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Do Rich Teens Get Richer? Facebook Use and the Link between Offline and Online Social Capital among Palestinian Youth in Israel
Information, Communication & Society
Abstract
Studies have shown that using social networking sites contributes to social capital. This study investigated the association between specific features of Facebook and online social capital. Two contrasting hypothesis were tested. The first posits that the rich get richer, meaning that the creation of social capital online reflects the stock of offline resources already available. In contrast, the compensation hypothesis argues that disadvantaged ethnic minorities are more likely to use social media to compensate for their lack of social capital offline. We tested these two theories among a representative sample of Palestinian teenagers (N = 567). While we found no gender differences in the use of Facebook’s features, our results highlight the positive correlation between the use of active and passive communication features and perceived social capital online. Moreover, the results support the rich-get-richer model; in that, even among this socially disadvantaged group, the youngsters who already had a store of social capital offline benefitted more from using Facebook.
... Frá því að tilgáturnar voru settar fram hafa rannsóknir frekar stutt tilgátuna um ríka sem verði ríkari (Abbas og Mesch, 2018;Gadekar og Ang, 2020;Kraut o.fl., 2002;Weiqin o.fl., 2016). Félagslyndir einstaklingar dvöldu dvelja lengur á Facebook og áttu fleiri vini þar en einstaklingar sem voru kvíðnir í félagslegum samskiptum eða forðuðust þau (Gadekar og Ang, 2020). ...
... Félagslyndir einstaklingar dvöldu dvelja lengur á Facebook og áttu fleiri vini þar en einstaklingar sem voru kvíðnir í félagslegum samskiptum eða forðuðust þau (Gadekar og Ang, 2020). Einnig reyndust einstaklingar með úthverfan persónuleika og ríkuleg tengsl í raunheimi baeta við tengslanet sitt og bindandi og brúandi félagsauð með veru sinni á samfélagsmiðlum (Abbas og Mesch, 2018;Weiqin o.fl., 2016). ...
... Two conflicting hypotheses regarding the potential benefits of online friendships for adolescents are presented: the social compensation hypothesis posits that individuals who experience fragile real-world relationships may enhance the quantity and quality of their friendships online, while the rich-get-richer hypothesis suggests that online interactions supplement real-world friendships, enriching the overall social experience (Kraut et al., 2002;1998). Although only a limited number of studies have explored these hypotheses, the existing evidence leans towards supporting the rich-get-richer hypothesis (Abbas & Mesch, 2018;Gadekar & Ang, 2020;Weiqin et al., 2016). Some scholars propose that online friendships may benefit shy adolescents (Van Zalk et al., 2013), socially insecure and anxious adolescents (Pouwels et al., 2021;Scott et al., 2021), especially boys (Desjarlais & Willoughby, 2010) and adolescents with autism (van Schalkwyk et al., 2017). ...
Tengsl finnast á milli mikillar skjá- og samfélagsmiðlanotkunar unglinga og aukinna kvíða- og þunglyndiseinkenna. Jafnframt sýna rannsóknir að samfélagsmiðlar skapa unglingum tækifæri til að stofna til samskipta, til sjálfsmyndarþróunar og auka tilfinningu þeirra fyrir að tilheyra. Samkvæmt tilgátu um félagslega uppbót gætu ungmenni með slök tengsl við jafnaldra í raunheimi bætt sér þau upp með tengslum á netinu. Markmið rannsóknarinnar er að kanna líðan unglinga eftir fjölda vina í raunheimi og netheimi. Til rannsóknar eru tengsl vinafjölda unglinga og líðanar eftir því hvort uppruni unglinga er íslenskur eða ekki og eftir einkennum félagskvíða. Gögnum var safnað með spurningalistakönnun sem lögð var fyrir í 8.–10. bekk níu grunnskóla. Alls svöruðu 806 unglingar listanum og var svarhlutfall 82%. Niðurstöður sýndu marktæka en veika fylgni sálrænnar líðanar og fjölda vina á netinu; því fleiri netvini sem ungmenni áttu þeim mun verr leið þeim. Meiri vanlíðan fannst meðal unglinga með fjölbreyttan tungumála- og menningarbakgrunn og þeir áttu fleiri vini sem þeir hittu aðeins á netinu samanborið við ungmenni sem áttu foreldra er fæddir voru á Íslandi. Fjöldi netvina hafði ekki áhrif á tengsl félagskvíða við sálræna líðan né fannst marktækur munur á sálrænni líðan eftir uppruna hvort sem netvinir voru fleiri eða færri. Tilgátan um félagslega uppbót hlaut því ekki stuðning í þessari rannsókn. Vísbendingar um að fjöldi netvina sé ekki tengdur vanlíðan í sama mæli meðal ungmenna sem áttu foreldra sem fæddir voru utan Íslands samanborið við ungmenni sem áttu foreldra fædda á Íslandi kalla á frekari rannsóknir. Mikilvægt er að forráðamenn og uppeldisstéttir leiðbeini ungu fólki um samskipti á netinu en hafi jafnframt í huga að dýrmæt vinatengsl geta skapast á þeim vettvangi.
... Along with the rise of social media, researchers have shown increasing interest in the online version of social capital (Abbas & Mesch, 2018) , as people can attain social capital in both online and offline environments. While offline social capital refers to the individuals' social networks labeled by the call of reciprocity and trust (Putnam, 2000, p. 16) , online social capital, in turn, refers to the resources and connections on the internet and social media (Abbas & Mesch, 2018). ...
... Along with the rise of social media, researchers have shown increasing interest in the online version of social capital (Abbas & Mesch, 2018) , as people can attain social capital in both online and offline environments. While offline social capital refers to the individuals' social networks labeled by the call of reciprocity and trust (Putnam, 2000, p. 16) , online social capital, in turn, refers to the resources and connections on the internet and social media (Abbas & Mesch, 2018). While studies have found that social media usage is positively connected to social capital (Utz & Muscanell, 2015), focus has been on specific issues, such as how to measure online social capital (e.g., Williams, 2006). ...
... Social capital is highly valuable as it provides access to otherwise unattainable resources (Huysman & Wulf, 2004), and it can be a channel to significant assets, such as emotional and financial support (Liu, Ainsworth & Baumeister, 2016), and higher well-being (Bae, 2019). In this study, social capital refers to the forms it appears online (Abbas & Mesch, 2018;Williams, 2006). As online impression management frequently leads to the desired outcomes, people might perceive social capital as a valuable by-product of status-seeking impression management. ...
Individuals adjust their behavior on social media to varying extent, and commonly in their idealized way. Most studies have focused on the problems associated with materialism and social media use, yet their potential positive contributions remain less clear. In fact, impression management holds potential for both negative and positive: it has been linked with materialistic attitudes, but also increased amounts of self-reported social capital. This study examines how young people's materialistic values connect with status-seeking impression management on social media, and subsequently to social capital, within the same model. Eight hundred Finnish participants aged 15–19 participated in our structured phone survey. We applied structural equation modeling to examine the connections between materialism, impression management, and online social capital. Our findings show that materialism is positively related to impression management, while impression management is positively associated with online social capital. Additionally, we found positive indirect effects between materialism and both bridging and bonding social capital through impression management. In sum, more materialistic young people who engaged in higher impression management had higher amounts of social capital.
... More recently, however, Abbas and Mesch (2018) investigated the relationship between the construct of perceived online social capital with the use of active and passive communication features on Facebook and found support for the rich-get-richer hypothesis. One of the limitations of their study, as they stated, was that it focused on Facebook use without considering the communication partner, that is, users' Facebook friends. ...
... The gratification of leisure is getting away from the boredom, just to pass the time or getting entertained by accessing Facebook (Barker, 2009). Abbas and Mesch (2018) have found that there is a significant relationship between the use of different Facebook features and perceived social capital online. They placed the different Facebook features into two categories: passive and active. ...
... In the case of enhancement, users who are not apprehensive would use active features more than the others. We also propose that the users with CA would use the passive features more than others because, though passively, it would give them a sense of constant connection with others as it increases the perceived bonding social capital online (Abbas & Mesch, 2018). ...
