Chapter 2

Chapter – 2 Review of Literature
CHAPTER – 2
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Introduction
The realm of Social Networking Sites is increasingly emerging as the
subject of research in the field of social sciences. Scholars in many
fields have begun to investigate the various aspects of Social
Networking Sites. Many studies have been conducted around the world
to investigate how these sites may influence issues of identity, privacy,
social capital, youth culture, education and interpersonal relationships.
Therefore, an attempt has been made in this chapter to review studies
and articles related to the theme of the research. The review of
literature allows us to study the main perspectives similar studies
conducted in the same field. This will give a proper guideline to the
research work and enable integration of the past studies leading to the
expansion of knowledge.
Further review of literature has not only widened the horizon for
understanding the themes related to the study, but also has sharpened
the method of arranging the components in the framework of the study.
This chapter is sub-divided into various sections to facilitate the
emergence of a clear picture regarding the different dimensions of
Social Networking Sites.
This second chapter contains a review of select studies that have
been carried out on different aspects of Social Networking Sites. As
Page 39
mentioned earlier, the review has been presented under different sub-
headings.
Studies on the Usage of Social Networking Sites among
College Students
Since the last decade the usage of Social Networking Sites among
college students is increasing rapidly throughout the world. Evidently
Social Networking Sites have become a significant part of the lives of
these youth (Gemmill and Peterson: 2006). Compared with any other
group of people the usage of Social Networking Sites among college
students is more, mainly because they are attracted extensively to the
new technology and particularly to the opportunity it offers for creating
social networks.
Keol Lim and Ellen B Meier (2012) in their study clearly
highlighted how and why Korean students use Social Networking Sites
and what are the advantages they find by using Social Networking
Sites. The study as such begins with the explanation of how the
number of international students getting admission in U S universities
has increased. It also refers to psychological experiences of
international students such as disorientation, nostalgic depressive
reactions, and feelings of isolation, alienation and powerlessness.
However, international students may have limited ways to cope with
stress, which could lead to stress-related illnesses such as anxiety or
Page 40
depression. Hence these limitations make it hard for international
students to acclimatize themselves new circumstances.
Further, Keol and Meier (2012) mainly constrained themselves for
only two research questions: How do these international students use
Social Networking Sites? And how do these international students
perceive the impact of Social Networking Sites on their affective and
academic adaptation? This research was conducted in the United
States with Asian international students, all from Korea, who were not
raised in a western culture. Respondents in the study used Social
Networking Sites in various ways and the tools played an important role
in their adaptation to a new life in the United States. Findings of the
study clearly showed that the respondents benefitted from their use of
social networking sites and that the interactions helped to decrease
their anxiety in the new culture by providing them with a means of
connecting to their parents and friends in Korea. At the end it also
stressed on the need of more research to identify the potential of Social
Networking Sites in contributing to the affective and cognitive
adaptation for international students including the connection between
Internet use and academic achievement.
In a study entitled “Social capital as Facebook; differentiating
uses and users” Moira Burke and Cameron Marlow (2011) discuss
extensively about the perspective to look at the uses of Social
Networking Sites. It says though usage of Social Networking Sites is
often treated as a monolithic activity, in which all time is equally social
Page 41
and its impact the same for all users. The study primarily examines
how Facebook affects social capital depending upon: types of site
activities, contrasting one-on-one communication, broadcasts to wider
audiences, and passive consumption of social news, and individual
differences among users, including social communication skill and self-
esteem. In this study (2011) a survey was conducted using 415
Facebook users, which revealed that receiving messages from friends is
associated with increase in bridging social capital. The major goal of the
study was to observe how different uses of a large Social Networking
Site influence different types of user’s social capital. Social capital is the
actual or potential resources which are linked to a durable network of
more or less institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintance or
recognition. The study states that college students are motivated by
social information-seeking, using Social Networking Sites to learn about
people they have met offline, and expressive information sharking,
feeling greater to bridge social capital.
Kuan-Yu Lin and His-Peng Lu (2011) applied network
externalities and motivation theory to understand the usage of Social
Networking Sites among college students. After conducting an empirical
research involving 402 samples, using Structural Equation Modelling
(SEM) Approach, Lin and Lu (2011) found that “Enjoyment” was the
most influential factor for the increasing usage of Social Networking
Sites among the college students.
Page 42
Bicen and Cavus (2010) evaluated the usage of Social
Networking Sites among students in the department of computer
education instructional technology and found which social networking
sites are the most preferred by students. The study revealed that use
and sharing of knowledge on Internet is made an integral part of college
students’ lives. Results show that Live Spaces and Facebook are the
commonly used sites by the students.
Folorunso (2010) conducted a survey among students of the
University of Agriculture, Abeokuta in Nigeria and tested the attributes
of Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory towards usage pattern of Social
Networking Sites. Demographic data of the study revealed that majority
of users were college students. The five constructs i.e. Relative
Advantage, Complexity, Compatibility, Observability and Reliability
were used to test the impact on the attitude and trust regarding Social
Networking Sites and to determine how attitude would impact on the
intention to use it. The study revealed the constructs: relative
advantage, complexity, and observability of Social Networking Sites do
not positively affect the attitude towards using the technology while the
compatibility and trial ability of Social Networking Sites does positively
affect the attitude towards using the technology. The study (2010)
concluded that the attitude of university students towards Social
Networking Sites does positively affect the intention to use the
technology.
Page 43
Miller, Parsons and Lifer (2010) conducted a survey among
students, about the use of social networking sites and the
appropriateness of the content that they post. The responses indicate
that students routinely post content that is not appropriate for all
audiences, especially potential employers. Considering how extensively
the press has covered the negative impacts of inappropriate posting, the
fact that students know of continuing the practice is surprising.
Park (2010) explores the usage of Social Networking Sites by
different university users. He studied three groups of users'
(undergraduate, graduate and faculty) at Yonsei University in Seoul,
South Korea. The analysis indicated that the three groups of users
demonstrated distinct patterns of use of social networking sites. The
study stipulated that undergraduates used the profile service more
than the community service while graduates used the community
service more than the profile service. Yet most of the faculty members
were not active users.
Lack, Beck and Hoover (2009) investigated the usage of Social
Networking Sites by undergraduate psychology major. They found that
majority of students using Facebook and their account information
have publicly accessibility and some user profiles have content of a
questionable nature on their publicly viewable accounts. They suggest
that formal education must be presided to students regarding the usage
of these sites.
Page 44
Petter Bae Brandtzaeg and Jan Heim (2009) in their study state
that there are many motivational reasons for using Social Networking
Sites among people and college students particularly. Brandtzaeg and
Heim draw their findings, after the investigation on peoples’ subjective
motivational reasons for using Social Networking Sites, by performing a
quantitative content analysis for 1,200 qualitative responses from
Social Networking Sites users. Further, the study (2009) made several
attempts to understand the choice, use, diffusion, adoption and
acceptance of Social Networking Sites among college students.
As Won Kim and Sang-WonLee (2009) rightly pointed out that
today the college students use numerous Social Networking Sites, to
stay connected with their friends, discover new “friends” and to share
users – created contents, such as photos, videos, blogs and etc. In order
to explore factors affecting college students’ motive for using Social
Networking Sites.
In addition, Mikolaj Jan Piskorski (2009) in his study,
“Understanding the Uses of Social Networks”, cites that people love to
look at pictures, which is the killer application of all online Social
Networking Sites. Piskorski hypothesizes that people who post pictures
of themselves can show they are having fun and are popular without
having to boast. Another attraction of photos is that they enable a form
of voyeurism. Social networks enable a very delicate way to pry into
someone’s life without really prying. The study also postulated deep
gender difference in the use of sites. The biggest usage category is men
Page 45
looking at women they do not know, followed by men looking at women
they know and women look at other women they know.
Nicole Ellison’s study (2008) on Social Networking Sites provides
very thought provoking insights. According to this study, 85 % of the
respondents use one or more social networking sites. The extent of the
usage of Social Networking Sites has increased dramatically in the past
two years and the usage of Social Networking Sites as well differs
considerably by age. Most of the respondents aging 18 and 19 years old
use Social Networking Sites (95% ), yet only 37% aging 30 years and
above utilizes these networking sites. The majority involving 18 and 19
years old, have more than 200 friends while those aged 30 and above
have more or less 25 or lesser friends on these sites. Consequently
Facebook is the most commonly used Social Networking Site, with
MySpace as the second choice. It was also found that about half of
these users utilize just one Social Networking Site, having only one
profile, and participate in one to five groups within Social Networking
Sites. Profiles of Social Networking Sites are fairly stable, with most
respondents changing them monthly or less often. The majority of the
users of Social Networking Sites spend 5 hours or less per week.
Younger respondents report spending more time than older
respondents. It also emphasized that most students (87% ) put access
restrictions on their profiles. Younger respondents and females are
most likely to do so.
Page 46
According to Vitak (2008) there are various reasons as to why
individuals use a social networking site. The first reason is for them to
meet strangers and become friends. The majority of respondents of her
research paper (57% ) said that they were initially introduced to those
“friends” through mutual friends, which increased the likelihood of
such relationships developing into strong ties. While a significant
portion of respondents stated that they have at least a few online
friends, 85% said that they do not communicate with most of their
online friends, and the majority of respondents said that they
considered those friendships as strong ties. Through social networking
sites users tend to maintain their interpersonal relationship with their
online friends because of easy communication. Therefore they can use
private messaging, chat rooms, and other methods of communication
provided by the website.
On the other hand, a strong interpersonal relationship with
offline friends needs time and effort to be maintained. Distance
between two users that can change an offline relationship into online
relationship is also a reason for an individual to use Social Networking
Sites. Nearly two-thirds (65% ) of the respondents put forward that the
majority of their friends have a social networking site account, which
suggests that many students use the site to stay in touch with their
offline friends. Keeping in touch with friends remains the primary
reason for the usage of the site across both years in school and gender.
Furthermore, approximately one-third (31% ) of the respondents with
Page 47
friends who do not have Social Networking Site account said that they
would be closer to friends if they were on the site, and 87% of
respondents said they had never experienced negative consequences in
their offline relationships due to the contents in their social networking
site profiles suggesting that most respondents benefit from using the
site. With the use of private messaging and chat room of this site,
students can communicate and maintain a healthy relationship with
their friends from far places with ease that takes only a few seconds.
Coyle and Vaughn (2008) in their study examined the literature
on Social Networking Sites and conducted a survey on how college
