe victims of bullying at school report less positive relationships with classmates and those with multiple victimizations have poorer academic performance. A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself. In addition to that, more likely a student will involve in becoming lonely and will have a poor peer relations to others. The research study also found that

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males are significantly more likely than females to bully and younger youths (early high school) report a higher frequency of bullying than older youths (late high school). They also found that of the main contributing factors with cyber-bullying is a poor caregiverchild emotional bond. That more than two times a likely to engage in online harassment that youth with a strong emotional bond. Social networking sites have been rapidly growing in prominence as venues for relationship formation. According to Engelberg et al, (2004). It provides a flexible way for family and friends to connect with each other through means of online networking. Social separation is thus recognized for the growing popularity of online awareness in social networking sites, where it may no longer be difficult to connect with others far away from you. A user of a social networking can easily be monitored if they have difficulties in connecting and you see their interactions on the profile. Youths in this digital era understand the social value of online activities and therefore, are highly motivated to participate. In a survey done by The National Youth Agency in 2008 showed that over 80 per cent of young people use online social network sites and many of them spending more than two hours a day on these sites. It provides an insight to the significance of social networking in the average teenagers everyday life. Thus, it is important to recognize and understand how online networking impacts teenagers in this digital society for it may lead to a serious impact on their daily lives. According to Israelsen A. (2005) When a new communication medium is introduced, individuals are quite taken by its uniqueness or novelty. A definition of communication by Lierouw (as cited in Israelsen) is the process of sharing ideas, information, and messages with other in a particular time and place. Participating in the

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information age requires individuals and societies to quickly and effectively communicate and disseminate information like never before. This is particularly evident in regards to communication on social networking sites which has resulted in communication methods being shortened to, as few characters as possible, it has diminished spontaneity as individuals can delete or reword conversations before they post their comments and more importantly the devastating effect social networking sites have on the transitioning of slang into the everyda y dealings with face to face communication with individuals in the real world. The effects of social networking sites has been a concern for a long time where there are concerns of the social influences it has on communication with family and friends, and the addiction it causes. According to DiSalvo, D. (2010) The Internet has always provided a loose forum for the like-minded to congregate, but social networking contributes considerable structure to the chaos, allowing people to communicate more consistently and vigorously than ever before. Social networking sites are built on the base of superficial friendships with many individuals driven by communication between friends. The communication game has changed again in the form of Second Life. Second Life enables its users to interact with each other through avatars, which are named residents, Second Life is for people aged 18 and over, while Teen Second Life is for people aged 13 to 17. Communication on Second Life is conducted through avatars via local chat or global instant messaging. Conversation between avatars is public and is visible to any other avatar with a given distance. Instant messaging is used for private conversations either between two avatars, or among the members of a group, or even between objects and avatars. Social networking sites have complicated the way in which we communicate to

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each other through the evolution of new forms of digital communications. For many young people interpretation and communicating this way is already second nature. According to Paul & Brier (2001) Some researchers have coined the term "friendsickness" to refer to the distress caused by the loss of connection to old friends when a young person moves away to college. Internet technologies feature prominently in a study of communication technology use by this population by Cummings, Lee, and Kraut (2006), who found that services like email and instant messaging help college students remain close to their high school friends after they leave home for college. We therefore introduce a measure focusing specifically on the maintenance of existing social capital after this major life change experienced by college students, focusing on their ability to leverage and maintain social connections from high school. Social net working tends to help in maintaining relationship with other users especially when the difficulty is the distance. Though it may not necessarily help in maintaining and facilitate in growing up their relationship but it will continue the interaction with each other to keep updated and aware. Young adults moving to college need to create new networks at college. However, they often leave friends from high school with whom they may have established rich networks; completely abandoning these high school networks would mean a loss of social capital. Granovetter (2008) has suggested that weak ties provide more benefit when the weak tie is not associated with stronger ties, as may be the case for maintained high school relationships. To test the role of maintained high school relationships as weak, bridging ties, we adapted questions about general bridging relationships to be specific to