Who benefits more from the use of social media—those who are already socialable and have a wide network of friends or those who do not and so seek to make up for their deficiency by going online? The social enhancement hypothesis says that extroverts benefit more through being able to enlarge their network of friends online more than introverts. The social compensation hypothesis, on the other hand, argues that social media use benefits introverts more; shy users who avoid face-to-face communication can communicate freely online. MANOVA analysis of the survey of 1,392 college students in a western state of India who are Facebook users found evidence predominantly for the social enhancement hypothesis.
... Social media platforms are significant places for young people to form identities, and create and sustain relationships (Rice & Barman-Adhikari, 2014;Way & Malvini Redden, 2017). Youth understand their cultivated identities and experiences on social media apps as occurring in distinct digital neighborhoods (Stevens et al., 2016), and research has shown that these digital neighborhoods tend to mirror offline inequities (Abbas & Mesch, 2018;boyd, 2011;Hargittai & Hinnant, 2008;Nemer, 2016). However, the ways in which the design of these platforms may come to bear on these inequities is less widely understood. ...
... Although the use of social media has risen among all demographics, important differences persist in regard to online participation, social capital exchange, and visibility (Micheli, 2016). While social media may provide "affinity spaces" (Gee, 2004) for diverse participants and allow youth to connect with one another (Ito et al., 2019;Way & Malvini Redden, 2017), they often reproduce offline inequities (Abbas & Mesch, 2018;boyd, 2011;Hargittai & Hinnant, 2008;Nemer, 2016), reflecting broader dynamics of marginalization, such as those based on race, class, gender, sexuality, religion, or citizenship status. As Hargittai and Hinnant (2008) explain, those young people "who are already in more privileged positions are more likely to use the medium for activities from which they may benefit" (p. ...
... Given the significance of relational and bridging aspects of social media, the potential benefits of social media use for marginalized youth have often been examined using social capital frameworks (e.g., Abbas & Mesch, 2018;Hargittai & Hinnant, 2008;Kim & Kim, 2017;Rice & Barman-Adhikari, 2014). Such studies have shown how social media can allow underprivileged youth to draw on resources from members of the networks to which they belong, make connections with people who may be helpful to them, and gain access to resources they might not have offline. ...
This study investigates underrepresented youths’ perspectives on social media design and how these may inform the development of more ethical and equitable social media apps. In contrast to the tradition of universal design in the field of human-computer interaction, this research centers difference to investigate how users’ perspectives and expectations, shaped by their identities, help determine the affordances of social media and their ethical implications. Twenty-five in-depth interviews and youth-guided “think aloud” social media tours were carried out with a diverse range of young people from underrepresented groups. Findings illustrate how young people perceive and experience empowering and disempowering aspects of social media design. Interviewees expressed a palpable sense of underrepresentation in the digital technology design sector and noted several ways in which design elements of social media can exacerbate a sense of inadequacy. The negative implications of user profile design and popularity rating systems that encourage conformity were found to be of particular concern for low-income youth, youth of color, and other underrepresented groups. However, our findings also illuminate youth perceptions on how social media can sometimes serve as a tool to counter negative stereotypes and build social capital. The analysis includes concrete suggestions from underrepresented youth for more ethical and equitable social media design.
... Cooley and Parks-Yancy, 2019). Combining the original definition of Bourdieu (1985) with additions of Coleman (1988) and Putnam (1993) and with the current online environment in which SMI operate, social capital refers to one's online social network (Abbas and Mesch, 2018). Different components of SMI-audience interactions and relationships have been associated with SMI's social capital, such as the intimacy with the audience, the reciprocity in their contact with the audience, trust, and so on (e.g. ...
... Coleman, 1988;Putnam, 1993). In an online context, social capital refers to the recourses and connections one has through the Internet (Abbas and Mesch, 2018). The idea of social capital increasingly pops up in the context of SMI as they are known for their extended network of connections with followers on one hand and brands and societal organizations on the other hand, thus scoring high on social capital. ...
Little is known about the characteristics and dynamics within SMI–audience interactions and relationships from the side of SMI. Using interview data from 19 ( N = 19) SMI, this study aims (1) to increase the insights on the development (i.e. predictors and dimensions) and dynamics (i.e. outcomes and feedback loops) of SMI’s social capital and (2) use the social capital framework to develop a typology of different SMI–audience relationships. The resulting typology proposes four types of relationships. The first is the casual follower relationship, characterized by limited intimacy and low-effort contact. Second, the positive fan relationship involves typical fan behavior. These relationships are important for SMI because they offer psychological and commercial gains. Finally, the negative hater and the negative anti-fan relationship were distinguished. Whereas the first is a temporary superficial relationship, the latter has intimacy and reciprocity, which stimulates SMI’s investment. The theoretical and practical implications for SMI and marketing are discussed.
... For example, social media users build their own webpages where they disclose personal information such as their name, age, hometown, and hobbies, and exchange personalized messages with others through chats, direct messages, wall posts, and status updates, all of which can increase interpersonal trust (Zhong, 2014). Social media also provide virtual spaces where people can join groups, communities, and fan pages, or play social games together (Abbas & Mesch, 2018;Ellison et al., 2011). By participating in diverse online activities and communicating with other networked contacts, social media users can build cooperative relationships that may elevate their social capital (Choi & Noh, 2020b). ...
... By participating in diverse online activities and communicating with other networked contacts, social media users can build cooperative relationships that may elevate their social capital (Choi & Noh, 2020b). For adolescents, social media can sustain or reinforce existing social connections with family members or friends, new social relationships with other people, and access to social resources through online social networks (Abbas & Mesch, 2018;Manago & Melton, 2020). Previous studies have demonstrated that social media use is positively related to social capital (e.g., Ahn, 2012;Antheunis et al., 2016;Su & Chan, 2017;J. ...
This study investigated how social media use among South Korean adolescents influences life satisfaction, using two-wave panel survey data. Specifically, this study examined the mediating mechanism by which adolescents’ social media use is associated with their life satisfaction through social support and social capital. The results demonstrated that social support and social capital mediate the relationship between social media use and life satisfaction. Social media use is positively related to social support, and social support has a positive relationship with a higher level of social capital which, in turn, is related to a higher level of life satisfaction. This study improves our understanding of the relationship between social media use and adolescents’ life satisfaction and presents significant implications for those attempting to help such individuals promote their life satisfaction and mental health.
... Such voluntary interactions are positively related to the minority's sense of belongingness to the mainstream group (Glass and Westmont, 2014), and facilitate the expansion of one's social circle. A study conducted by Abbas and Mesch (2018) reveals that a minority's online social interaction with mainstream-culture individuals provides them a sense of being a part of a larger community, which contributes to their perceived SC online. This may result in increased recognition of the social capital provided by social media. ...
... Sample Sampling was conducted within two minority groups in Israel. Israel was chosen as a social platform because of its cultural heterogeneity (Abbas and Mesch, 2018) and its multicultural and multiethnic social make-up (Mesch, 2012). It offers a unique research platform because its many groups face religious, ethnic and social conflicts that may affect digital communication with the mainstream population in different ways. ...
Purpose: Social media sites facilitate electronic word of mouth (eWOM) communication among consumers of diverse cultures and ethnicities. Based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), the present research proposes a conceptual framework for minority consumers' engagement in eWOM associated with the mainstream culture. The model incorporates social capital and social interaction as key factors that affect cross-cultural eWOM communication between minority and mainstream consumers. This research also aims to explore the responses of minority consumers to eWOM communications originating with members of the majority group.
Methodology: S structural equation modelling (SEM) procedure was applied to data collected from social media (Facebook) users (N 5 539) from two minority communities: Israeli Arab and Israeli Ultra-Orthodox Jewish minorities.
Findings: The findings show that: (a) minority consumers' engagement with eWOM is indirectly related to social capital, (b) this relationship is mediated by minority consumers' attitudes and their subjective norms regarding eWOM engagement with dominant cultural groups, (c) social interaction of minorities with the dominant culture enhances the influence of social capital on eWOM engagement and (d) behavioural engagement with eWOM varies across cultural minorities, depending on the minority group's unique cultural characteristics. Practical implications-The findings have managerial implications for practitioners who use social media in their marketing and business activities, as they demonstrate that the effectiveness of eWOM communication is contingent on the cultural characteristics of the ethnic minority consumer groups being targeted by managers.
Originality: The present research contributes to the theory of consumer engagement by demonstrating that engagement is contingent on the intercultural social context in which eWOM is communicated.
