We all know that Facebook has affected many aspects of our lives to a large degree. Its made communication easier and had made our world seemingly smaller.
However, it is interesting to look at the impact that social networking sites like Facebok have on the individual and their relationships with people.
I did a little research on the effect that Facebook has on the personal lives of its users, particularly students and adolescent. Research shows that:
1) Facebook is definitely an important part of maintaining relationships for adolescents.
If you’re not in, you get left behind. Facebook keeps kids connected to their loved ones. For many facebook provided a way to keep in touch with high school friends and acquaintances. This was demonstrated through the fact that the most commonly used information on users’ profiles was likely to be relevant for existing acquaintances trying to find them (eg high school)
2) Studies also seem to suggest that Facebook usage was correlated to self esteem in many of its users.
Those who seemed to spend more time on Facebook somehow seemed to be more sociable.
3) Facebook gives us another avenue to communicate with each other without doing it face to face
You would thing this would be a good thing, but it turns out that this has a negative side as well. Especially when it comes to personal relationships. A recent trend of breakups occurring on Facebook has been noted. In a recent survey of 1000 fb users, 25% of the respondents found out their relationship was over by seeing it on Facebook. Now that is harsh.
4) People feel the need to make themselves seem more interesting that they actually are.
Surveys show that 35% of respondents had updated their fb status to make it seem like they had plans, when they didn’t.
Statistics such as these sometimes make you wonder if the presence of social networking sites is more of a bad thing as opposed to a good thing.
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