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maintained relationships with high school acquaintances as opposed to close friends. We call this concept "maintained social capital." Another important aspect of social networking is the ability to maintain preexisting social connections. (Ellison, 2007) Research by McKenna and colleagues (2002) suggests that the types of interactions made possible through Social networking may actually result in a stronger relationship. Constant updates on friends and families on ones news feed have been seen to be beneficial as it reduces unfamiliarity due to time away from one another. Social scientists have referred to this continual online access as Ambient Awareness (Thompson, 2008). These constant personal updates of others are the contribution to observations through trivial information which unintentionally provide a representation of peoples everyday life over a collective period of time. For example, people can comment directly asking about a friends new car instead of the usual What have you been up to? question (Wendyl, 2011). The ability to go directly into a leveled topic reduces time and narrows the gap and unfamiliarity between two people, strengthening the ties between them (Byrne, 1971). It is suggested that prior dialogues online could even break the ice and lead to future conversations in person (Byrne, 1971). According to WebCredible (2010) social networks provide encouragement and support; establish identity with others and fulfill the need to feel included; provide the outlet for some people to establish their need for recognition, social status, control or leadership; provide the necessary control over aspects of lives for those who don't want to be leaders; help establish friends, relationships and the opportunity to interact with others. Conversely, introverted adolescents used online communication to compensate for their lacking of certain social skills. However, along with these

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characteristics came a stronger motivation to talk online, resulting in more online based friendships. It is interesting to note that the introverts use the internet to compensate for their lack of social skills. The studies show how important a users perception of internet communication affects their levels of self disclosure. Research shows that SNS can facilitate a sense of connectedness, community and belonging. The opportunity to express oneself creatively, explore and experiment with identity and the production as well as consumption of online content is central to the way that SNS strengthens and builds communities. Dr. Spencer Jordan, a creative writing teacher in the School of Education at the University of Wales, notes that web technologies encourage young people to write confidently about things they enjoy. He notes, When I was a kid, I used to write in exercise books kept in a drawer, but now that young people write on the web, theres a whole community out there to read their work. Its interactive, and that makes it more appealing to them. Jordan believes that encouraging students to share their writing boosts their confidence in their writing abilities. He added, Social networking sites and blogs are a new form of literature that will soon be studied in schools in the way that books, plays and poetry are now. In Scotland, new curriculum literacy guides specify that children should be familiarized with new media and taught modern communication methods so that they will be able to function in todays workplace. The guides emphasize the importance of teaching students how and when to use particular communication methods. For example, students are taught to avoid using abbreviated text language in emails in which formal language might be more appropriate.

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Mental impact of social networking According to Bonheur(2010), for college students, constant digital

communication carries an additional layers of complexity, often leading to misunderstandings, confusion and uncertainly. Briefly, they can be summarized that students uses social networking in the categories of seeking help/ suicide, misunderstandings/ conflict, being connected vs. Feelings of isolation, and stress and happiness. It also sheds light on how social media tools have become the most common form of communication among young people. According to Brent L. Fletcher(2008), facebook and other social network may contribute to depression in three ways .these are bullying, comparison with others, and influencing self-worth. Bullying can occur when friends post mean or derogatory statements about the others or upload unflattering photos and make negative comments about them. Additionally facebook friends lists and status posting can have a detrimental effect when children or teens begins comparing themselves with others on facebook and find themselves lacking. The cyber bullying, sexting and exposure to social media content could negatively affect mental health. Parents should increase the awareness of both the positive and negative influences of sites such as facebook can help the health providers and social workers better understand the complexities of depression in todays cyber-connected children and teens. According to Robert Mackey(2000), much of the night networking on a computer might in fact be bad for your body and your brain. Additionally social networking, as well as computer games, might be particularly harmful to children, and could be behind the observed rise in cases of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. If the young brain is exposed from the outset to a world of fast action and reaction, of

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instant new screen images flashing up with the press of a key, such rapid interchange might accustom the brain to operate over such timescale. According to Mark Norris (2007), a specialist in adolescent health and eating disorders at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, historically, anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders were identified by secrecy and isolation. Norris said that ten years ago, there were virtually no open discussions among anorexics about the fact that they were even battling the disease, let alone sharing extreme weight-loss strategies. That changed with the advent of the Internet. (Norris, 2007) Pro-anorexia websites that promote unhealthy behaviours and philosophies have been around for some time. But the past year or so has seen a boom in interactive social networks like Facebook, MySpace and LiveJournal that have given new life to these groups. (Melissa Arseniuk of CanWest News Service, 2007) There seems to be a Facebook group for every sub-section of disordered eater: Ana/Mia Anonymous ("mia" is the "cute" short-form of bulimia, adopted by those who vomit after meals in effort to stay slim); I'm Not Anorexic, I Just Only Eat on Tuesdays; and Christians with Eating Disorders. MySpace also has a large pro-anorexia population. One page, Pro Ana Nation, has more than 1,150 members. "No people trying to recover," the group's rules demand. "It ruins our motivation." Among pro-anorexia groups, extreme dieting is lauded as a way of life, as in the Facebook group Stay Strong, Starve On and Get Thin or Die Trying. And that, according to the director of Ottawa's Regional Centre for the Treatment of Eating Disorders, is a major cause for concern. According to Dr. Hany Bissada (2007), these groups are trying to portray anorexia as a lifestyle and as a culture. Instead of saying that they are struggling from eating disorder and they want to get over it they are saying that they belong to the eating