... Social capital refers to the tangible or intangible resources that are made available to individuals through all of their strong and weak "social ties" (e.g., family, close friends and strangers), including emotional, information and economic support (Selim, Scott, & Kaye, 2021; Spottswood & Wohn, 2020; Williams, 2006). According to Social Capital Theory, social capital can help individuals cope with vulnerabilities during adolescence, thereby effectively improving their psychological adjustment (Abbas & Mesch, 2018;Olsson, 2011;Williams, 2006). In recent studies, social capital has been separated into online and o ine aspects for further investigation and discussion (Williams, 2006). ...
... This nding is in keeping with prior studies revealing that more experience with Internet usage was positive related with the formation of online social capital (Jackson et al., 2008;Maghsoudi et al., 2020). Internet usage, such as social media use, can provide opportunities for more extensive connection with others, which might be translated into increased access to online social capital (Abbas & Mesch, 2018 . Thus, school educators and families should make supportive efforts to help adolescents to assess the role that their online social capital may play and encourage them to take more advantage of their o ine social capital. ...
Past research suggests that offline and online social capital are empirically linked to adolescent psychological adjustment. However, little is known regarding the implications of distinctive combinations of social capital for adolescent internalizing symptoms. The present study aimed to examine adolescent social capital patterns and their associations with internalizing symptoms by using Latent profile analysis. A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted among 1595 Chinese adolescents (mean age = 14.30 years, 50.7% male). All adolescents completed self-report questionnaires on their perceived offline and online social capital, depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms. Latent profile analysis revealed four profiles of social capital: 1) Low Social Capital, 2) Moderate Social Capital, 3) High Social Capital, and 4) Only High Offline Social Capital. Further, analysis of covariance demonstrated that the Only High Offline Social Capital profile had significantly fewer internalizing symptoms than other three profiles. No statistical differences of internalizing symptoms were found between the other three profiles, except for the difference in anxiety symptoms between the Moderate Social Capital profile and the Low Social Capital profile. These findings suggest that the more social capital does not equal to the better mental health status. The social capital profiles and their associations with adolescent internalizing symptoms may provide practitioners with meaningful implications regarding the role of offline and online social capital in adolescent psychological adjustment.
... Another potentially beneficial purpose is the use of social media to overcome offline barriers to increase social Frontiers in Psychology 03 frontiersin.org resources-often referred to as "social compensation" (Desjarlais and Willoughby, 2010;Abbas and Mesch, 2018). Unique affordances of digital communication such as accessibility, asynchrony, and anonymity enable some adolescents to overcome obstacles in the physical world such as distance or eye contact to acquire new relationships and social support Antheunis et al., 2016). ...
... With respect to gender, research primarily with adults has supported the idea that while women use social media to nurture close offline ties, men use social media for social compensation, particularly to expand their social networks (Bonds-Raacke and Raacke, 2010;Muscanell and Guadagno, 2012;Ellison et al., 2014). Studies with adolescents have shown that boys are more interested in finding new friends online compared to girls (Abbas and Mesch, 2018), and that digital communication is particularly useful for shy boys to overcome social anxiety to connect with peers (Desjarlais and Willoughby, 2010). Potential explanations for these gender differences include traditional gender roles differentially related to domestic and public social spheres (Tifferet and Vilnai-Yavetz, 2014) and women's greater vulnerability and thus concern for privacy compared to men, leading them to restrict their communication to already established close ties (Tifferet, 2019). ...
Gender differences in adolescent social media use are often documented in the research literature, yet few studies delve into why they occur. Accordingly, we investigated whether gender identification and gender ideologies are associated with five major purposes of social media use in adolescence (emotion and activity bonding with friends, social compensation, appearance validation, and bullying). Participants were 309 cisgender U.S. high school students (Mage = 15.74; 59% girls; 53% white) primarily using Instagram and Snapchat but also TikTok (more popular with girls) and Discord (more popular with boys) in 2019. Girls reported greater use of social media for emotion bonding, appearance validation, and social compensation compared to boys, who reported greater competitive activity bonding. Girls and boys did not differ in their use of social media for bullying. In linear regressions, masculinity ideology predicted purposes associated with girls (appearance validation, social compensation), as well as those associated with boys (competitive activity bonding), regardless of gender. Femininity ideology uniquely predicted emotion bonding and social compensation but only mediated the effect of gender for the latter. Findings illustrate that gender is important for understanding uses and gratifications of social media in adolescence, but traditional masculinity ideology is similar across genders and relates to multiple functions of social media in boys’ and girls’ lives. More work is needed to conceptualize gender beliefs and values in Gen Z, given recent challenges to gender binary ideology and low reliability of the scales in this study, which were developed before social media.
... Internet se ha convertido en facilitador de las comunicaciones a partir del uso de sus herramientas (Batorski & Grzywinska, 2018). Precisamente, la popularidad de los medios sociales -Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, entre otros-favorece la interacción de los usuarios (López, Continente, Sánchez & Bartroli, 2017;Abbas & Mesch, 2018;Gesualdi, 2019), promoviendo el cierre efectivo de las transacciones (Grygiel & Brown, 2018) y la competitividad de las empresas en determinado mercado (Muninger, Hammedi & Mahr, 2019). Precisamente, la comunicación en las organizaciones es uno de los grandes aportes de las TIC para las empresas, porque a través de la interacción entre las comunidades se genera información de importancia para la toma de decisiones (Hodis, et al., 2015). ...
... Es evidente que estas herramientas por sus características virales, implican que día a día se incremente el número de usuarios en medios sociales, favoreciendo su popularidad (López, Continente, Sánchez & Bartroli, 2017), donde se destacan Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram y WhatsApp (Hootsuite, 2018). Facebook se caracteriza porque los usuarios interactúan con otros para compartir información relevante (Nobre & Silva, 2014), crear grupos de interés favorables para la generación de conversaciones (Hernández, Pérez-Marín, & Puente, 2018) y desarrollar comunicación activa entre los miembros acerca de temas específicos (Abbas & Mesch, 2018). Twitter promueve la publicación de información relacionada con las tendencias de la sociedad (Arin, Erpam & Saygın, 2018), con mensajes breves y directos (Liu, Ge, Zheng, Lin & Li, 2018) para crear grupos de conversación sobre temas muy puntuales (Fuentes, Guzmán, Quevedo & Villablanca, 2013). ...
Se presenta un análisis comparativo de las exportaciones de los países de la Alianza del Pacífico para identificar las características de la competencia existente entre
la oferta exportable de cada país. Tomando como base el valor exportado y la
participación en las exportaciones de cada país, utilizando como unidad de análisis
la clasificación arancelaria a dos dígitos se comparan entre sí las exportaciones
por sector de cada país y se hace una valoración de dominancia y competencia
fuerte y moderada. Se encuentra que en 21 sectores existe dominancia de México,
mientras que Chile, Colombia y Perú presentan dominancia en un solo sector y en
6 sectores existe competencia fuerte entre los 4 países.
... On the other hand, bonding social capital is related to receiving emotional support, companionship, and instrumental support derived from a person's inner circle of connection including family members and close friends (Verduyn et al., 2017). Social media has been linked to both forms of social support in cross-sectional, qualitative, and mixed-methods work (Abbas & Mesch, 2018;Ellison et al., 2007;Steinfield et al., 2008), though Burke et al. (2011) found that Facebook use predicted solely bridging, and not bonding, social capital, and Bano et al. (2019) conversely identified bonding social capital was a more potent mediator of social media use on well-being. ...
... Presumably, they would be less inclined to contact acquaintances directly via messaging applications, hence explaining why they felt less connected when refraining from SNS. The results regarding bonding social capital are in line, to a degree, with findings from Ellison et al. (2007), that social capital was positively connected with the intensity of Facebook use, and from Abbas and Mesch (2018) who reported a positive relationship between Facebook use and social capital. The reduced bonding social capital for the U.K. study during the "lower use" day could be explained by external factors. ...