students are engaged in social networking. They found that the main
purpose of using Social Networking Sites is to keep in touch with
friends. They also indicate that these are used for merely trivial
communication with friends. These sites are simply new form of
communication that is evolving over time with the aid of technology.
Peluchefte and Karl (2008) explore the survey of Midwestern
University undergraduate students regarding use of social networking
sites and their perceptions regarding the appropriateness of information
they post, as well as how such information is accessed and used by
other parties. The study (2008) found that 80% respondents have used
at least one site in which majority of respondents use Facebook. They
describe that respondents were generally in strong agreement that they
were comfortable with their friends, classmates, and family having
Page 48
access to their profiles but were neutral regarding access by employers
and strangers.
Goodman (2007) examines how college students engage with
technology principally that involved in Social Networking Sites. He
explores how students use Social Networking Sites, which Social
Networking Sites and programmes they find more appealing than others
and also tries to understand the major reasons for the increasing usage
of Social Networking Sites among college students. Further he rightly
pointed out “Social Networking Sites are not part of students’ lives
these days, actually they are their lives”. Youths are not only the early
adopters of most of the new technologies but they are also among the
most sophisticated users as well.
Further, in the research studies of Chernigo Barnett – Ellis
(2007), Subrahmanyam and Lin (2007), Valkenburg and Peter (2006)
and Huong (2008) it has been found that the college students are using
Social Networking Sites more than older people.
In addition, college students use Social Networking Sites for
various purposes. A study conducted by Lampe, Ellison, and
Steinfeld (2007) among college students in Midwestern university
found that students most often used Social Networking Sites for social
purposes — to stay in touch with their friends from high school as well
as to form interconnections with people they had met offline such as in
their dormitories or in class. Similarly Ellison (2007) found that college
students used Social Networking Sites to maintain or bolster existing
Page 49
offline connections rather than to form new relationships. Such ties
appear to have some positive benefits and the use of Social Networking
Sites was associated with more perceived social capital. The main
objective of their work was to examine the relationship between the
usage of Social Networking Sites and the formation and maintenance of
social interaction and social capital.
Subrahmanyam (2007) conducted a study to assess the use of
online and offline Social Networking Sites among the college students of
a large urban university in Los Angeles. The study revealed that the
students often utilized Social Networking Sites to connect and
reconnect with their friends and family members.
Studies on the Influence of Social Networking Sites on
Interpersonal Relationships
Social Networking Sites are influencing every realm of society, including
interpersonal relationships of the members. An interpersonal
relationship is a relatively long-term association between two or more
people. This association may be based on emotions, regular business
interactions, or some other type of social commitments. Interpersonal
relationships take place in a great variety of contexts, such as family,
friends, marriage, acquaintances, work, clubs, neighbours, etc. They
may be regulated by law, custom, or mutual agreement, and are the
basis of social groups and society as a whole. Social networking sites
influence the interpersonal relationship of students in many ways.
Page 50
Through social networking sites, users have the opportunity to be
acquainted with people worldwide. These people consequently can affect
the user’s interpersonal relationships with other people close to them.
A study conducted on “West Virginia University Students”
(2011) illustrates that the impact of Social Networking Sites on
interpersonal relationships between students and their members of
their families are quite significant. The study used 221 college students
along with members of their families to analyze interpersonal
relationships. Researchers of the study (2011) pointed out that the
interpersonal relationships of college students improved significantly
due to the increasing percentage of students using Social Networking
Sites to communicate with their family members.
Keenan and Shirile (2009) conducted an exploratory study of
four Social Networking Sites and their features that encourage
sociability and social interaction. The study (2009) finds that Facebook
and MySpace, as the largest social websites, receive the most coverage.
These websites offer an extensive amount of social features and require
a thorough analysis. Linkedln and Twitter represent a niche application
of social websites, focusing on professional networks and micro-
blogging respectively.
It is evident from an empirical study on “Rogationist College
Students” (2006) that Social Networking Sites influence interpersonal
relationships of college students. The study (2006) focuses on analyzing
the level of interpersonal relationships among college students and their
Page 51
interpersonal relationships with other people. It states that through
these Social Networking Sites College students develop virtual
interpersonal relationships.
Donna Reid and Fraser Reid (2004) examined how technology
can positively impact interpersonal communication. They focused on
Social Networking Sites used by college students. The study states that
compared to other means of communication, users of Social Networking
Sites were found to be more likely to discuss their “real-self” through
Social Networking Sites. It appears that there is something special
about Social Networking Sites that allow people to develop their
interpersonal relationship with others. This is a clear example of how
technology can help interpersonal communication. On the other hand,
some advancement is decreasing the personal nature of communication
especially with virtual contact at times replacing face to face contact.
While opinions may differ on whether it is good or bad, at the very least
it is confirmed that it changes the landscape of interpersonal
communication.
Social networking sites have added entirely new meanings to
interpersonal interaction and community. It is the interplay between
internet and real life communication and its subsequent effect on
interpersonal relationships. Social Networking websites have bundled
many of the internet communication standards such as e-mail forums,
and instant messaging into one resource. However, its usage has
become a staple activity in a young adult’s life. While it varies slightly
Page 52
among gender and race groups, overall, college students who have
internet access use SNS regularly for some type of social contact. With
this mass assimilation into daily life, it has already begun to change the
way in which interpersonal relationships are defined. It is one of the, if
not the top medium for young adults to “scope out” and “research”
potential partners. With SNS playing a large role in many relationships,
it’s important to see how this will continue to shape interpersonal
communication in the future.
According to WebCredible social networks provide encouragement
and support; establish identity with others and fulfil the need to feel
included; provide the outlet for some people to establish their need for
recognition, social status, control or leadership and 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.
Sonia Livingstone (1998) stated that college students use Social
Networking Sites, which are part of their interpersonal relationships to
interact with their family members, which radically alters their
interpersonal relationships. In general, college students are playing,
experimenting and re-creating their identities within Social Networking
Sites while interacting with others.
Matsuba’s research has shown that real life relationships are
looked at as more “real” in the negative and positive dimensions of
personal qualities, while through internet relationships were less
Page 53
extreme. If real life relationships are seen as more “real” and SNS is an
online medium of communication for those real life relationships, then
research needs to look at how far Social Networking Sites define the
relationships. Research has found that those who use the internet to
create and maintain a secondary relationship in addition to a real life
one showed higher levels of relational certainty and high expectations of
future interaction with their online partners. It has also been
established that time spent online and positive views of the internet
lead to a more favourable view of online relationships.
Hence students do this through both direct communication using
the wall post and private message features as well as indirectly by
viewing others profiles. While Social Networking Site is used to cultivate
old and new relationships, it is also utilized by students in relationships
to display and check the status and commitment of their relationship
mostly when people write and develop their profile, choose their profile
picture and publicly write on other user’s Social Networking Sites
“walls”. This aims to discover how far SNS is used to define, cultivate,
and maintain real life interpersonal relationships.
By reviewing previous researches on Social Networking Sites,
online relationships and disclosure through internet communication, it
is proposed to see in which direction this research needs to go to find
valid conclusions regarding the interplay of real life factors and Social
Networking Sites in the development of interpersonal relationships.
Internet based communication has been incorporated into the
Page 54
development of interpersonal relationships. Likewise, as popular social
networking sites MySpace and Facebook have cropped up over the
years, affecting the way in which people communicate yet there are
limited researches on the social mediums.
In the area of relationships, no Social Networking Sites research
has virtually looked upon how much real life interaction is required
before a potential partner is not seen as a “stalker” or in any kind of
negative light. Since internet usage is directly related to psychological
well-being, relationships, and the identity of self, it is of interest to note
that there is a positive relationship between measures of internet usage
and loneliness. Research has also generally overlooked the question of
how lonely or desperate a Social Networking Sites user is when trying to
find a potential partner. While there have been numerous studies on
internet based communication concerning relationships, self disclosure,
and social networking, this research takes it a step further to look at
the social utility of social networking sites and the subsequent interplay
of real life and online life in defining interpersonal relationships.
Studies on the Impact of Social Networking Sites on
Academic Performance of College Students
The following studies clearly depict the impact of the usage of Social
Networking Sites among college students on their academic
performance. The Social Networking Sites significantly influence
educational performance of college students (Davis, Mark & Barbara;
Page 55
2008, Anne, Lewis & Peter; 2008, Salter, Michael, Bryden & Chris;
2007, Kevin P. Brady & Smith; 2010), such impacts are either positive
or negative.
Englander (2010) proclaimed that internet usage is negatively
associated with academic performance of student users and destructive
impact of internet usage is far more momentous than its advantages.
Internet addiction has come forth as a result of striking boost in
internet usage over the past few decades. Nalwa and Anand (2003)
proposed that addicted users prefer using internet setting back their
personal and professional responsibilities and this ultimately leads to
poor academic performance.
While using SNSs, issues of privacy, identity protection, and e
professionalism must be paid attention as proposed by Mattingly
(2010) but a contrasting finding was given by Sengupta and Chaudhuri
(2010) that SNSs memberships are not correlated with online abuse of
teenagers.
An academic research was conducted by Wilson (2009) through
which he proposed that university results are harmfully affected by
Facebook usage. Likewise, Khan (2009) found that Facebook users had
poor performance in exams. Pasek and Hargittai (2009) examined
Facebook usage by undergraduates and Facebook use in relation to
grades. The study revealed that there is no negative relationship
between the use of Facebook and grade point average. The study did
Page 56
caution against using any medium of communication or online SNT too
much, as over usage of technology can detract from college studies.
Kirschner and Karpinski (2009) state that users of Social
Networking Sites devote lesser time to their studies than the non users
and subsequently had lower grades in their academic courses. Further
Karpinski (2009) says that among various unique distractions of every
generation, Social Networking Sites have been proved as the major
distraction of current generation.
American Educational Research Association conducted a
research and it was declared on its annual conference in San Diego,
California (2009) that users of Social Networking Sites study less and
generated lower grades eventually (21stcenturyscholar.org). Similarly,
Banquil and Burce (2009) found a continuing drop of grades among
student who were users of social networking sites.
In addition, Boogart and Robert (2006) declared that use of
SNSs and Facebook have detrimental impacts on academic performance
of student users. Subsequently, Grabmeier (2009) observed that
students having lower GPAs were mostly those who log in any SNS.
Internet abuses are increasing at an alarming rate and stressing a