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disorder culture. This is their identity, and don't dare touch it. A new study reveals that the amount of time spent on Facebook or other social media doesnt affect how much sleep college students get each night. (University of Hampshire, 2010) The research led by University of Hampshire shows no correlations between the times spend on social networking and amount of sleep. The study indicates that surfing social media is barely keeps students up at night. (Professor Chuck Martin of University of Hampshire, 2010) During the study, researchers defined light users of social media as those who use social media for 31 or fewer minutes. Heavy usage was defined as usage exceeding 60 minutes. Light sleepers were defined as those who sleep seven hours or fewer. Students who were heavy sleepers were defined as those sleeping nine or more hours. Social networks taken as tools in the research were defined as Facebook, YouTube, blogs, Twitter, MySpace and LinkedIn. They found that of heavy users of social media, 60 percent get a light amount of sleep per night. Of light users of social media, 60 percent also get a light amount of sleep per night. Slightly more than 1 out of 10 people (12 percent) of both heavy and light users of social media sleep nine or more hours per night. According to Larry Rosen (2009), Daily overuse of media and technology has a negative effect on the health of all children, preteens and teenagers by making them more prone to anxiety, depression and other psychological disorders. Facebook can be distracting and can negatively impact learning. Studies found that middle school, high school and college students who checked Facebook at least once during a 15-minute study period achieved lower grades. Rosen suggested that parents monitor their children's use of social media but warned against trying to police their activity. He said policing a child's online activity will only push the child to conduct that activity in a place or at a

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time when a parent can't watch them. Rosen suggested open communication about the benefits and dangers of social media and the importance of setting limits on the amount of time spent on social media websites. Rosen's warnings about monitoring the time spent on services like Facebook are timely given the steady increase in what some psychologists are calling Facebook Addiction Disorder - when people are afraid to disconnect from social media services because they think they're going to missing something important. Researchers have proposed a new phenomenon called Facebook depression, defined as depression that develops when preteens and teens spend a great deal of time on social media sites, such as Facebook, and then begin to exhibit classic symptoms of depression. Acceptance by and contact with peers is an important element of adolescent life. The intensity of the online world is thought to be a factor that may trigger depression in some adolescents. As with offline depression, preadolescents and adolescents who suffer from Facebook depression are at risk for social isolation and sometimes turn to risky Internet sites and blogs for help that may promote substance abuse, unsafe sexual practices, or aggressive or self-destructive behaviors. According to a recent poll, 22% of teenagers log on to their favorite social media site more than 10 times a day, and more than half of adolescents log on to a social media site more than once a day.2 Seventy-five percent of teenagers now own cell phones, and 25% use them for social media, 54% use them for texting, and 24% use them for instant messaging. Thus, a large part of this generation's social and emotional development is occurring while on the Internet and on cell phones. Because of their limited capacity for self-regulation and susceptibility to peer pressure, children and adolescents are at some

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risk as they navigate and experiment with social media. Recent research indicates that there are frequent online expressions of offline behaviors, such as bullying, cliqueforming, and sexual experimentation, that have introduced problems such as cyber bullying, privacy issues, and sexting.Other problems that merit awareness include Internet addiction and concurrent sleep deprivation. Adolescents are finding that they can access online information about their health concerns easily and anonymously. Excellent health resources are increasingly available to youth on a variety of topics of interest to this population, such as sexually transmitted infections, stress reduction, and signs of depression. Adolescents with chronic illnesses can access Web sites through which they can develop supportive networks of people with similar conditions. The mobile technologies that teens use daily, namely cell phones, instant messaging, and text messaging, have already produced multiple improvements in their health care, such as increased medication adherence, better disease understanding, and fewer missed appointments. Given that the new social media venues all have mobile applications, teenagers will have enhanced opportunities to learn about their health issues and communicate with their doctors. However, because of their young age, adolescents can encounter inaccuracies during these searches and require parental involvement to be sure they are using reliable online resources, interpreting the information correctly, and not becoming overwhelmed by the information they are reading. Encouraging parents to ask about their children's and adolescents' online searches can help facilitate not only discovery of this information but discussion on these topics. Using social media becomes a risk to adolescents more often than most adults realize. Most risks fall into the