In two studies we explore how different levels of social networking sites (SNSs) use affect the psychological constructs of well-being, social connection, and social capital.Conducting two studies and using a multi-day experimental design in both an individualistic (United Kingdom [U.K.]) and a collectivistic (Bulgaria [BG]) society, we investigated differences in the effects of abstaining from SNS use, overuse, and normal use. Participants (U.K. n = 116; BG. n = 120) in the two within-subject studies reported on connectedness and two types of social capital (bridging; bonding), and their wellbeing,
on days in which they had lower use of social media, used it as normal, or overused it. Results revealed no significant differences on well-being scores across the three conditions for the U.K. and Bulgaria. Social connection and bonding social capital significantly decreased on lower use days in the U.K. sample. These effects
were not replicated in the Bulgarian sample. Findings did not indicate significant differences on the scores for bridging social capital across the three levels of SNS use for the participants from the U.K. and from Bulgaria. For the U.K. sample, social connection, in particular, served as an independent mediator linking lower use days to lower well-being, in contrast with normal use days. Suddenly lowering one’s social media use might lead to people experiencing less connected to others, thus impacting their well-being. However, overuse of SNS platforms is still underexplored, thus people should regulate their SNS use in an optimal way which best supports their daily lives.
... On the other hand, bonding social capital is related to receiving emotional support, companionship, and instrumental support derived from a person's inner circle of connection including family members and close friends (Verduyn et al., 2017). Social media has been linked to both forms of social support in cross-sectional, qualitative, and mixed-methods work (Abbas & Mesch, 2018;Ellison et al., 2007;Steinfield et al., 2008), though Burke et al. (2011) found that Facebook use predicted solely bridging, and not bonding, social capital, and Bano et al. (2019) conversely identified bonding social capital was a more potent mediator of social media use on well-being. ...
... Presumably, they would be less inclined to contact acquaintances directly via messaging applications, hence explaining why they felt less connected when refraining from SNS. The results regarding bonding social capital are in line, to a degree, with findings from Ellison et al. (2007), that social capital was positively connected with the intensity of Facebook use, and from Abbas and Mesch (2018) who reported a positive relationship between Facebook use and social capital. The reduced bonding social capital for the U.K. study during the "lower use" day could be explained by external factors. ...
In two studies we explore how different levels of social networking sites (SNSs) use affect the psychological constructs of well-being, social connection, and social capital. Conducting two studies and using a multiday experimental design in both an individualistic (United Kingdom [U.K.]) and a collectivistic (Bulgaria [BG]) society, we investigated differences in the effects of abstaining from SNS use, overuse, and normal use. Participants (U.K. n = 116; BG. n = 120) in the two within-subject studies reported on connectedness and two types of social capital (bridging; bonding), and their well-being, on days in which they had lower use of social media, used it as normal, or overused it. Results revealed no significant differences on well-being scores across the three conditions for the U.K. and Bulgaria. Social connection and bonding social capital significantly decreased on lower use days in the U.K. sample. These effects were not replicated in the Bulgarian sample. Findings did not indicate significant differences on the scores for bridging social capital across the three levels of SNS use for the participants from the U.K. and from Bulgaria. For the U.K. sample, social connection, in particular, served as an independent mediator linking lower use days to lower well-being, in contrast with normal use days. Suddenly lowering one’s social media use might lead to people experiencing less connected to others, thus impacting their well-being. However, overuse of SNS platforms is still underexplored, thus people should regulate their SNS use in an optimal way which best supports their daily lives.
... The role of social media in political processes has been significant, from shaping electoral campaigns to influencing public opinion. Investigating its impact on political discourse, the spread of information, and the emergence of new political movements is vital for a comprehensive analysis [3]. ...
This manuscript explores the profound impact of social media on society, with a focus on social behavior, politics, and cultural norms. Employing a systematic literature review, including diverse sources, case studies, and real-world examples, the study provides a nuanced and comprehensive analysis. The brevity enforced by character limits on platforms like Twitter has shaped concise and direct communication, with emojis, memes, and hashtags becoming integral to online discourse. The rapid spread of information on social media has, however, led to the dissemination of misinformation, influencing public opinion and potentially affecting political outcomes. Collaboration among individuals, policymakers, and technology developers is crucial to shape the future of social media responsibly. This necessitates cultivating a culture of responsible use, promoting digital literacy, and advocating for policies that safeguard user rights and well-being. Striking a balance between innovation and ethical considerations is paramount to ensure the continued positive contribution of social media to society.
... SMU may appear constructive for those whose real-life social circle is limited and is relatively less risky than face-to-face communication because of its greater anonymity (Bharucha, 2018). Intense non-problematic users are more likely to get support from both friends and classmates (Boniel-Nissim et al., 2022) supporting that SM act as a platform for enhancing social capital and feelings of connectedness (Abbas and Mesch, 2018;Mitev et al., 2021) and civic engagement activities (Shukla and Murari, 2023). Watching elevating and gratitude-inspiring videos on YouTube at workplace, seem to have a generally positive impact on employees' well-being (Janicke-Bowles et al., 2019). ...
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to provide a systematic review of the existing literature on social media (SM) use and examine its relationship with various facets of social well-being (SWB).
Design/methodology/approach
The study identifies and selects relevant articles using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, wherein 273 articles were identified using the keyword search criteria from 5 databases namely Web of Science, Emerald, Pubmed, Google Scholar and EBSCOhost, and finally, 20 relevant studies were included for this systematic review. In order to provide directions for future research, a thorough profile with the key findings and knowledge gaps is presented.
Findings
The majority of the reviewed studies report an increase in the use of SM, especially amongst adolescents, and this suggests a seriously detrimental impact on their SWB in terms of cyberbullying, lifestyle comparison and impact on self-esteem, substance abuse, declined academic performance, fear of missing out (FoMo) and social overload. However, some of the studies reported life satisfaction, a reduction in loneliness and improved social support and belongingness, particularly those focussing on old age people who experience social isolation. The review also affirmed improved job performance and employees’ well-being. These findings vary across various demographic variables and various SM platforms namely Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, WeChat, YouTube, etc.
Originality/value
The findings have significant implications for SM researchers, family members and educators concerning promoting appropriate SM use, especially in terms of their SWB. The study also provides various suggestions for future studies and the need to further explore the topic as the field of SM use and SWB is ever-growing.
... To investigate the positive effects of social media use on two measures of social capital, Chen & Li (2017) conducted a longitudinal study using the quota sampling method. Abbas & Mesch (2018) claim that an increase in Facebook use will lead to a proportionate improvement in users' social capital. The study conducted by Karikari et.al. ...
The effect of online evaluations has expanded dramatically in today's digital age, and as a result, they have a huge impact on customer decisions, product perceptions, and even personal reputations. The fact that online evaluations frequently reflect a variety of opinions, both favorable and negative, gives them the potential to wield a significant amount of influence. Those individuals who are able to cultivate psychological resilience are in a better position to control any potential negative effects that reading internet reviews may have on their mental health. Developing psychological resilience is an important asset in today's society, where internet reviews carry a lot of weight and can have a huge impact. Individuals can manage the digital terrain with greater emotional strength and well-being if they cultivate their self-awareness, welcome constructive comments, and create a healthy perspective on the impact of evaluations. The emergence of the digital age has resulted in notable changes in communication, the distribution of information, and networking due to the extensive utilization of online platforms and social media. However, apart from the benefits, the virtual domain has also introduced new challenges, specifically with the impact of online assessments and criticism on individuals' psychological well-being. The emergence of this phenomenon has spurred scholarly inquiry focused on understanding the crucial function that psychological resilience serves in mitigating the negative repercussions of online criticism. This paper aims to explore the various factors that exert an influence on an individual's psychological resilience in the context of online reviews & to highlight negative effects of online criticism on psychological well-being.
... To investigate the positive effects of social media use on two measures of social capital, Chen & Li (2017) conducted a longitudinal study using the quota sampling method. Abbas & Mesch (2018) claim that an increase in Facebook use will lead to a proportionate improvement in users' social capital. The study conducted by Karikari et.al. ...
... Zhang (2017) described OSNs as having a "stress-buffering effect," relieving tension and offering social support to those needing it. This effect is also known as the "poor-getricher" hypothesis in which high communication anxiety is relieved by OSNs (Abbas and Mesch, 2018). ...