serious need to promote usage regulations among student users.
Kubey, Lavin and Barrows (2001) proposed that impairment of
academic performance and internet dependency are correlated with the
Page 57
use of synchronous communication applications including Social
Networking Sites and chat rooms.
However, many researchers have also found a positive association
between use of Social Networking Sites and academic performance of
college students. Students, using internet more, scored higher on
reading skills test and had higher grades as well (Linda; 2006).
Moreover it has been found that the usage of the Social Networking
Sites is helpful for cure in case of some psychological problems
including low life-satisfaction and low self-esteem (Ellison; 2007).
Social Networking Sites also provide a rich means of interaction
between teachers and students as stated by Roblyer (2010). Shah
(2001) proposed that informational use of internet is positively
correlated with civic indicators of social capital such as civic
engagement, interpersonal trust, and life contentment. Pasek (2006)
maintained that a site-specific culture can both positively and
negatively affect the building of social capital. It is also projected that
Facebook usage is not positively associated with lower grades of the
students on the contrary it was found that Social Networking Sites
users scored higher grades. Therefore no association was found
between GPAs of students and Social Networking Sites usage in a study
conducted by Kolek and Saunders (2008). Besides, Social Networking
Sites promote interactivity among students and teachers.
L. Alvin Malesky and Jr. Chris Peters in their study entitled
“Defining appropriate professional behaviour for faculty and university
Page 58
students on social networking websites” (2011) examined the role this
rapidly evolving method of communication plays in an academic setting.
The study projected that the vast majority of university students have
profiles on social networking sites including university groups and
academic departments. As a result this increased utilization enabling
students and faculty to be in contact in ways that have not occurred in
the past. These novel interactions can create awkward and potentially
exploitative situations. For the purpose of this study data were collected
from 459 university students and 159 university faculty members.
Participants’ opinions regarding faculty/student interaction on social
networking sites were analysed. One of the most surprising findings of
this study was the fact that nearly 40% of the students and 30% of the
faculty believe that it is inappropriate for professors to have accounts
on SNS. It was found that there were significant differences in opinion
between student and faculty participants regarding the appropriateness
of the professor’s actions. These findings indicate that considerable
disagreement exists between students and faculty regarding what
constitutes appropriate faculty behaviour on SNS. At the end this study
suggests that institutions of higher education need to develop policies
and procedures. And it even recommends that universities should
develop guidelines to define what constitutes appropriate and
inappropriate usage of Social Networking Sites in their academic
setting.
Page 59
Dickson and Holley (2010) examined the use of the Social
Networking Sites in academics in the USA in order to examine the
concerns about their use both from students and teachers. The study
finds that Social Networking Sites can be an effective method of student
outreach in academic performance.
The study of Kevin P. Brady, Lori B. Holcomb and Bethany V.
Smith (2010), titled as “The Use of Alternative Use of Social Networking
Sites in Higher Education Settings: A Case Study of E-learning Benefits
of Ning in Education”, was based on the educational benefits associated
with the use of Social Networking Sites. The study focused the graduate
students enrolled in distance education courses using Ning in
Education, a non-commercial, educational-based SNS. The study
emphasized on the students’ attitudes towards the sites as productive
online tools for teaching and learning. The researchers found out that
education based upon social networking sites can be used effectively in
distance education courses. They are an excellent technological tool for
improved online communications among students in higher distance
education courses.
However, a study conducted by Bowers-Campbell (2008) stated
that Social Networking Sites were used as a tool for improving academic
motivation among university students enrolled in a developmental
reading course. Specifically, Bowers-Campbell put forth the argument
that using Social Networking Sites may help students to better connect
“with college reading expectations since it offers potential for battling
Page 60
low self-efficacy and poor self-regulation behaviours plaguing many
developmental learning students”. In order to address self-efficacy
among students, “superlatives” or “virtual gifts” were suggested as a
type of reward system to recognize the achievements of students in the
course. It was also recommended that Social Networking Sites can be
used as a means to foster a sense of “connectedness” between the
instructor and students in order to further increase self-efficacy even
before the course started by having the students review the instructor’s
profile in an effort to familiarize themselves with the instructor.
Consequently Social Networking Sites not only help to facilitate a
connection between the instructor and students, but it also offers
means for building peer support among students. This provides the
student with an increased level of control and has the potential to
create a “classroom of students who accept and support each other”.
Creating groups, “poking” class members, and providing photos and
profiles are all under the control of the students, providing a sense of
ownership and control over their learning environment. As suggested by
Bowers-Campbell, “virtual class rosters and group meetings via Social
Networking Sites might soothe anxieties by providing an online support
group of learners who care about the students’ success”. In terms of
self-regulation, it was argued that SNS technology provides a large
measure of autonomy and may “reinforce self-regulated learning
strategies”. Specifically mentioned was the group feature of Social
Page 61
Networking Sites, which lends a great deal of control to the students in
terms of defining their own learning goals.
S. Shyam Sundar (2008), a professor and founder of the Media
Effects Research Laboratory at Penn State, has led students in several
Facebook studies exploring identity. One involved the creation of mock
Facebook profiles. Researchers learned that while people perceive
someone who has a high number of friends as popular, attractive and
self-confident, people who accumulate “too many” friends (about 800 or
more) are seen as rather insecure.
In a research Lovitts and Nelson (2000) observed that strong
integration of students into their professional and social life is sturdily
correlated to the successful completion of their degree. In lieu of the
contrasting findings mentioned above, the Current Study specifically
aims at exploring the relationship between usage of Social Networking
Sites and educational performance of the student users.
Many universities around the world are expanding their
investment in information technology (IT), and specifically the Internet,
and are actively promoting Internet use in university education (Al-
Nuaimy, Zhang & Noble, 2001; Bargeron, Grudin, Gupta &Sanocki,
2002; Chandler, 2002; Chen & Paul, 2003; Dringus, 1999; Huang et al,
2004; Kinshuk, 2002; Owston, 2000; Pahl, 2003; Richardson, 2003;
Rovai, 2001). Instructors are being requested to make their teaching
materials and other supporting resources accessible through the
Internet (Alavi, 1994; Barker, 2002; Coppola, Hiltz & Rotter, 2002; Lee,
Page 62
2001; Topper, 2002).Students are also encouraged to communicate
with instructors, or with one another, via email. As universities promote
Internet use, they need to understand their students’ attitudes towards
using it (Frank, Reich & Humphreys, 2003; Milliken & Barnes, 2002).
The other studies by Natriello (2001), Warschauer (2003a,
2003b, 2003c) and Wenglinksy (1998) claimed that high resource
students are more likely to use technology for more experimental and
creative uses than students from low resource schools. This finding
does not contradict the anticipated finding of study that access to
technology has no influence on the uptake of Social Networking Sites
since the respondents of this study are anticipated to have equally free
access to the internet.
Studies on the Influence of Social Networking Sites on
Consumption Patterns and Life Style of College Students
Social Networking Sites not only influence interpersonal relationships
and educational performance of college students, but also the
consumption patterns and lifestyles in general. Many studies have
supported the idea that a positive correlation exists between online
product reviews on Social Networking Sites and the increasing
consumption among college students (Hu, Liu and Zhang; 2008).
In today’s fast moving world there are many social issues which
require serious attention. Madhur, Palak and Nitika (2012) in a joint
Page 63
research work examined how college students employ Social
Networking Sites to discuss and express their views on such social
issues. Their research (2012) was conducted on college students
between the age group of 18-30 years with the motive to know the level
of awareness on the social issues and how far Social Networking Sites
awakened today’s youth in expressing their views on current and
burning issues like corruption, human rights and etc. in India.
In addition, companies have begun to use Social Networking Sites
as a medium of communication with the users. According to the studies
of Hyllegard, Ogle, Yan and Raitz (2011), majority of the consumer
goods companies have adopted Social Networking Sites to sell their
goods and it invariably influences the consumption patterns of college
students. One major feature of these sites is the ability of users to “fan”
particular products or brands so that they receive information about
these products. Further, this feature also allows the users to express
their satisfaction and dissatisfaction towards a particular product or a
company, which can be shared with other friends. Facebook, a leading
Social Networking Site, reports that a user can express interest in over
900 million objects, and the average user follows 80 such pages (2011).
Pempek in his study (2009) points out that the average college student
belonged to 24.58 groups.
A joint collaborative work by Mauri, Cipresso, Balgera, Villamira
and Riva (2011) which has analysed implications of Social Networking
Sites on the lifestyles of individual. They have used psychophysiological
Page 64
measures to point out positive and negative usages of social networking
sites. According to the study (2011) the use of Social Networking Sites
can have both positive and negative influence on the lifestyles of
individual. However, the increasing use of Social Networking Sites
might reveal that people look for Social Networking Sites because they
have a positive experience when they use these sites. Few studies have
tried to identify which particular aspects of the social networking
experience make SNSs so successful. In this study the focus was on the
affective experience evoked by Social Networking Sites. And more
particularly the study explored whether the use of Social Networking
Sites elicits a specific psycho physiological pattern. Findings of the
study unfold in this way: successful spread of SNSs might be
associated with a specific positive affective state on their lifestyle
experienced by users when they use their Social Networking Sites.
According to LaDuque (2010), companies can also utilize Social
Networking Sites to create personalized experiences, to increase brand
loyalty, to generate sales leads, and to increase exposure. For example,
companies which provide entertaining videos or valuable incentives may
have their offerings shared between Social Networking Sites users
through electronic word-of-mouth communication. In addition, social
networking sites may also allow companies to communicate directly
with customers to improve products or address issues. Facebook allows
individuals to “like” pages, meaning they will receive updates regarding
the product or brand they have “liked.” Even mutual fund firms have
Page 65
begun using this medium to communicate with customers, create
interactive scavenger hunts, and organize contests among fans (Glazer,
2011). These wall posts potentially include comments about the brand
or photographs involving the brand.
Constantinides, Maria and Romero (2010) explore the profile of
Social Networking Sites based on national survey of Dutch users. It
evaluates the demographic, social and behavioural characteristics of
the users. The classification of Dutch users of Social Networking Sites
resulted in four distinct segments: The Beginners, Average Users,
Outstanding Users and Expert Users. The results revealed that
behaviour and. motivation is the best criteria of users for the markets
when using such -applications. The study (2010) reveals in this sense
the specific behavioural characteristics of these segments and provides
marketers with- important information as to designing marketing
programs making use of Social Networking Sites. The findings present
new insights to marketing strategists eager to use the communication
potential of such communities; the findings are also interesting for
businesses willing to explore the potential of online networking as a low
cost yet very efficient alternative to physical, traditional networking.
Shaheen (2010) in a study analyzed the usage of Social
Networking Sites and political activities of the students of three
universities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi during the political crises and