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following categories: peer-to-peer; inappropriate content; lack of understanding of online privacy issues; and outside influences of third-party advertising groups. According to Baker, Paul M.A communication-oriented internet technologies activities such as social media site and blogs have become an important component of community and employment participation, not just in the specific junction of activities, but as link to larger communities of practice and professionals connections. for people with disabilities, as well as the aging, increasingly interacting online, the readiness of social networking sites to accommodate their desire yo participate in conjunction with their readiness as user to maximize the potential of platform interfaces and architecture, are critical achieving the medium potential for enhancing community and employment benefits. Social networking sites are also increasingly becoming sites of social anxiety, manifested in the prominence of news related to issue of online privacy, violence, personal and financial risk but also fears connected to company and government intervention and interference in the world of social networking (Marwick, Murgia-Diaz, and palfrey 2010). Opportunities associated with social networking accounted for 67% of all codes, as opposed to 33 percent represented by risk the ratio suggest as an overall optimism and positive attitude concerning the phenomenon. Part of much reason may be that media attention to online social networking increased with the recent penetration of facebook use. However these sites receive far less media attention. Therefore the optimism may be due to recent penetration of online phenomenon perceived as something of a modernizing factor. in fact, technological news, news on more and more mobile phones and various

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gadgets having social media function, as well as news on the penetration of online social networking where included under opportunities because of the generally optimistic tone of this article. According to Buckingham and Sefton Green 1997-:286 in recent years computer games have begun to take place of television, and comic took the place of the cinema in earlier decades. Yet, if the focus of attention has changed, the concerns and the rhetoric in which they are expressed remain very familiar. like television and video before them. Computer games are seen to be responsible, not merely for murder and delinquency, but also for undermining children's physical, moral and intellectual development. According to Hunt 1997:3-4, the portrayal of students use of social networking sites was strongly shaped by the rhetoric of moral panic, itself characteristic of framing the coverage of the effects of media violence. In a wide sense, the term moral panic is often used to describe the media's approach to moral issues in terms of panic, or raising stereotypical moral concerns about their issues which seem to threaten the founding values of society. Central function in such discourse is assigned to the expert, who haves the weight to concern raised, and also puts forward or in the typical case of politician,. for solution that would reinstate the moral order. According to Chapple, Alison, and Ziebland sue, internet support may be changing the experience of people who have been bereaved by suicide. Forty narrative interviews about the whole experience of being bereaved by suicide were conducted by the maximum variation sample of people living in the u.k the analysis explores several ways in which the internet has made a difference to the aftermath of death. These include use of e-mail and social networking sites to inform others about the death, making sense

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of the events and gaining support from an internet community of others who had been similarly bereaved and setting up website memorials. A few people preferred not to use the internet for this purpose or had no access to the computer. In conclusion we found evidence that the internet is transforming the experience of bereavement by suicide, most dramatically through providing access to other peoples experience Synthesis Israeli researchers ( 2011 ) have recently found out that Social Network users are likely to develop eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia as a result of exposure to online fashion, music and TV shows such as Gossip Girl, where the desire to look like and behave like the personalities that they see is constant. According to this research, Social Networking does not physically cause the disorder but it pressurises those that are prone to eating disorders. They also stated that parents who discussed this issue with their children help to avoid the eating disorders. The study of the Israelites and the study of the researchers are both focused on the effects of social network to the physical aspects of behavior. On the other hand, the study of Israelites researchers focuses only on the physical aspect such as the development of eating disorders as an effect of social networking, while the researchers study is not only limited to the physical effects but as well as mental and social effects, taking into consideration the time spent of the participants in the social networking sites. The research conducted by Lady Greenfield (2010 ) discovered that Social Networking has a negative effect on ones body in various ways. Reporting in a British newspaper, she says that Social Networking reminds her of the way that small babies need constant reassurance that they exist, and she is worried by the effects that this sort

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of stimulation is having on the brain. The need to be seen as having friends becomes a fixation (similar to the addiction caused by computer games) and the reaction to having a new friend evokes a similar response to reaching a new level on a Pc game, Lady Greenfield continues by saying that the technology infantilizes the brain into the state of small children who are attracted by buzzing noises and bright lights, and this results in a small attention span. The study of Lady Greenfield focuses more on the bad effects of social networking in the brain while the researchers study focuses not only on the physical effects of social networking but also in the mental aspects, which include depression, anxiety and social aspects which includes relationships. The study of the Lady