Purpose-This study was conducted to achieve the following objectives: (1) determine the differences and reasons for using outgroup OSNs by gender, age and student groups (Mainland and Hong Kong [HK] students); (2) uncover the impact of online social networks (OSNs) on the development of Mainland-HK friendships and (3) determine the roles of different OSNs (social networking sites [SNSs] and instant messaging platforms [IMPs]) in the development of intercultural friendships in the real world. Design/methodology/approach-To explore how OSNs facilitate (or inhibit) intercultural interactions, 198 students completed a questionnaire and 24 students participated in follow-up semi-structured interviews examining the role of OSNs in intercultural friendship development. Findings-Results revealed that demographic and motivational preferences for using outgroup-OSNs differed among students. Both IMPs and SNSs helped students maintain friendships using little effort, whereas it tended to strengthen their existing social networks, rather than helping to start new friendships. IMPs helped develop a sense of "presence awareness", strengthening pre-existing friendships and solidifying offline connections. SNSs also assisted students in exploring their shared interests while revealing their values and cultural differences. Research limitations/implications-The authors' findings offered empirical evidence on social exchange theory and anxiety-uncertainty management theory regarding the perceived benefit of OSNs on students' friendship development. Practical implications-The study sheds light on the differences between Mainland Chinese and HK students, including participants' perceptions of different friendship stages. Originality/value-This study is interested in the roles of different SNSs and IMPs in intercultural friendship development, especially their strengths and weaknesses as perceived by students. Also, the authors are curious about how students select and use IMPs and SNSs differently according to their individual preferences and needs. To the authors' knowledge, the dynamic link between online communication and intercultural friendship development has not been thoroughly examined in the field of intercultural communication.
... Zhang (2017) described OSNs as having a "stress-buffering effect," relieving tension and offering social support to those needing it. This effect is also known as the "poor-getricher" hypothesis in which high communication anxiety is relieved by OSNs (Abbas and Mesch, 2018). ...
Purpose
This study was conducted to achieve the following objectives: (1) determine the differences and reasons for using outgroup OSNs by gender, age and student groups (Mainland and Hong Kong [HK] students); (2) uncover the impact of online social networks (OSNs) on the development of Mainland–HK friendships and (3) determine the roles of different OSNs (social networking sites [SNSs] and instant messaging platforms [IMPs]) in the development of intercultural friendships in the real world.
Design/methodology/approach
To explore how OSNs facilitate (or inhibit) intercultural interactions, 198 students completed a questionnaire and 24 students participated in follow-up semi-structured interviews examining the role of OSNs in intercultural friendship development.
Findings
Results revealed that demographic and motivational preferences for using outgroup-OSNs differed among students. Both IMPs and SNSs helped students maintain friendships using little effort, whereas it tended to strengthen their existing social networks, rather than helping to start new friendships. IMPs helped develop a sense of “presence awareness”, strengthening pre-existing friendships and solidifying offline connections. SNSs also assisted students in exploring their shared interests while revealing their values and cultural differences.
Research limitations/implications
The authors’ findings offered empirical evidence on social exchange theory and anxiety-uncertainty management theory regarding the perceived benefit of OSNs on students' friendship development.
Practical implications
The study sheds light on the differences between Mainland Chinese and HK students, including participants' perceptions of different friendship stages.
Originality/value
This study is interested in the roles of different SNSs and IMPs in intercultural friendship development, especially their strengths and weaknesses as perceived by students. Also, the authors are curious about how students select and use IMPs and SNSs differently according to their individual preferences and needs. To the authors’ knowledge, the dynamic link between online communication and intercultural friendship development has not been thoroughly examined in the field of intercultural communication.
... According to Holliman et al., (2021), Women outnumber men in their use of social networking sites, religious people are more likely to use it than those who do not identify as religious, and those who live with a partner, People who are divorced or who have never been married are more likely to utilise social media than those who are married but are now separated. Except for catfishing, problematic social media and mobile phone use is relatively common among the young, as noted by (Abbas & Mesch, 2018). The examined behaviours were negatively associated with age, and excessive use of mobile phones, social media, and creeping was more common among females than males. ...
Purpose-Using social media is rapidly evolving into an integral part of everyday life. Addiction to social media use can develop disproportionate and irrational use. The primary objective of this research was to determine if psychological factors, namely, loneliness, anxiety, peer influence, addition of mobile phones, stress, depression, self-esteem and environment are positively associated with the psychological well-being of university students. Methodology-The present research is primary and descriptive in nature. The sample size of the study is 286. The responses obtained from college and university students studying in Pune, Maharashtra. The responses from students obtained through structured questionnaire. The various statistical tools through use of SPSS Software applied, namely, descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis. The conceptual model also framed for the study. Findings-The majority of male participative in the study. The most influential factor found in the study was addition of mobile phones. Second most influential variable was depression and also peer influence found least in the study. Social implications-Future research can be performed by reducing excessive use of mobile phones and thereby try to reduce anxiety, stress and depression among college and university students. Originality-To further ensure a representative sample and investigate whether or not advancing age has an impact on social media use, future research can broaden its reach of sampling.
... Online activities and usage intensity are responsible for the accumulation of online social capital [33,[53][54][55][56][57][58][59]. A positive and significant relationship between SNS intensity and online social capital has been reported in several studies that involved Facebook [2,17,32,36,50]. ...
This study firstly aims to understand how social networking site usage results in online social capital formation, considering two different types of social networking sites (SNS)—LinkedIn and Facebook. It further aims to investigate if the process varies among different social networking sites or remains uniform. This study also validates two prominent scales, namely the Facebook Intensity Scale (FIS) and the Internet Social Capital Scale (ISCS). A structured questionnaire was administered through various social media platforms resulting in a total of 329 valid responses (167 LinkedIn users and 162 Facebook users). Applying the partial least squares method of structural equation modelling, it was found that social networking site use results in the formation of both online-bonding and online-bridging social capital for both types of SNS. Further, moderation analysis results show that the type of SNS platform does not affect the relationship between SNS intensity and online social capital. This implies that users’ social capitals are dependent on how they use an SNS. These findings have both practical and academic implications. They provide new insights into the usage, intensity, and online social capital that should be beneficial for commercial purposes. In terms of academic contribution, this research contributes to the scarce studies that have considered SNSs other than Facebook and also compared two SNSs. It further confirms the social capital theory in the field of online networking.
... In the last decades, despite making the efforts to preserve cultural traditions and customs (Abbas and Mesch 2018), Arab society in Israel has rapidly been undergoing a major transformation in numerous life domains (Massarwi and Khoury-Kassabri 2017). They include (but are not limited to) increasing levels of literacy, greater exposure to the (new) media, increased contact with the Jewish population (Abbas and Mesch 2015), and the replacement of extended families by nuclear ones with corresponding living arrangements (Manor 2018). ...
This study examined factors that were assumed to associate with consideration of two strategies in response to locality violence in ethnic minority population—intention to migrate away from the locality and readiness to participate in a fight against locality violence—through the lens of interactionist theory. Data were obtained from the Personal and Community Security Index Survey conducted among the Arab citizens of Israel in 2019 (N = 693). The data were analysed using logistic and multinomial regression models. The results showed that greater intention to migrate due to violence was associated with the perception of increase in the level of locality violence compared to the year before, greater extent of prior victimization, fear of victimization, and sense of threat in locality settings. In contrast, greater readiness to participate in a fight against violence was mainly associated with lower fear of victimization and a high trust in the police. The results mostly support the interactionist approach. They suggest that violence coping strategies in ethnic minorities are explained by almost totally different factors. Policymakers should develop long-term plans to prevent the mass migration due to violence in ethnic minority localities by increasing personal safety, mitigating the levels of violence and increasing institutional trust for cooperation with the police in fighting against locality violence.
... Kar nekaj raziskav družbenih omrežij in socialnega kapitala kaže, da družbena omrežja praviloma krepijo obe obliki socialnega kapitala, čeprav se mladi preko njih praviloma družijo z istimi osebami kot v živo (gl.Abbas in Mesch 2016; Romer in dr. 2009;Skoric in Kwan 2011). ...
We present an overview of media literacy definitions and related concepts and strive to consolidate them to create a comprehensive media literacy definition. Selected insights are then offered into the formation of media literacy, which we acquired as part of qualitative research into young people’s media repertoires. First, we summarise a brief history of literacy and its social function, allowing
us to understand the phenomenon and role of new literacies. We next outline existing definitions of media literacy, which we critically position in the context of
their origin. We continue by briefly presenting educational policies and media literacy and conclude with insights into the contexts of youth media literacy, focusing on their media experiences and incentives within families, education,
and among peers.