the emergency imposed by the Govt. of Pakistan on November 2007.
Page 66
Kluemper and Rosen (2009) evaluated the use of Social
Networking Sites in employment selection through accessing the
personal profile of-candidates on the sites. This study was conducted at
a large public university in southern USA.
Branes in his study (2008) explored how frequently college
students use Social Networking Sites to learn about products and their
companies. He stated that Social Networking Sites allow users to collect
information about companies and brands. Further, 70% of the
respondents of his study used Social Networking Sites to investigate
companies or products while considering a purchase, suggested by any
friends or companies. The positive reviews of a particular product on
Social Networking Sites influence the choice of purchase of the college
students (Branes; 2008).
The usage of Social Networking Sites has multiple influences on
college students. Currently, college students use Social Networking
Sites to express their political views. Diani in his study (2001) stated
that online Social Networking Sites have helped political and social
movements and strengthened solidarity. Moreover, Social Networking
Sites create new outlets for religion, support groups and minority
opinions (Dutta-Bergman; 2006).
In general, the usage of Social Networking Sites by college
students promoted democracy, freedom of expression and greater
awareness about their rights.
Page 67
Indian Studies on Social Networking Sites
Jothi, Neelamalar and Prasad (2011) reviewed and analysed the
contents of three Social Networking Sites to study the effectiveness of
brand communication strategy followed in these sites which are mainly
accessed by Indian users. The study attempts to find out the
effectiveness of brand communication strategy in promoting and
advertising their brand in social networking sites. They suggested some
method to make advertisement—more interactive among the target
audience.
Mishra (2011) discussed the legal implications of social
networking sites in USA and India, impact of Social Networking Sites on
social life, legal issues raised in Social Networking Sites in Indian
region, laws pertaining to social networking sites in India and USA and
legal obligations for social networking users and sites. The facts
revealed that Indian are less aware regarding the legal implications of
these sites than USA.
Mohamed Haneefa K and Sumitha E (2011) attempted to
explore the perception and use of Social Networking Sites by the
students of Calicut University, Kerala. The study finds that majority of
the students are aware about these sites and used for communication
purpose with friends. Orkut is the most used site among the
respondents. The students' activities on these sites are sending
messages and meeting new friends. Lack of security and privacy is the
main hindrance in using these sites.
Page 68
Kumar (2011) investigates the response of young Indian adults to
advertising on online social networking sites. The study finds that
majority of users avoid advertisements which are not useful to them,
but they pay attention to those which are relevant.
Singh and Gill (2011) investigated the usage of Social Networking
Sites among the researchers of GNDU, Amritsar through describing- the
basic concept of web 2.0, overview of social networking, definition, etc.
The study finds that Facebook is the most popular SNS used for
communicating and find useful information. Time consumption is the
main hurdle in accessing Social Networking Sites. The study suggests
that Social Networking Sites can be applied on library websites for
providing information their client about recent happenings and keeping
up-to-date them.
A study by Krishna (2011) analysed the importance and benefits
of social networking to library and information professionals. The study
analysed the US communities which have been developed on the Orkut
site for sharing professional information and problems. It also identified
some problems which hinder in the way of communication among LIS
professionals.
Parveen (2011) explores the usage of Facebook in creating
awareness among library and information science professionals. The
study investigates purpose and main hurdles in using Facebook. It
found that Facebook is the most used site, it uses for keep abreast with
Page 69
current news and information. Lack of time is main hurdle in using the
way of Facebook.
Biswajit Das and Jyoti Shankar Sahoo in their study (2010)
entitled “Social Networking Sites – A critical analysis of its impact on
personal and public life” clearly stated the danger of the impacts Social
Networking Sites pose. The Social Networking Sites allow people to have
virtual communication. A person defines himself through what kind of
friends he/she has. Consequently this peculiar behaviour of people
raises many questions that impact on the personal and public life. It
also traces back the history of Social Networking Sites. People use SNS
for many purposes primarily because SNS give an opportunity to
express their views and provide independence and connects a person to
million others in the world.
Krishnamurthy and Ashwath (2010) explore the emerging
technology ie. web 2.0 and its application in libraries particular focuses
on the social networking aspect. They analysed the social networking
concept, structure, types of social networking sites, its application; in
libraries and the issues and challenges which are being faced by the
libraries while implementing these technology. They argued that Social
networking sites are new—platform for information sharing and
communication. They also find that libraries and librarians used these
sites by personal and professionally use.
Kuppuswamy and Narayan (2010) studied the impact of social
networking sites on the education of youth. The study finds that social
Page 70
networking websites have both positive as well as negative impact on
the education of youth, depending on one's interest to use it in a
positive manner for his or her education and vice versa.
Sardar (2010) while conducting a survey having pafameters such
as age groups, common used SNSs, purposes of using SNSs and the
factors influence the respondents to access social networking websites.
The study finds that 25-30 age group most active on Social Networking
Sites. Facebook is the most commonly used network and finding new
friends is the factor most responsible for using Social Networking Sites.
Faisal (2010) discussed the numerous benefits of Ning social
networks and its applications in various fields. The study evaluates the
general features and activities on Ning platform.
In a recent study on Social Networking Sites Preeti Mahajan
(2009) tried to look at the impacts of SNS in the Indian society, through
linguistic and cultural perspectives. The article entitled “Use of social
networking in a linguistically and culturally rich India” describes some
of the top Indian SNS and pinpointed some instances where people
have used such sites to raise their voice against the bad elements
harming people’s culture. The study helps us to enhance the current
situation about social networking in India. According to the study
Indians are utilizing the power of social networking like Facebook to
combat a rising vigilantism against activities that certain groups feel are
not keeping with the spirit of Indian culture. The study (2009) says that
a Social Networking Site enables us to stay connected despite the
Page 71
hindrances of distance and time. That is why their popularity and
utilization has increased manifold and will continue to increase in
future. However, its impact on the country’s social and cultural values
is debatable as some Indians consider it as a threat while others feel it
is not. Its misuse by a few people needs to be addressed by the site
executives, legislators, and people in any regular community and be
resolved before they become endemic.
Neelamalar and Chitra (2009) investigated the usage and the
impact of social networking sites on the younger generation of India.
The results of the study indicate that majority of the youth are
members of these sites. Most of the respondents registered on it to
maintain existing contacts. The study further finds that majority of
youth state that Social Networking Sites act as a platform for
reconnecting with lost friends, maintaining existing
networks/relationships and sharing knowledge, ideas and opinions.
Studies on General Implications of Social Networking
Sites
In this background John H. Heinrichs, Jeen-su Lim and Kee-Sook
Lim (2011) have conducted a web-based study which consisted of 226
participants from professional discussion group, provided information
regarding their perceptions of social networking sites and access tool
usage. The differences in these perceptions based upon the various
access methods and various social networking tools are analyzed and
Page 72
reported. Subsequently the findings of the study show that differences
exist in both access methods and social networking tool usage.
In addition the usage patterns based upon the access methods
can have an impact on the usage behaviour of social network sites. It
clearly says that the high-usage groups have the highest mean values
for the perception dimension of ease-of-use for both access method and
social networking sites. This suggests that organizations should
accommodate and energize mobile users and design changes to their
social networking sites to facilitate interaction and information sharing.
This study investigated the difference in perception of attitude among
the three access method usage groups and the three social networking
type groups. The results of the study show that there exist significant
differences in perception for all five dimensions of social networking
sites for the mobile device and notebook usage groups. This study also
examined how individuals create, use, and share information and
knowledge from various sources and in various forms using three
identified access methods. If I talk about the limitations of this study I
must acknowledge the fact that the respondents to this study do not
represent a diverse enough audience.
The study entitled “Online social networking: An Australian
perspective” (2009) is the outcome of a survey conducted in Australia
in 2007/08 that investigated the experiences of online social network
users aged between 15-65 years. The survey aimed to uncover the
experiences and attitudes of active online social network users. In this
Page 73
study of online social network users, principles of two socio-cultural
theories of learning (namely Situated Cognition and Activity Theory) are
applied. Indeed it is true that the popularity of online social networking
users has increased significantly in a relatively short period of time. In
Australia Myspace and Facebook are consistently listed among the top
10 most popular websites in the country. The popularity of these sites
makes them a valuable context for exploring the nature of 21 st century
socialization and, in turn, the phenomenon of online identity creation.
While understanding this phenomenon it is useful to consider two
socio-cultural perspectives of learning: Situated Cognition and Activity
Theory. In this study both quantitative and qualitative data are reported
on issues of privacy, relationship between online and offline friends,
time engaged in online social networking activities, use of photographs
and status features and positive and negative experiences associated
with online social networking. These findings are basically interpreted
from a socio-cultural perspective of learning. The study results provide
understanding of frequency and type of online engagement through
social networking sites and some insight into the experiences and
feelings of individuals who choose to use such sites. More importantly,
the results of this study are considered in the light of socio-cultural
theories of learning. Thus this facilitates consideration of the impact of
social networking sites as culturally value cognitive tools which, once
mastered, enable the user to participate in an online community. Social
networking sites reflect the emerging socialization practices of the
online communities who participate. From the theoretical perspective
Page 74
discussed in this study, holistic investigation of the phenomenon
acknowledge that the interaction is not merely between individual and
tool but rather a form of socialization that is underpinned by one’s
conscious decision to create an online identity that is accessible by
others.
Internet has expanded rapidly and shifted from being solely an
information access tool to being an interaction tool used by individuals
to discover and share content, opinions, and information. To develop
information connections, individuals are using a variety of technologies
to access content and join virtual communities on various social
networking sites. What interest the researchers and organizations is the
individuals’ perception of social networking sites using the identified
dimensions of ease-of-use, usefulness, information quality, feeling, and
intention of usage.
Quan-Haase (2008) develops Dennis’s (2007) arguments and
reviews the body of research on the use and role of instant messaging (I
M) in student life, and how IM is a key part of university student’s
communication. Quan-Haase (2008) developed a map of the literature
available on I M, and produced a flow sheet demonstrating the effects it
can have on its users, as well as where it can be adapted for use.
Sandars (2007) and Boulos and Wheelert (2007) argued that the
potential of personal networks used in the healthcare fields has been
limited by the ability to manage the large variety of networks in place.
Sandars (2007) argued that new technologies such as Social
Page 75
Networking Sites can facilitate the flow of information between networks
by hosting online chat rooms and private online collaboration areas.
The Valadez and Duran (2007) study indicates that schools in
California in the US have greater access to technology which tend to
