2008 Woodie Awards
Facebook may improve self esteem
Matthew DiGirolamo - U-WIRE
Issue date: 10/8/07 Section: College Life
Whoever said friend requests can't buy happiness may be sorely mistaken. According to a new study from Michigan State University, general social networking Web site usage may lead to a boost in self-esteem and the ability to build relationships.
The study, conducted with 286 MSU undergraduates from various backgrounds and personalities, examined the connection between the use of social networking sites and the development of a person's "social capital" - the resources one gains through relationships with other people.
According to the study, social capital determines what people can do once they make new friends. For example, a student with a lot of social capital might be able to group a large amount of people together for a birthday party, land a highly competitive job, or find the fastest way to Chinatown from an acquaintance living there.
The researchers involved have found that the Internet plays a large role in closing the gaps in social capital. Weak ties between people, due to distance or other factors, can be mended by using the tools the Internet provides.
They found that closing these gaps helps people to maintain their social capital, which has been linked to lower crime rates and better public well-being - though many other factors affect those statistics as well.
Cliff Lampe, an assistant professor of telecommunication studies at MSU and one of the researchers for the study, said that the study shows how students use Facebook.com as a tool as well as a toy.
"I would say, as a general statement, that the take-away from this article is that college students are using Facebook to maintain their relationships," Lampe said. "Despite the media hype about Facebook, students seem to be savvy about how they use the site, and overall they are receiving real benefits from using Facebook."
The study revealed interesting facts about relationships after students head to college. Even though a high percentage of participants listed their high school network in their profile, many of them reported that they do not use Facebook to communicate with their old classmates.
The study, conducted with 286 MSU undergraduates from various backgrounds and personalities, examined the connection between the use of social networking sites and the development of a person's "social capital" - the resources one gains through relationships with other people.
According to the study, social capital determines what people can do once they make new friends. For example, a student with a lot of social capital might be able to group a large amount of people together for a birthday party, land a highly competitive job, or find the fastest way to Chinatown from an acquaintance living there.
The researchers involved have found that the Internet plays a large role in closing the gaps in social capital. Weak ties between people, due to distance or other factors, can be mended by using the tools the Internet provides.
They found that closing these gaps helps people to maintain their social capital, which has been linked to lower crime rates and better public well-being - though many other factors affect those statistics as well.
Cliff Lampe, an assistant professor of telecommunication studies at MSU and one of the researchers for the study, said that the study shows how students use Facebook.com as a tool as well as a toy.
"I would say, as a general statement, that the take-away from this article is that college students are using Facebook to maintain their relationships," Lampe said. "Despite the media hype about Facebook, students seem to be savvy about how they use the site, and overall they are receiving real benefits from using Facebook."
The study revealed interesting facts about relationships after students head to college. Even though a high percentage of participants listed their high school network in their profile, many of them reported that they do not use Facebook to communicate with their old classmates.
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