... Studies have shown that social media has become a powerful resource for increasing social capital (Kasperski & Blau, 2020;Manca & Ranieri, 2017). Moreover, Abbas and Mesch (2018) found that even in socially disadvantaged groups, such as Arabic-speaking youth in Israel, teenagers were able to expand their social capital through Facebook. Mahmood et al. (2018) found that the extent of Facebook use and online relationship maintenance behaviors were also positively correlated with bridging and bonding social capital. ...
This study examined whether and how an online mentoring social network (SN) assists students with special needs—Intellectual Disabilities (ID) or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), in coping with their disabilities and accumulating bonding and bridging types of social capital. The study used a qualitative research paradigm—Netnography to crosscheck observations of the participants' online activities with content analysis of their posts and a network analysis of the participants' interactions with four mentor types – students with disabilities, high-school students, undergraduates and teachers. The findings showed that the online mentoring SN functioned as an assistive technology for students with ID and ASD who actively interacted with other members to accumulate social capital, share information and receive support. The most prevalent categories in the analysis were sharing of personal experiences and interests, and emotion processing, whereas coping with disability and self-introduction were less common. Surprisingly, undergraduate mentors and most of the teachers interacted only within their own groups and not with students. Theoretical and educational implications are discussed.
... It is still a controversially discussed question whether people who have difficulties in connecting with others in offline environments benefit from connecting online ("poor-get-richer," Social Compensation Hypothesis, Valkenburg et al., 2005) or whether people who are already good at connecting offline are also good at connecting online ("rich-get-richer," Social Enhancement Hypothesis, Kraut et al., 2003). There is supportive evidence for both frameworks (cf., Abbas & Mesch, 2018;Valkenburg et al., 2006;Zywica & Danowski, 2008), leading to the assumption that the specific context is an important factor. In the context of professional social media use, Jones et al. (2016) reported that LinkedIn users scored significantly higher on anxiety than non-users. ...
Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the use of video conferences in professional settings increased rapidly. Here, we examine how individual and situational characteristics jointly predict active behavior in video conferences (i.e., activating one’s webcam, small talk, contacting other attendees) between strangers. We focus on external networking as well as proactive and reactive online networking and social anxiety as individual characteristics and investigate how these interact with social norms (operationalized as proportion of other attendees using the webcam), in predicting our outcome variable active video conference behavior. An online vignette experiment with three conditions (social norms: 25 vs. 75% of other attendees using the webcam vs. offline) was conducted to analyze the self-reported likelihood of active video conference versus active offline behavior. Regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. Results indicate that external networking is a positive and social anxiety a negative predictor of self-reported active video conference behavior. Furthermore, the likelihood of engaging in active (video conference) behavior differed between the three scenarios, with highest values in the offline scenario and lowest in the online scenario with only 25% of other attendees using the webcam. However, no interaction effects of social norms with social anxiety were found. Overall, the findings suggest that individual differences in networking tendencies and social anxiety and social norms influence active behavior in video conferences independently.
... Online social capital has been defined as, "the characteristics of an individual's social network and the potential resources that can be obtained from the network" [25]. Abbas and Mesch [26] attribute online social capital to, "all communications and resources available through the Internet". Considering the social capital formed in SNS, Braudt [27] classified social capital into, "online-bonding, online-bridging, offline-bonding and offline-bridging social capital". ...
The social networking plays an important role on the internet in all spheres of activities including technology-assisted learning (TAL). Further the role of online social capital built upon social networking sites (SNS) adds significant value to the TAL. This study aims to compare the users’ profile, behavior and online social capital in two contrasting SNS, namely LinkedIn and Facebook. It also discusses possible implications of online social capital on TAL. A total number of 329 valid responses were received from LinkedIn and Facebook users. The results based on statistical analysis show that on demographic factor, age is significantly different in the two SNS platforms. In terms of experience, network size and daily usage, no significant difference was observed. The comparison of the intensity of SNS usage and online-bonding social capital show that they differ significantly LinkedIn and Facebook. However, for online-bridging social capital, no significant difference was observed. The results throw new insights and extend the SNS research by adding an important comparative study. It also has significant implications for educational institutions, businesses and SNS.
... Certainly, when we consider children's social inexperience, practicing introducing the self, presenting the self, and forming new friendships online (bridging social capital) could be particularly effective for children's social skill development (Abbas & Mesch, 2018;Livingstone & Helsper, 2007b). ...
Despite the age restrictions of social networking sites (SNS) averaging age 13 years, younger children are engaging with these sites (Ofcom, 2019). Research has shown that SNS use exposes the user to many risks, such as cyberbullying and lower self-esteem. Alternatively, SNS use can enhance social capital (maintenance formation of friendships). Current literature has considered these mostly within adolescent and adult samples. This study aims to investigate the extent to which children's behaviours on SNS predict risk and benefit outcomes. Within a sample size of 883, 351 children (aged 7-to-12 years) identified accessing SNS; these children completed an online survey measuring online self-disclosure, self-presentation, digital literacy skills, social capital, experiences of cyberbullying and self-esteem. Findings demonstrate that self-disclosure behaviours are associated with bridging social capital and that presentation of the real self is associated with the benefits of both bonding and bridging social capital. In terms of risk outcomes, self-disclosure behaviours are associated with cyberbullying perpetration and victimisation. These findings highlight that 7- to 12-year-olds are accessing SNS and that their behaviours online are associated with both risky and beneficial outcomes. Importantly, parents, teachers and policymakers should consider the benefits of SNS use, as well as the risks, in order to foster children's digital engagement.
... Interestingly, intense non-problematic social media users rated friend and classmate support even more positively than active users. This accords with previous studies (e.g., Abbas & Mesch, 2018;Mitev et al., 2021), concluding that social media act as a platform enhancing social capital and feelings of connectedness. Overall, these findings are M. Boniel-Nissim et al. ...
In the present study, we aimed to explore the relationship between intensity of social media use (SMU), problematic SMU and well-being outcomes. Four categories of SMU were developed taking into account both intensity of use and problematic SMU simultaneously: non-active; active; intense; and problematic use. Using these four categories, we assessed associations between SMU and mental and social well-being, and substance use. Data from 190,089 respondents aged 11, 13, and 15 years from 42 countries involved in the Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) study were analyzed. With a slight cross-national variance, 78% of adolescents in the sample were classified as active or intense users, and 7% showed signs of problematic SMU. The remaining 15% belonged to the non-active users. Three-level regression analyses revealed that the problematic users showed the least favorable mental and social well-being profile and the highest level of substance use. Compared with active users, non-active users reported lower mental and social well-being, but also the lowest substance use levels. Intense non-problematic users showed the highest levels of social well-being. Our findings highlight the importance of assessing both the intensity and problematic component of SMU to reliably assess associations with mental and social well-being and substance use.
... Speaking to the positive aspects, adolescents' time spent online is associated with a host of relational and emotional benefits, including higher-quality relationships, more time spent with friends in-person, enhanced romantic relationships, enhanced selfesteem, increased sense of belonging, and less distress (Blais et al., 2008;Davis, 2012;Dolev-Cohen & Barak, 2013;Gomez-Baya et al., 2018;Valkenburg & Peter, 2007a). Yet, such benefits are affected by individual characteristics, in that adolescents with more competent social skills in offline contexts reap greater benefits and receive less negative feedback online relative to less socially skilled youth (Abbas & Mesch, 2018;Koutamanis et al., 2015;Kraut et al., 2002;Lee, 2009). ...
Introduction
In recent decades, adolescents' interactions with peers have increasingly transitioned online. While socially interactive technologies provide multiple avenues for positive communication between peers, adolescents may experience harmful online peer interactions, with such interactions negatively impacting their well‐being. A paucity of work exists investigating how adolescents' characteristics are related to their communicative choices on social media and if such choices can be influenced by cues to consider a recipient. Addressing this gap, this work examines experimental manipulations of perspective‐taking and individual differences in socio‐cognitive skills as they relate to adolescents’ communicative choices online.