find more creative uses for it, communication by email more often with
students, and engaging more frequently in professional activities such
as on-line communication with other teachers.
Althaf Marsoof in his article entitled “Online social networking
and the right to privacy: the conflicting rights of privacy and
expression” gives a detailed description about how the advancement of
Information Technology has hastened the ability to disseminate
information across the globe. In particular, the recent trends in ‘Social
Networking’ have led to a spark in personally sensitive information
being published on the World Wide Web. While such socially active
websites are creative tools for expressing one's personality it also entails
serious privacy concerns. Thus, Social Networking websites could be
termed a double edged sword. It is important for the law to keep abreast
of these developments in technology. The major theme of the study was
to demonstrate the limits of extending existing laws to battle privacy
intrusions in the Internet especially in the context of social networking.
It is suggested that privacy specific legislation is the most appropriate
means of protecting online privacy. In doing so it is mandatory to
maintain a balance in the competing right of expression, failure of
which may hinder the benefits offered by Internet technology.
Page 76
Studies on Gender Differences in Usage of Social
Networking Sites
Peluchette and Karl (2008) examined students’ use and attitudes
toward Social Networking Sites. Significant gender differences were
found regarding the type of information posted and whether students
were comfortable with employers seeing this information. Although both
males and females were not comfortable with employers having access
to such information, males indicated less concern about this than
females. This may influence females’ use of Social Networking Sites. It
is evident from this study that there is a gender disparity in the use of
Social Networking Sites. But this study (2008) does not say much about
how gender differences were found and no deep investigation has been
undertaken in this regard.
Waldstrom and Madsen (2007) investigated whether there are
gender differences in the importance placed upon the two types of
network support among managers in organizations in Europe. Their
expectation was that it could be likely that female managers would not
have their social contact needs satisfied to the same extent as their
male colleagues and that, female managers would not regard their
nearest colleagues as friends to the same degree as male managers.
Their findings were, however, inconclusive as they found that gender
differences are strongly influenced by age, marital status and children
at home.
Page 77
A study conducted by Headlam-Wells, Craig and Gosland (2006)
aimed at analysing the barriers that women face in industry, and to
evaluate the effects of an e-mentoring scheme designed to overcome
obstacles and promote career development. E-mentoring can include
the use of web-based media such as chat rooms and discussion areas.
In many e-mentoring schemes, however, e-mail is the sole means of
electronic communication used. Developing online communication
involves a blend of technical planning and social development. As such
this development must combine usability, with sociability, which
focuses on social interaction. Subsequently this level of interaction may
be gained from groups in Social Networking. The study (2006) shows
positive impact of Social Networking Sites such as the valuable serv ice
it provides to the needy women.
Gender discrimination in the use of Social Networking Sites is
also indicated by the study conducted by Knouse and Webb (2001).
They state that women’s social networks are historically not as strong
as those of men. This is a reason for not advancing in the business
arena. They suggest that due to the low cost of internet development
and usage, an online social network should be used for creating
support networks and for finding mentors and mentoring each other.
This study states that over a period of time, the online social networks
may grow to be as strong as the traditional male social networks, and
that this will lead to an equalisation of roles within the workplace and
greater gender equality.
Page 78
Marcella (2001) investigated the use of internet by women, with
specific interest in the availability of women’s websites on the internet.
She states that these types of sites are relatively common, but fears
regarding their security which may actually restrain women from using
these sites. She also raises the concern that the Social Networking Sites
do not offer sufficient interactivity to allow users to get the full benefit
for using them. Marcella also referenced a study (Mitchell, 1998, in
Marcella, 2000) demonstrating that women use internet less than men
and that even though internet is being used more and more by women,
men still make more use of it than women do. The study (2001) also
makes a critical appraisal of women-oriented sites and concludes that
women-oriented sites provide valuable spaces on the web for women to
interact with each other and to have discussions. These sites also
provide freedom to women to develop their own space and presence on
the web and to begin to use the web to the same degree as men, but
through different, gender specific channels.
The studies referred to above are helpful in identifying the
different facets of the gender dimension of SNS. The previous studies
acknowledge that there is gender discrimination not only in the usage
pattern but also in the total percentage of use between male and female
population.
Page 79
Studies on General Aspects of Social Networking Sites
Haibo Hua, Xiaofan Wang in a study entitled “How people make
friends in Social Networking Sites—A microscopic Perspective” (2011)
examines how people use Social Networking Sites and what are the
purposes for doing so. Furthermore, they study the detailed growth of
Social Networking Sites with full temporal information by examining the
creation process of each friendship relation that can collectively lead to
the macroscopic properties of the network. We first learn from the
study, the reciprocal behaviour of users, and find that link requests are
quickly responded to and that the distribution of reciprocation intervals
decays in an exponential form. The degrees of inviters/accepters are
slightly negatively correlative with reciprocation time. In addition, the
temporal feature of the online community shows that the distributions
of intervals of user behaviors, such as sending or accepting link
requests, follow a power law with a universal exponent, and peaks
emerge for intervals of an integral day. We finally study the preferential
selection and linking phenomena of the social networking site and
discover that, for the former, a linear preference holds for preferential
sending and reception, and for the latter, a linear preference also holds
for preferential acceptance, creation, and attachment. Based on the
linearly preferential linking, they put forward an analyzable network
model which can reproduce the degree of distribution of the network.
The research framework presented in the paper could provide a
Page 80
potential insight into how the micro-motives of users lead to the global
structure of online social networks.
In a study entitled “On Social Websites” Won Kim, Sang-WonLee
(2009) gave detailed information on the recent trends in the realm of
Social Networking Sites. According to them today millions of Internet
users are using thousands of Social Networking Sites to stay connected
with their friends, discover new ‘‘friends,’’ and to share user-created
contents, such as photos, videos, social bookmarks, and blogs. Yet
there is lots of controversy about the benefits of these sites, and many
social issues have been raised pertaining to that these sites. There are
lots of press articles, Wikipedia articles, and blogs—in varying degree
projecting authoritativeness, clarity and accuracy—about some of the
social Websites, uses of the sites, and some social problems, and
business challenges faced by the sites. In this study (2009), they
attempted to organize the status, uses, and issues of Social Networking
Sites into a comprehensive framework for discussing, understanding,
using, building, and forecasting the future of Social Networking Sites.
The study conducted by Anne West, Jane Lewis and Peter
Curries (2009) on “Student Facebook ‘friends’: Public and Private
Spheres”, suggested that Social Networking Sites, such as Facebook are
associated with new ways of constructing some of the notions
surrounding the traditional public/private dichotomy. Notions of what
are private and what are public is fuzzy, with no clear-cut
Page 81
public/private dichotomy. Computer mediated communication appears
to make this fuzziness more apparent than has hitherto been the case.
Mark R Davis and Barbara A Lee (2008) carried out a study on
“The Legal Implications of Students’ Use of Social Networking Sites in
the UK and US: Current Concerns and Lessons for the Future”. It
provides a comparative snapshot of the current state of the law in the
US and UK with respect to the potential liability of University and
college students for use (and misuse) of Social Networking Sites. It
reviews the limited case law on this topic, highlights the differences in
the two nations’ law of determination and the various possible legal
claims available to individuals allegedly harmed by posting on these
Social Networking Sites, and concludes that country currently do not
offers a satisfactory legal or quasi- legal model for resolving these
disputes. There is a scope for such a study in the Indian context too.
Catherine Dwyer, Starr Roxanne Hiltz and Katia Passerini
(2007) studied how trust in a particular Social Networking Site and
other members can affect user’s willingness to share information and
develop new relationships. The relation between internet privacy
concerns and willingness to share information and develop new
relationships was analyzed. The study conducted with a comparison of
Facebook and MySpace and the results showed that online friendships
can develop in Social Networking Sites where perceived trust is low and
protection of privacy is minimal.
Page 82
Eszter Hargittai (2007) conducted a study titled “Who space?
Difference between Users and Non-users of Social Networking Sites”,
which aimed to explore or look at predictors of Social Networking Sites
usage with particular focus on Facebook, MySpace, Xango and
Friendster. A survey was also carried out among the college students of
Illinois and Chicago. Findings of the study (2007) suggest that the use
of Social Networking Sites was not randomly distributed across a group
of highly wired users, but a person’s gender, race, ethnicity and
parental and educational background were all associated with the use.
It threw light on the reasons for the use and non-usage of the Social
Networking Sites and how a person’s demographic characteristics and
social surroundings of his/her use might relate to the use of particular
Social Networking Sites he/she embraces.
Topper (2007) discussed about Social Networking Sites in library.
The purpose of the study was to understand the impact that social
networking had on public and academic libraries. Literature review was
the important method adopted for the work and the study found that
libraries have to reach users in their preferred method of
communication and they show the value of planning ahead for the
future and the ways patrons were accessing information. The younger
generation’s perspective on the internet and on Social Networking Sites
in particular was identified from the study (2007).
Page 83
Alessandro Acquisti and Ralph Gross (2006) through their
study “Imagined communities Awareness, information Sharing and
Privacy on Facebook” convey the underlying demographic or behavioral
differences between the communities of the network’s members and
non-members and impact of privacy concerns on member’s behavior. In
this study (2006), the researchers observed that age and student status
are the most important factors in determining the Facebook
membership, though the privacy concerns also play a role, but only for
non-undergraduate students. Majority of the members are aware of the
visibility of their profiles and they rely on their own ability to control the
information they disseminate. However, they document significant
dichotomies between specific privacy concerns and actual information
revelation behaviour.
Lars Backstrom, Dan Huttenlocher, Jon Kleinberg and
Xiangyang Lan (2006) discussed some interesting factors about the
evolution of online groups in web communities and Social Networking
Sites. The study (2006) was performed to bring out (a) the structural
features that influence an individual to join a community, and (b) which
communities will grow rapidly and how does the overlapping among
pairs of communities changes over a period of time? The result of the
study (2006) tells us about the tendency of individuals to join
communities, and that communities to grow rapidly, depend in subtle
ways on the underlying network structure. The liking of an individual to
join a community is influenced not just by the number of friends
Page 84
he/she has in that community, but also crucially on how those friends
are connected to one another.
Studies on Various Types of Social Networking Sites
Currently, there are large numbers of Social Networking Sites
throughout the world. A review of studies on different types of Social
Networking Sites is provided in the next section.
Akyildiz and Argan (2011) examined the usage of Facebook, a
significant component of SNSs among Turkish undergraduate students.
The study explores the social, daily and educational purposes of using
Facebook and also the time spent on it. Further the study found that
almost all students have a Facebook account and this network is used
.for social and daily activities rather than educational and school
related purposes. Majority of the students associated with this new
media since last 2 years.