Greenfield and the study of the researchers are both focused on the effects of social network to the physical aspects of behavior. Another physical issue is the effect of constant staring at the computer screen (decreased blinking and dry eyes) which causes burning and irritation of the eyes this what you called computer vision syndrome. It is caused by too much social networking and exposure to the monitor according to the Wake Forest Family Eyecare (2012), supported by Dr. Matthew Gardiner an ophthalmologist at Mass Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston. The study of Wake Forest Family Eye care and the study of the researchers are both focused on the effects of social network to the physical aspects of behavior. On the other hand, the study of Wake Forest Family Eye care focuses only on the physical aspect such as the development of computer vision syndrome and its signs and symptoms ,

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while the researchers study not only limited to the physical effects but as well as mental and social effects of social networking . According to the study conducted by Vitak (2008) the first reason of an individual who is engaged in social networking is for them to meet strangers and become friends. Some were initially introduced to those friends through mutual friends, which increases the likelihood of such relationships developing into strong ties. Keeping in touch with friends remains the primary reason for the site usage across both years in school and gender. With the use of private messaging and chat rooms for a site, students can communicate and maintain a healthy relationship with their distant friends. Based on the study, it shows that there is some relevance between the concepts of Vitak (2008) regarding the social aspect behavior to the study conducted by the researchers. The similarity of concepts between the study of Vitak and the group of researchers shows that the usage of social networking sites of the nursing students has an impact on their social interaction and communication medium today. It shows that social networking keeps the students in touch with their relatives and friends from far places across the globe. Moreover, the study proves that students of nursing can also create and extend information about their significant others just like the participants involved in Vitaks research. On the other hand, both studies also show conflicting concepts regarding the impact of the use of social networking to the social aspect of the nursing students behavior. The primary focus of the researchers study is on the amount of time spent in social networking, and its relationship to the participants social, physical and mental aspects of behavior. Furthermore, Vitaks study only focused on the positive impact of

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social networking, while the study of the researchers will both determine the positive and negative effects of social networking. From another research conducted by McMillan and Morrison (2006.), online relationships often mirror offline relationships, and provide students with a way to strengthen their real-life connections. The Internet has caused college students to be more creative, literate, and possess stronger social skills which make it easier for students to possess non-dominant viewpoints, as the social networks outlets for many issues and movements, such as in forums and online chat rooms. Social networking sites are designed for students who want to network themselves. No student is forced to deal with utilizing these sites, however with technology at such a strong hold with society today it is almost expected that students participate. Based on McMillans and Morissons study, it shows that social networking makes the students to unleash their potential to become more innovative, proficient and good social skills which enables them to have nondominant viewpoints. In correlation with the researchers study, both shows that social networking does increase an individuals social skills by enhancing their proficiency in communicating with other people. The primary focus of the researchers study is on the behavioral change seen in the nursing students in the aspect of the participants social, physical and mental aspects of behavior. The study of Larry Rosen (2009) focused on the negative effect on the health of all children, preteens, and teenagers by making them more prone to anxiety, depression and other psychological disorders, due to the addiction to social networking. Rosen suggested open communication about the benefits and dangers of social media and the

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importance of setting limits on the amount of time spent on social media websites. Rosen's warnings about monitoring the time spent on services like Facebook The study of Rosen focuses only on the effects of social networking on the mental aspect among children, preteens, and teenagers. On the other hand, the researchers study also focuses on the physical, mental and social aspect, but only on teenagers. To be more specific, the researchers study targets nursing college students. The researchers also consider the time the college student spends on social networking sites. The study of Brent L. Fletcher(2008) discussed the facebook and other social network may contribute to depression in three ways these are bullying, comparison with others, and influencing self-worth. In some instances bullying can occur with friends by posting mean, derogatory statements about the others and uploading unflattering photos and make a negative comment which can lead to depression. Some students having a depression commit suicide because of addicted to the social networking. Students that are addicted to social networking have a low grades and low self-esteem not because of being addicted but because of bullying that may affect their study habits. The researchers study was said unique since it focused on various domains which are Physical, Mental and social as it relates the impact of social networking to the 3rd yr. nursing students in terms of mental aspect considering also the time consumption. In similar to the researchers study, it is both discussed the psychological effect of Social networking.