Method
Within individual sessions, 12‐ to 15‐year‐old Canadian participants (N = 72, 36 girls) viewed pictures of other adolescents on a simulated social media app similar to Snapchat and chose between pre‐written aggressive or prosocial comments to send to a recipient under three conditions: a perspective‐taking cue, a time‐delay, no delay. Participants also completed self‐report questionnaires assessing emotion regulation and empathy.
Results
Following perspective‐taking cues, participants chose more prosocial comments to send compared to when participants were permitted to choose a comment immediately after viewing another adolescent's picture, while controlling for a brief time‐delay. Adolescents' individual characteristics (i.e., Social Media Use, State Mood, Affective Empathy, Gender) were associated with their communicative choices online.
Conclusions
Findings from this work provide new insight into the ways adolescents navigate their complex and increasingly online peer interactions. Further, the results suggest that adolescents’ social media communication is malleable with a brief perspective‐taking cue to consider a recipient.
... Given the significance of relational and bridging aspects of social media, the potential benefits of social media use for marginalized youth have often been examined using social capital frameworks (e.g., Abbas & Mesch, 2018;Hargittai & Hinnant, 2008;Kim & Kim, 2017;Rice & Barman-Adhikari, 2014). Such studies have shown how social media can allow underprivileged youth to draw on resources from members of the networks to which they belong, make connections with people who may be helpful to them, and gain access to resources they might not have offline. ...
Social Media & the Self is a web-only reader centered on the online performance of identity and curated with university courses in mind. The approach taken is to treat the self on social media as suspended between authenticity and performance. The collection traces the roots of the popular demand for individual self-expression to the early twentieth century. The message, then as now, was that the best way to get ahead is to consciously cultivate an authentic persona. The task, if anything, is more onerous today, with our fingers hovering, and hesitating, over the post button.
In a nod to the theatrical context, the collection is divided into “acts,“ five of them, followed by a handful of “encore” readings that speculate on the shareable future. Each of its component works already carries an open access license, or—in the case of copyrighted items—links to a web version. The collection will be updated with new material at least twice a year, in concert with the typical North American academic calendar. Social Media & the Self is edited by Jefferson Pooley.
... A longitudinal survey based on the quota sampling approach illustrated the positive effects of social media use on the two social capital dimensions (Chen and Li, 2017). Abbas and Mesch (2018) argued that, as Facebook usage increases, it will also increase users' social capital. Karikari et al. (2017) also found positive effects of social media use on social capital. ...
The growth in social media use has given rise to concerns about the impacts it may have on users' psychological well-being. This paper's main objective is to shed light on the effect of social media use on psychological well-being. Building on contributions from various fields in the literature, it provides a more comprehensive study of the phenomenon by considering a set of mediators, including social capital types (i.e., bonding social capital and bridging social capital), social isolation, and smartphone addiction. The paper includes a quantitative study of 940 social media users from Mexico, using structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the proposed hypotheses. The findings point to an overall positive indirect impact of social media usage on psychological well-being, mainly due to the positive effect of bonding and bridging social capital. The empirical model's explanatory power is 45.1%. This paper provides empirical evidence and robust statistical analysis that demonstrates both positive and negative effects coexist, helping to reconcile the inconsistencies found so far in the literature.
... On one hand, it is possible that stable cellphone access allows those with more emotional social support to leverage existing networks to promote positive health outcomes ('rich-get richer' hypothesis). Supporting this hypothesis is research demonstrating that those with the greatest social resources derive the most benefit from using ICT (Abbas & Mesch, 2018;Kim, 2018;Kraut et al., 2002;Lee, 2009;Lin, 2019). On the other hand, for those with limited or non-existent emotional social support networks, the increased ability to communicate could buffer negative health effects of limited social support ('poor-get-richer' hypothesis). ...
The technology maintenance framework argues that digital access is unreliable and thus consequential for individual/social welfare. However, no one has demonstrated a causal effect of cell phone access on health and well-being. Using a 7-month longitudinal field experiment we investigated how stable cellphone access impacts health and quality of life of people experiencing poverty (N=45, median annual income=$7,216). Participants received phone cards providing unlimited talk, text, and data (n=23) or were given grocery store gift cards of the equivalent amount (n = 22). Over the course of the experiment, participants in the treatment group reported better health and quality of life compared to those in the control group. Emotional social support moderated this relationship in such a way that those with the least social support benefited the most from stable cellphone access (supporting a ‘poor-get-richer’ hypothesis). We present practical and theoretical implications in the discussion.
... This study revealed that gender does not affect faculty perceptions in using FG for educational purposes. This finding is in harmony with earlier research (Abbas and Mesch 2018;Donlan 2014). However, previous studies have indicated significant differences in the ways males and females use Facebook and the amount of time they spend on Facebook (Koc and Gulyagci 2013). ...
The ever-growing use of social networking sites (SNSs) can make them potentially effective for meaningful learning in higher education. Accordingly, this paper investigates faculty members' perceptions of the Facebook Group (FG) feature as a possible alternative to the current learning management system (LMS) at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University (PSAU), Saudi Arabia. Data on faculty members' perceptions was collected via an online survey. The findings from this study indicated that FG was perceived by faculty members as a convenient learning environment that could be used in lieu of a traditional LMS. The findings also showed that some FG features display a close affinity to an LMS. However, some FG drawbacks are also noted. This study draws the attention of faculty members to FG as an alternative to the LMS, as well as the attention of the university administrators who are interested in cutting on expenditure to use free products.
... This study revealed that gender does not affect faculty perceptions in using FG for educational purposes. This finding is in harmony with earlier research (Abbas and Mesch 2018;Donlan 2014). However, previous studies have indicated significant differences in the ways males and females use Facebook and the amount of time they spend on Facebook (Koc and Gulyagci 2013). ...
Social media has become an integral part of contemporary society, profoundly transforming communication, social behavior, political engagement, and cultural norms. This paper presents a comprehensive literature review exploring the multifaceted impact of social media across these dimensions. The study synthesizes findings from 32 peer-reviewed articles, case studies, and authoritative reports published between 2016 and 2024. The review reveals that social media platforms facilitate global connectivity and foster community building, yet they also pose significant challenges such as superficial connections, social isolation, and the spread of misinformation. In politics, social media has revolutionized campaign strategies and public discourse but has also contributed to polarization and the dissemination of false information. Culturally, social media influences trends, promotes diversity, and shapes societal norms, while also perpetuating issues like cultural appropriation and unrealistic self-presentation. The impact on mental health is particularly complex, with social media providing valuable support networks and mental health resources but also contributing to anxiety, depression, and cyberbullying. In education, social media enhances access to resources and fosters collaboration but can be a source of distraction and academic dishonesty. This paper underscores the need for balanced strategies that promote media literacy, critical thinking, and ethical digital communication to maximize the positive potential of social media while mitigating its negative effects. Future research should focus on developing technological and policy solutions to address these challenges and harness the benefits of social media for societal advancement
This study aimed to understand how social media is used as a marketing and promotion tool for fashion brands within the adaptive apparel marketplace and further explores how disability advocates and influencers use social media to promote adaptive apparel. To achieve this goal, the study used a qualitative methodology of semi-structured interviews and a computational methodology of collocation analysis to analyze social media posts from users with hashtags related to adaptive apparel. The result of the study revealed three themes that supported social capital theory, communities of practice, and virtual communities of practice theories – Inclusion, Representation, and Education. Further, the data mining phase provided valuable insights into the significant event and the broader community of people with disabilities. This study showed how fashion brands, disability organizations, advocates, and people with disabilities use social media to market and promote adaptive apparel.