Tiryakiogiu and Erzurum (2011) investigate the opinions and
arrogances of instructors regarding use of Facebook in the Faculty of
Communication Sciences at Anadolu University in Turkey. The study
finds that 74% instructors have a Facebook account and they spend
less than half an hour per day on Facebook. The main purpose of using
Facebook is to communicate with friends. They also observe that
Facebook can provide important contributions to social interactions
among students as well as to communications between instructors and
students.
Page 85
Lisboa and Coutinho (2011) discussed the characteristics of
virtual communities of the Orkut social network, focusing in particular
on education, training and technology, in order to understand whether
this and other social websites allow the development of informal -
learning and the role of e-moderator. The study revealed that there are
substantial differences between moderated and public communities
regarding themes, the types of language used and the forms of
communication and collaboration employed. The e-moderator emerges
as the key element in fostering 'virtual communities; however, it is
noticeable that e-moderators are not fully aware of the importance of
their role, often assuming a more administrative than pedagogical
function. They suggest that these environments can be used in the
process of the professional development of teachers and students,
which relies on collaboration and sharing knowledge about subjects.
Lim (2010) describes the use of Facebook as a platform for
academic discussions among distance learners. It offers a glimpse into
how mobile learning via SMS together with Facebook was used to
support and enhance the blended learning approach at Open University
Malaysia for three courses: Learning Skills for Open and Distance
Learners, Company Law and Renal Nursing. The study found that
Facebook does have the potential to draw distance learners to engage in
meaningful academic Conversations but the quantity and quality of
posts very much depends on the timing as well as the topics of
discussion.
Page 86
Roblyer (2010) conducted a comparative study among college
faculty and students regarding use and perception of Facebook social
network. The study found that students are more likely to use Facebook
for communication with friends and favour to support classroom work
rather than faculty. As compared to students, faculty favour in using e-
mail technology.
A study by Brady, Holcomb and Smith (2010) puts attention on
educational benefits of Social Networking Sites in general and Ning in
particular. It studied the graduate distance learners regarding their use
of Ning in distance educational courses. The study finds that SNSs
provide significant learning benefits in their courses. Ning provides
collaborative and communicative platform with peers and colleagues at
work place. The results of that study suggest guidance and direction on
how best to utilize SNSs to meet the needs of students in distance
education courses.
Fields (2010) attempted to provide a comprehensive view of using
twitter by the library staff for marketing arid promotion of reference
work in libraries. The study provides a comprehensive model of Koerner
library at University of British Columbia (UBC) - which is using their
institutional Twitter account to "tweet" reference questions asked
during public service shifts.
Forsyth and Perry (2010) explored the use, planning, evaluation
and impact of flick in public libraries by putting the following questions
such as what the libraries have observed about their presence on
Page 87
Flickr?, how Flickr relates to other social networking tools and using,
tagging, and overall satisfaction of the use of their images on Flickr. The
study finds that Flickr has used by people for recording events and
promoting their collections. Majority of respondents used Flickr that
they use one or more other web 2.0 technologies, in blog which is the
most commonly used tool.
Fox and Naidu (2009) evaluated the usability of three of the most
popular Social Networking Sites; Myspace, Facebook and Orkut with
first-time users. Facebook is the leading network among these sites.
The study revealed issues related to confusing terminology, inadequate
feedback and error messages, improper link location- impacted user
performance and satisfaction.
Pempek, Yermolayeva and Calvert (2009) in their study found
information about the use of social networking sites by college
students. It also evaluated how much, why, and how they use these
sites. Results showed that Facebook is the most popular website among
young adults.
Xia (2009) surveyed the Facebook Groups at two major research
universities in the USA to .discover whether these groups are good
practices for library marketing by examining group discussion
transcripts and history. The study found that the success of Faceb ook
Groups can be controlled by the active organization of librarians and by
using more general topics to keep discussions alive. It also finds that
Page 88
Facebook Groups should target not only students but also faculty and
staff in support of their research and-teaching.
Ferdig (2008) determined if and how medical students and
residents are using Facebook at a university in the South-eastern
United States. They studied whether respondents had a Facebook
account and their account private or public. The study finds that
majority of the respondents have an account and they maintain a
public profile. The study indicates that majority of the medical students
seem unaware and unconcerned about sharing personal information at
a public domain which could affect their professional lives. This study
provides preliminary evidence that online tools such as social
networking communities should become a part of the dialogue related
to preparing future physicians to meet the ACGME professionalism
competency.
Concluding Note
The studies cited in this chapter give a clear picture of the diversity in
studies on Social Networking Sites. The Social Networking Sites are a
highly important medium of communication and entertainment,
especially for youth. As a matter of fact youngsters are far more
attracted than any group of people to Social Networking Sites. This
may be due to the vast advantages that these sites provide including
better access to people around the world, instant messaging, video
Page 89
calling, access to various products and services of many companies and
brands and much more.
In this era the development of technology and its accessibility has
enabled rapid expansion and popularity of Social networking Sites.
Consequently this global phenomenon is affecting interpersonal
relationships of many. This aspect only stresses upon a detailed
research work to be carried out involving interpersonal relationships
and Social Networking Sites. As such, the present study primarily
focuses upon college students in the Indian context. College Students
are the mass users of these sites and hence it becomes important to
analyse them in relation to their Social Networking Sites usage and the
impacts it causes has on their interpersonal relationships.
Therefore to have a clear view, it is highly essential to have the
knowledge of existing studies and articles with regard to Social
Networking Sites. As a result this aids in better formulation of the
present study and a proper understanding of the diversed opinions
existent. All the studies mentioned in the review give a plethora of
views about Social Networking Sites and correctly position the
importance of the present study. It is noteworthy that not many
researchers have been undertaken regarding interpersonal
relationships of college students and Social Networking Sites in the
Indian context. Hence it is far more vital to analyse it in the Indian
context.
Page 90
Besides, a review of relevant literature provides with an overview
about the subject matter and the different kinds of methods, sample
and findings that were used and the key findings. This again helps in
the correct selection of proper methods and requirements for the
present study.
References
1) Akyildiz, Muge and Argan, Metin. 2011. “Using Online Social
Networking: Students’ Purposes of Facebook Usage at the
University of Turkey”. Journal of Technology Research. 1, 1-
11.
2) Alexander, B. 2006. “Web 2.0: A New Wave of Innovation for
Teaching and Learning?”. Educause Review. 41, 32-44.
3) Althaf, Marsoof. 2011. “Online Social Networking and the
Right to Privacy: The Conflicting Rights of Privacy and
Expression”. Int. Jnl. of Law and Info. Technology, Pp. 110-
132.
4) Alvin, Malesky L. and Chris, Peters. 2011. “Defining
Appropriate Professional Behaviour for Faculty and University
Students on Social Networking Websites”. Springer Science
and Business Media.
5) Anne, West. Jane, Lewis and Peter, Curries. 2009. “Student
Facebook ‘Friends’: Public and Private Spheres”.
Page 91
6) Banquil, K. Burce, C. Chua, N. and Dianalan, S. 2009. “Social
Networking Sites Affect One’s Academic Performance
Adversely” UST College of Nursing, pp. 1-42.
7) Barnes, N. G. 2008. “Exploring the Link between Customer
Care and Brand Reputation in the Age of Social Media”.
Journal of New Communications Research, 3(1), 86-91
8) Bianchini, G. 2008 “Social Networks: Ning Blog”.
9) Bicen, Huseyin and Cavus, Nadire. 2010 “The Most Preferred
Social Network Sites by Students” Procedia Social and
Behavioural Sciences, 2, 5864-5869.
10) Boase, J. Horrigan, J. B. Wellman, B. and Rainie, Lee. 2006
“The Strength of Internet Ties: The Internet And Email Aid
Users In Maintaining Their Social Networks and Provide
Pathways to Help When People Face Big Decisions”.
Washington D.C.: Pew Internet And American.
11) Boulos, M.N.K. and Wheelert, S. 2007. “The Emerging Web
2.0 Social Software: An Enabling Suite of Sociable
Technologies in Health and Health Care Education”. Health
Information and Libraries Journal, 24, 2-23.
12) Bowers, Campbell. 2008. “Cyber ‘Pokes’: Motivational Antidote
For Developmental College Readers”. Journal of College
Reading and Learning, 1(39).
13) Boyd, D. 2007. “Social Network Sites: Public, Private or
What?”. The Knowledge Tree.
Page 92
14) Boyd, D. M. and Ellison, N. B. 2007. “Social Networking Sites:
Definition, History, and Scholarship”. Journal of Computer-
Mediated Communication.
15) Brady, Kevin P. Holcomb, Lori B. and Smith, Bethany V.
2010. “The Use of Alternative Social Networking Sites in
Higher Educational Settings: A Case Study of the E-Learning
Benefits of Ning In Education”. Journal of Interactive Online
Learning, 9, 151-170.
16) Brubaker, H. Timothy. 1993. “Family Relations: Challenges
for the Future”. Sage Publications.
17) Charnigo, L. and Barnett, Ellis P. 2007. “Checking Out
Facebook.com: The Impact of a Digital Trend on Academic
Libraries”. Information Technology and Libraries, 23-33.
18) Constantinides, Efthymios and Maria, Del Carmen. 2010.
“Profiles of Social Networking Sites Users in the Netherlands”.
In Eighteenth Annual High Technology Small Firms
Conference. Netherlands.
19) Coontz, S. 2000. “Historical Perspectives on Family Studies”.
Journal of Marriage and Family, 62(2), pp. 283-297.
20) Coyle, Cheryl L. and Vaughn, Heather. 2008. “Social
Networking: Communication Revolution or Evolution?. Bell
Labs Technical Journal, 13, 13-18.
21) Das, Biswajit and Sahoo, Jyoti Shankar. 2011. “Social
Networking Sites – A Critical Analysis of Its Impact On
Page 93
Personal and Social Life”. International Journal Of Business
And Social Science, 2,14, 222-228.
22) Davis, Laura M. 2010. “Timeline: A History of Social
Networking Sites”.
23) Davis, Mark R. and Lee, Barbara A. 2008. “The Legal
Implications of Students Use of Social Networking Sites in the
UK and US: Current Concerns and Lessons for the Future”.
Education and the Law, Taylor and Francis Publisher Group,
Vol.20.
24) Dennis, K. 2007. “Technologies of Civil Society:
Communication, Participation and Mobilization”. Innovation,
20 (1), 19-34.
25) Diani, M. 2001. “Social Movement Networks Virtual and Real”.
Information, Communication & Society, 3(3): 386-401.
26) Dickson, Andrea and Holly, Robert P. 2010. “Social
Networking in Academic Libraries: The Possibilities and the
Concerns”. New Library World, 111, 11, 468-479.
27) Donna, Reid and Fraser, Reid. 2004. “Insights into the Social
and Psychological Effects of SMS Text Messaging”. pp. 1-11.
28) Downes, S. 2005. “Semantic Networks and Social Networks”.
The Learning Organization: An International Journal, 12, 411-
417,
29) Dutta-Bergman, M. J. 2006). “Community Participation and
Internet Use After September 11: Complementarily In Channel
Page 94
Consumption”. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication,
11(2), 4.
30) Dwyer, Catherine. Hiltz, Starr Roxanne and Passerini, Katia.
2007. "Trust and Privacy Concern Within Social Networking
Sites: A Comparison of Facebook and MySpace". AMCIS 2007
Proceedings, Paper 339.
31) Englander, E. 2008. “Cyberbullying and Bullying in
Massachusetts: Frequency and Motivations”. Massachusetts
Aggression Reduction Centre.
32) Eszter, Hargittai. 2007. “Whose Space? Differences among
Users and Non-Users of Social Network Sites”. Journal of
Computer-Mediated Communication, 276–297.
33) Faisal, S.L. 2010. “Library Nings: Networking the Power of
Users and Libraries”. pp. 64-68, KBD Publications, Delhi.
34) Ferdig, Richard E. 2008. “Medical Students’ And Residents’
Use of Online Social Networking Tools: Implications for
Teaching Professionalism in Medical Education”. First
Monday, 13, 9.
35) Fields, Erin. 2010. “A Unique Twitter Use for Reference
Services”. Library Hi Tech News, 27, 14-15.
36) Folorunso, Olusegun. 2010. “Diffusion of Innovation in Social
Networking Site among University Students”. International
Journal of Computer Science and Security, 4, 3, 361-372.
37) Fox, Doug and Naidu, Shiva. 2009. “Usability Evaluation of
Three Social Networking Sites”. Usability News, 11, 1-11.
Page 95
38) Gemmill, E. and Peterson, M. 2006. “Technology Use Among
College Students: Implications for Student Affairs
Professionals”. NASPA Journal, 43(2), 280−300.
39) Goodings, L. Locke, A. and Brown, S. 2007. “Social
Networking Technology: Place and Identity in Mediated
Communities”. Journal of Community and Applied Social
Psychology, 17, 463-476.
40) Goodman, J. 2007. “Click First, Ask Questions Later:
Understanding Teen Online Behaviour”. Aplis, 20(2), 84-86.
41) Grabmeier, J. 2009. “Study Finds Link between Facebook
Use, Lower Grades in College”. Ohio State University.
42) Gross, R. and Acquits, A. 2005. “Information Revelation and
Privacy in Online Social Networks”.
43) Haibo, Hua, Xiaofan, Wang. 2011. “How People Make Friends
in Social Networking Sites—A microscopic Perspective”.
Physica; A 391
44) Headlam-Wells, Craig and Gosland. 2006. “Encounters in
Social Cyberspace: E-Mentoring for Professional Women”.
Women in Management Review, 21(6), 483-499
45) Hiltz, R. S. and Turoff, M. 2005. “Education Goes Digital: The
Evolution of Online Learning and the Revolution in High
Education”. Communications of the ACM, 48(10), pp. 59-64.
46) Hu, N. Liu, L. and Zhang, J. 2008. “Do Online Reviews Affect
Product Sales? The Role of Reviewer Characteristics and
Page 96
Temporal Effects”. Information Technology and Management,
9(3), 201.
47) Huang, C. 2008. “A Brief Exploration of the Development of
Internet Use for Communication among Undergraduate
Students”. Cyberpsychology and Behaviour, 11(1), 115-117.
48) Hyllegard, K. H. Ogle, J. P. Yan, R. and Reitz, A. R. 2011. “An
Exploratory Study of College Students' Fanning Behaviour on
Facebook”, College Student Journal, 45(3), 601-616.
49) Jagatic, T. N. Johnson, N. A. Jakobsson, M. and Menczer, F.
2007. “Social Phishing”. Communications of the ACM, 50(10),
94-100.
50) John, H. Heinrichs, Jeen-su Lim and Kee-Sook, Lim. 2011.
“Influence of Social Networking Site and User Access Method
on Social Media Evaluation”. Journal of Consumer Behaviour,
10/6, 347-355.
51) John, Manuel C. Manlapig. 2006. “The Influence of Social
Networking Sites on the Interpersonal Relationships of
Rogationist College Students”.
52) Jothi, P. Neelamalar, M. and Prasad, R. Shakthi. 2011.
“Analysis of Social Networking Sites: A Study on Effective
Communication Strategy in Developing Brand
Communication”. Journal Of Media And Communication
Studies, 3, 7; 234-242.
Page 97
53) Katko, B. 2011. “WVU Study Shows Effects of Social
Networking on Family Relationships”. West Virginia
University.
54) Keenan, Andrew and Shiri, Ali. 2009. “Sociability and Social
Interaction on Social Networking Websites”. Library Review,
58, 6; 438-450.
55) Keol, Lim and Ellen, B. Meier. 2012. “International Student’s
Use of Social Network Services in the New Culture: A Case
Study with Korean Youths in the United States”. Asia Pacific
Educ. Review.
56) Kevin, P. Brady, Lori B. Holcomb and Bethany, V. Smith.
2010. “The Use of Alternative Social Networking Sites in
Higher Educational Settings: A Case Study of the E-Learning
Benefits of Ning in Education”.
Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 9/2, pp. 151-170.
57) Kirsty, Young. 2009. “Online Social Networking: An Australian
Perspective”, International Journal of Emerging Technologies
and Society.
58) Kluemper, Donald H. and Rosen, Peter A. 2009. “Future
Employment Selection Methods: Evaluating Social Networking
Websites”. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 24, 6; 567-580.
59) Knouse, S. and Webb, S. 2001. “Virtual Networking for
Women and Minorities”. Career Development International,
6(4), 226-228.
Page 98
60) Kolek, E. A. and Saunders, D. 2008. “Online Disclosure: An
Empirical Examination of Undergraduate Facebook Profiles”.
NASPA Journal, 45(1), 1–25.
61) Krishna, K. M. 2011. “Relevance of LIS Professional
Networking: Study and Analysis of Orkut Social Group”.
SRELS Journal of Information Management, 48, 5; 545-550.
62) Kuan-Yu, Lin and His-Peng, Lu. 2011. “Why People Use
Social Networking Sites: An Empirical Study Integrating
Network Externalities and Motivation Theory”. Computers in
Human Behaviour, 27/3, pp. 1152-1161.
63) Kubey, Lavin and Barrows. 2001. “Internet Use and Collegiate
Academic Performance Decrements: Early Findings”,
International Communication Association.
64) Kumar, Manoj. 2011. “Social Media Marketing for Sustainable
Tourism Development”. Vatel International Business School,
Nimes, France.
65) Kuppuswamy, Sunitha and Shankar, Narayan P. B. 2010.
“The Impact of Social Networking Websites on the Education
of Youth”. International Journal of Virtual Communities and
Social Networking, 2, 1; 67-79.
66) Lack, Caleb W. Beck, Lisa and Hoover, Danielle. 2009. “Use of
Social Networking by Undergraduate Psychology Majors”. First
Monday, 14, 12.
67) LaDuque, J. 2010. “Get More Leads, Engage Customers with
Social Media”. IFA International Franchise Association.
Page 99
68) Lars, Backstrom. Dan, Huttenlocher. Jon, Kleinberg and
Xiangyang, Lan. 2006. “Group Formation in Large Social
Networks: Membership, Growth, and Evolution”, Bibliometrics,
pp. 44-54.
69) Lenhart, A. and Madden, M. 2007. “Social Networking
Websites and Teens”, Washington D.C., Pew Internet and
American Life Project.
70) Lim, Tina. 2010. “The Use of Facebook for Online Discussions
among Distance Learners”. Turkish Online Journal of Distance
Education – TOJDE, 11, 2; 72-81.
71) Lisboa, Eliana Santana and Coutinho, Clara Pereira. 2011.
“Informal Learning in Social Networks: A Study of the Orkut
Social Network”. Issues in Educational Research. 21, 2; 162-
174.
72) Livingstone, Sonia. 1998. ”Relationships Between Media And
Audiences”. In Liebes, T. (ed.). Curran, J. (ed.): Media, ritual
and identity, London, New York: Routledge.
73) Lovitts, B. E. and Nelson, C. 2000. “The Hidden Crisis in
Graduate Education: Attrition from Ph.D. Programs”.
Academe Online.
74) Lusted, Marcia Amidon. 2011. “Social Networking Sites”.
ABDO Publishing Company.
75) Madhur, Palak and Nitika. 2012. “Impact Of Social
Networking Sites in The Changing Mindset Of Youth On Social
Page 100
Issues - A Study Of Delhi-NCR”. Youth International Refereed
Research Journal, 2(2), 36.
76) Marcella, R. 2001. “Women on the Web”. Journal of
Documentation, 58(1), 79-103.
77) Matsuba, K. 2006. “Searching for Self and Relationships
Online”. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 9(3), 275-284.
78) Matthew, Robert and Vanden, Boogart. 2006. “Uncovering the
Social Impacts of Facebook on A College Campus”. University
of Wisconsin – Madison.
79) Mattingly, T. J. Cain, J. and Fink, J. L. 2003. “Pharmacists on
Facebook: Online Social Networking and the Profession”. US
National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health,
50(3), 424-427
80) Mauri, M. Cipresso, P. Balgera, A. Villamira, M. and Riva, G.
2010. “Why is Facebook so Successful? Psychophysiological
Measures Describe a Core Flow State while Using Facebook.
Cyberpsychology, Behaviour and Social Networking, 14 (12),
pp. 723-731.
81) Maurizio, Mauri. Pietro, Cipresso. Anna, Balgera. Marco,
Villamira and Giuseppe, Riva. 2011. “Why is Facebook so
Successful? Psychophysiological Measures Describe a Core
Flow State While Using Facebook”. Cyberpsychology, Behavior
and Social Networking.
Page 101
82) Michele, Ybarra and Kimberly, Mitchell. “Are Social
Networking Sites Endangering Young Teens? Study Finds
Maybe Not”
83) Miller, Robert. Parsons, Kristine and Lifer, David. 2010.
“Students and Social Networking Sites: The Posting Paradox”.
Behaviour and Information Technology, 29, 4; 377-382.
84) Mishra, Madhusmita. 2011. “Social Networking Sites and Its
Legal Implications in India; A Comparative Study”. SSRN.
85) Mohamed, Haneefa K. and Sumitha, K. 2011. “Perception and
Use of Social Networking Sites by the Students of Calicut
University”. DESIDOC Journal of Library and Information
Technology, 31, 4; 295-301.
86) Moira, Burke and Cameron, Marlow. 2011. “Social Capital as
Facebook: Differentiating Uses and Users”.
87) Mooney, Carla. 2009. “Online Social Networking”. Gale
Cengage Learning.
88) Nalwa, K. and Anand, A. P. 2003. “Internet Addiction in
Students: A Cause of Concern”. Cyberpsychology and
Behavior, 6(6), 653-656.
89) Neelamalar, M. and Chitra, P. 2009. “New Media and Society;
A Study on the Impact of Social Networking Sites on Indian
Youth”. Studies in Communication, 6; 125-145.
90) Nicole, B. Ellison. Charles, Steinfield and Cliff, Lampe. 2007.
“The Benefits of Facebook ‘Friends’: Social Capital and College
Page 102
Students’ Use of Online Social Network Sites”. Journal of
Computer-Mediated Communication, 12/4, pp. 1143–1168.
91) Nicole, Ellison C. S. 2007. “The Benefits of Facebook ‘Fiends’:
Social Capital and College Students' Use of Online Social
Network Sites”, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication.
92) Nicole, Ellison C. S. 2008. “Social Networking Sites”, Students
and Information Technology. Educause Center for Applied
Research.
93) Park Ji-Hong. 2010. “Differences among University Students
and Faculties in Social Networking Site Perception and Use:
Implications for Academic Library Services”. The Electronic
Library, 28, 3; 417-431.
94) Parveen, Noushia. 2011. “Use of Social Networking Site in
Making Awareness among the Library and Information
Science Professionals of University Libraries of U.P.: A Case
Study”. International Journal of Digital Library Services, 1, 1;
9-17.
95) Pasek, J. Kenski, K. Romer, D. and Jamieson, K.H. 2006.
“America’s Youth and Community Engagement: How Use of
Mass Media is Related to Civic Activity and Political
Awareness among 14 to 22 Year Olds”. Communication
Research, 33/3, pp. 115–135.
96) Pasek, Josh and Hargittai, Eszter. 2009. “Facebook and
Academic Performance: Reconciling A Media Sensation with
Page 103
Data”.
First Monday, 14/5.
97) Paul, A. Kirschner, A, Aryn, C. Karpinski, B. Kirschner and
Karpinski. 2010. “Facebook and Academic Performance”.
Computers in Human Behavior, pp. 1237–1245.
98) Peluchette, J. and Karl, K. 2008. “Social Networking Profiles:
An Examination of Student Attitudes Regarding Use and
Appropriateness of Content”. Cyberpsychology and Behaviour,
11 (1), 95-97.
99) Pempek, Tiffany A. and Calvert, Sandra L. 2009. “College
Students’ Social Networking Experiences on Facebook”.
Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 30, 227-238.
100) Petter, Bae Brandtzaeg and Jan, Heim. 2009. “Why People
Use Social Networking Sites”. Springer. Verlag Berlin
Heidelberg.
101) Piskorski, Mikolaj Jan. 2009. “Understanding the Uses of
Social Networks: Working Knowledge”. Harvard Business
School.
102) Preeti, Mahajan. 2009. “Use of Social Networking in a
Linguistically and Culturally Rich India”. The International
Information & Library Review.
103) Quan-Haase, A. 2008. “Instant Messaging on Campus: Use
and Integration in University Students’ Everyday
Communication”. The Information Society, 24, 105-115.
Page 104
104) Roblyer, M. D. 2010. “Findings on Facebook in Higher
Education: A Comparison of College Faculty and Student Uses
and Perceptions of Social Networking Sites”. Internet and
Higher Education, 13; 134-140.
105) Sandars, J. 2007. “The Use of New Technology to Facilitate
Learning through Personal Networks”. Work Based Learning in
Primary Care, 5, 5-11.
106) Sardar, Ramesh. 2010. “A Study on Social Networking
Website in Arangabad City”. Asian Journal of Research in
Business Economics and Management, 2, 2; 132-140.
107) Scott, C. R. and Timmerman, E. C. 2005. “Relating Computer,
Communication and Computer-Medicate Communication
Apprehension to New Communication Technology Use in the
Workplace”. Communication Research, 32(6), pp. 683-725.
108) Sengupta and Chaudhuri. 2010. “Are Social Networking Sites
A Source Of Online Harassment For Teens?”. Children and
Youth Services Review, 33, pp. 284–290.
109) Shaheen, Maqsood Ahmad. 2008. “Use of Social Networks and
Information Seeking Behaviour of Students During Political
Crises in Pakistan: A Case Study”. The International
Information And Library Review, 40; 142-147.
110) Shahzad, Khan. 2009. “Impact of Social Networking Websites
on Students”. Asian Journal of Social Sciences, Vol. 5 No. 2.
111) Shyam, Sundar. 2008. “The Psychological Appeal of
Personalized Content in Web Portals: Does Customization
Page 105
Affect Attitudes and Behaviour?”. Journal of Communications,
56(1), 110–132.
112) Singh, K. P. and Gill, Malkeet Singh. 2011. “Use of Social
Networking Sites By The Research Scholar; A Study of Guru
Nanak Deve University, Amritsar”. Library Herald, 49, 3; 229-
241.
113) Subrahmanyam, K. and Lin, G. 2007. “Adolescents on the
Net: Internet Use and Well-Being. Adolescence, 42(168), 659-
677.
114) Tiryakioglu, Filz and Erzurum, Funda. 2011. “Use of Social
Networks as an Education Tool”. Contemporary Educational
Technology, 2, 2: 135-150.
115) Topper, Elisa F. 2007. “Social Networking in Libraries”. New
Library World, 108, 7/8; 378-380.
116) Valadez, J. and Duran, R. 2007. “Redefining the Digital
Divide: Beyond Access to Computers and the Internet”. The
High School Journal, 31-44.
117) Valkenburg, P. M. Peter, J. and Schouten, A. P. 2006. “Friend
Networking Sites and Their Relationship to Adolescent’s Well-
Being and Social Self-Esteem”. Cyber Psychology & Behaviour,
9(5):584-590.
118) Vitak. 2008. “Facebook Friends: How Online identities Impact
Offline Relations”.
119) Vosloo, S. 2007. “Interview with Dana Boyd”. Social
Networking Expert (Internet). Mail and Guardian Online.
Page 106
120) Waldstrom, C. and Madsen, H. 2007. “Social Relations among
Managers: Old Boys and Young Women’s Networks”. Women
in Management Review, 22(2), 136-147.
121) Weatherall, A. and Ramsay, A. 2006. “New Communication
Technologies and Family Life”. Families Commission Blue
Skies Report 5.06.
122) William, Fielding Ogburn and Meyer, Francis Nimkoff. 1976.
“Technology and the Changing Family”. Greenwood Press.
123) Wilson, David W. 2008. “Monitoring Technology Trends With
Podcasts, RSS and Twitter”. Library Hi Tech News, 26, 10; 8-
12
124) Won, Kim. Sang-WonLee. 2009. “On Social Websites”.
Information Systems.
125) Xia, Z. David. 2009. “Marketing Library Services through
Facebook Groups”. Library Management, 30, 6/7; 469-478.
126) Ya, Ping Chang and Dong, Hong Zhu. 2011. “Understanding
Social Networking Sites Adoption in China: A Comparison of
Pre-Adoption and Post-Adoption“. Computers in Human
behaviour.
Page 107

Chapter 2

Transféré par

Informations du document

Description originale:

Titre original

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Chapter 2

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Chapter – 2 Review of Literature

The realm of Social Networking Sites is increasingly emerging as the

subject of research in the field of social sciences. Scholars in many

fields have begun to investigate the various aspects of Social

to investigate how these sites may influence issues of identity, privacy,

social capital, youth culture, education and interpersonal relationships.

Therefore, an attempt has been made in this chapter to review studies

and articles related to the theme of the research. The review of

literature allows us to study the main perspectives similar studies

the method of arranging the components in the framework of the study.

This chapter is sub-divided into various sections to facilitate the

emergence of a clear picture regarding the different dimensions of

Social Networking Sites.

This second chapter contains a review of select studies that have

been carried out on different aspects of Social Networking Sites. As

Studies on the Usage of Social Networking Sites among

college students is increasing rapidly throughout the world. Evidently

Social Networking Sites have become a significant part of the lives of

group of people the usage of Social Networking Sites among college

students is more, mainly because they are attracted extensively to the

new technology and particularly to the opportunity it offers for creating

Keol Lim and Ellen B Meier (2012) in their study clearly

number of international students getting admission in U S universities

has increased. It also refers to psychological experiences of

international students such as disorientation, nostalgic depressive

reactions, and feelings of isolation, alienation and powerlessness.

However, international students may have limited ways to cope with

stress, which could lead to stress-related illnesses such as anxiety or

depression. Hence these limitations make it hard for international

students to acclimatize themselves new circumstances.

Further, Keol and Meier (2012) mainly constrained themselves for

only two research questions: How do these international students use

Social Networking Sites? And how do these international students

perceive the impact of Social Networking Sites on their affective and

academic adaptation? This research was conducted in the United

raised in a western culture. Respondents in the study used Social

in their adaptation to a new life in the United States. Findings of the

social networking sites and that the interactions helped to decrease

their anxiety in the new culture by providing them with a means of

connecting to their parents and friends in Korea. At the end it also

stressed on the need of more research to identify the potential of Social

Networking Sites in contributing to the affective and cognitive

adaptation for international students including the connection between

Internet use and academic achievement.

In a study entitled “Social capital as Facebook; differentiating

extensively about the perspective to look at the uses of Social

Networking Sites. It says though usage of Social Networking Sites is

often treated as a monolithic activity, in which all time is equally social

how Facebook affects social capital depending upon: types of site

activities, contrasting one-on-one communication, broadcasts to wider

audiences, and passive consumption of social news, and individual

differences among users, including social communication skill and self-

esteem. In this study (2011) a survey was conducted using 415

Facebook users, which revealed that receiving messages from friends is

study was to observe how different uses of a large Social Networking

actual or potential resources which are linked to a durable network of

more or less institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintance or

recognition. The study states that college students are motivated by

social information-seeking, using Social Networking Sites to learn about

people they have met offline, and expressive information sharking,

feeling greater to bridge social capital.

Kuan-Yu Lin and His-Peng Lu (2011) applied network