Social media has become an integral part of contemporary society, profoundly transforming communication, social behavior, political engagement, and cultural norms. This paper presents a comprehensive literature review exploring the multifaceted impact of social media across these dimensions. The study synthesizes findings from 32 peer-reviewed articles, case studies, and authoritative reports published between 2016 and 2024. The review reveals that social media platforms facilitate global connectivity and foster community building, yet they also pose significant challenges such as superficial connections, social isolation, and the spread of misinformation. In politics, social media has revolutionized campaign strategies and public discourse but has also contributed to polarization and the dissemination of false information. Culturally, social media influences trends, promotes diversity, and shapes societal norms, while also perpetuating issues like cultural appropriation and unrealistic self-presentation. The impact on mental health is particularly complex, with social media providing valuable support networks and mental health resources but also contributing to anxiety, depression, and cyberbullying. In education, social media enhances access to resources and fosters collaboration but can be a source of distraction and academic dishonesty. This paper underscores the need for balanced strategies that promote media literacy, critical thinking, and ethical digital communication to maximize the positive potential of social media while mitigating its negative effects. Future research should focus on developing technological and policy solutions to address these challenges and harness the benefits of social media for societal advancement
Past research suggests that offline and online social capital are empirically linked to adolescent psychological adjustment. However, little is known regarding the implications of distinctive combinations of social capital for adolescent internalizing symptoms. The present study aimed to examine adolescent social capital patterns and their associations with internalizing symptoms by using latent profile analysis. A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted among 1595 Chinese adolescents (mean age = 14.30 years, 50.7% male). All adolescents completed self-report questionnaires on their perceived offline and online social capital, depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms. Latent profile analysis revealed four profiles of social capital: (1) Low Social Capital, (2) Moderate Social Capital, (3) High Social Capital, and (4) Only High Offline Social Capital. Further, analysis of covariance demonstrated that the Only High Offline Social Capital profile had significantly fewer internalizing symptoms than other three profiles. No statistical differences of internalizing symptoms were found between the other three profiles, except that the Moderate Social Capital profile showed fewer anxiety symptoms than the Low Social Capital profile. These findings suggest that more social capital does not equal to better mental health status. The social capital profiles and their associations with adolescent internalizing symptoms may provide practitioners with meaningful implications regarding the role of offline and online social capital in adolescent psychological adjustment.
This article examines the impact of open space planning on relations and cooperation between locals and new immigrants in rural settlements. In recent years kibbutz settlements have transformed agricultural land into residential neighborhoods for migration of previously urban populations. We examined the relationship between residents and newcomers to the village, and the effect that planning a new neighborhood adjacent to the kibbutz has on creating motivation for veteran members and new residents to meet and build common social capital. We offer a method of analyzing planning maps of the open spaces between the original kibbutz settlement and the adjacent new expansion neighborhood. Analysis of 67 planning maps led us to define three types of demarcation between the existing settlement and the new neighborhood; we present each type and its components and offer their significance in the development of the relationship between veteran and new residents. The active involvement and partnership of the kibbutz members in deciding the location and the appearance of the neighborhood about to be built allowed them to determine the nature of the relations that would be forged between the veteran residents and the newcomers.
In the last decade, the spread of the violence became one of the most worrying phenomena in the Palestinian Arab community in Israel. This article focuses on the violence where victims and offenders come from Palestinian Arab community in Israel. Its purpose is to review the attitudes of the public figures in the Jewish and the Palestinian Arab communities of the country regarding the violence in the latter community through the lens of the conspiracy and the cultural violence theories. The review shows that some leaders of the Palestinian Arab community tend to refer to the persistence of violence and crime in their community in a cospirative way. Their key claim is that the state authorities intentionally neglect this phenomenon and possibly have some sinister goal behind this way of conduction. In contrast, public representatives of the Jewish community tend to refer to the persistence of violence and crime in Palestinian Arab community in cultural terms. Their key claim is that violence in Palestinian Arab community is deeply rooted in the culture of this community. The review suggests that the attitudes reflect the discourse around the “blaming the victim” concept, whereas representatives of the hegemonic Jewish majority use this tactic in their cultural violence rhetoric, and representatives of the dispossessed Palestinian Arab minority complain against it using the conspiracy beliefs. The review is concluded with broad implications for the Israeli society.
Analizou-se o papel do Facebook na difusão das temáticas relacionadas à igualdade de gênero e o empoderamento feminino, na visão de atletas de corfebol do Brasil. Estudo qualitativo que fez-se uso de um questionário aplicado à 12 atletas de corfebol do Brasil. Os dados foram analisados descritivamente por meio da Técnica de Análise de Conteúdo. Os resultados evidenciaram que o(a)s atletas possuem conhecimento acerca das questões de gênero e empoderamento feminino no corfebol, enfatizaram ser o Facebook uma importante ferramenta na divulgação da modalidade e das temáticas, igualdade de gênero e empoderamento feminino da mulher no corfebol.
This study aims to investigate the importance of social interaction on the effectiveness of online learning during the pandemic when social distancing norms are in place. The pandemic of COVID-19 has pushed most of the classroom learning to an online environment with which most people were not familiar. The study will be helpful for instructors and educational institutes to formalize the strategies to enhance social interaction in online learning and analyse their pedagogy to improve effectiveness. This study data was collected between January and March 2022. The sampling procedure begins with a random sample of age groups 18-20 followed by those aged groups. The target groups were students who took online and offline classes before and after the pandemic, college students, recent graduates, and School students. As shown, the interview was conducted directly through Google Forms and lasted an average of 45 minutes. The results suggested that social interaction has a positive significant impact on the effectiveness of online learning. However, this effect is reduced in the presence of social distance norms as people give more importance to continuous learning and to saving lives rather than socializing in the online environment.
Analizou-se o papel do Facebook na difusão das temáticas relacionadas à igualdade de gênero e o empoderamento feminino, na visão de atletas de corfebol do Brasil. Estudo qualitativo que fez-se uso de um questionário aplicado à 12 atletas de corfebol do Brasil. Os dados foram analisados descritivamente por meio da Técnica de Análise de Conteúdo. Os resultados evidenciaram que o(a)s atletas possuem conhecimento acerca das questões de gênero e empoderamento feminino no corfebol, enfatizaram ser o Facebook uma importante ferramenta na divulgação da modalidade e das temáticas, igualdade de gênero e empoderamento feminino da mulher no corfebol.
Adolescents spend increasing amounts of time using social media, but whether social media use has a beneficial or harmful role in internalizing problems and well-being during adolescence remains under debate. The present study explored associations of social media use and friendship quality with adolescents’ internalizing problems and well-being both concurrently and longitudinally, including the exploration of interactive effects between social media use and friendship quality and the examination of gender differences. Online questionnaire data collected in Spring 2018 and Spring 2019 from 1,298 Dutch adolescents aged 11–17 years (mean age 13.7 ± 1.1 years, 53.2% girls) were used. Path analyses showed that, cross-sectionally, girls (not boys) who used social media more frequently had more internalizing problems and lower well-being. Boys and girls with higher-quality friendships reported fewer concurrent internalizing problems and higher concurrent and longitudinal well-being; the association with internalizing problems was significantly stronger for girls as for boys. We found no significant interaction between social media use and friendship quality. Thus, the present study indicates that social media use and friendship quality have unique roles in adolescents’ internalizing problems and well-being. Furthermore, the findings support the importance of gender-specific approaches to decrease adolescents’ internalizing problems and enhance their well-being.
The purpose of this study is to find out the impact of the use of social networking sites (SNS) on bridging social capital (BRS). This paper also aimed to identify the popular medium used for developing BRS. A systematic literature review (SLR) was performed by following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA). This SLR was conducted based on Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar to collate and synthesize the findings of published studies by 2021. During the reported period, 29 quantitative studies fall under the inclusion criterion. The generalized findings indicated that SNS use has a significant and positive impact on bridging social capital (BRS). The relationship between SNS use and bridging capital is stronger in Western countries as compared to Eastern countries. Facebook is the mostly used medium for developing bridging social capital. Social networking sites (SNSs) offer a platform to develop new relations and strengthen weak ties. It also prioritized SNS-based social interaction for developing weak bonds, which further help to form bridging social capital within online communities. These findings support media designers in highlighting cultural differences while designing SNSs based applications. This is one of the first attempts to accumulate systematically published literature in the area of study during the reported period. The study's outcomes are result-oriented contributions for marketers in developing marketing agendas and strategies compatible with consumer preferences while designing and improving SNS based information systems.
It is important to examine gaps in online health-related activities (OHAs) between socially advantaged and disadvantaged groups, considering that emerging information and communication technologies may bring about social disparities in their adoption and possibly expand preexisting health disparities. We thus examined whether digital divide occurs in the area of OHAs, including engagement with a very recent technology. To be more specific, we explored the effects of education, income, and race/ethnicity on OHAs, such as online health information seeking, social media use for health, and health information technologies (HITs) utilization. Moreover, given the importance of socio-contextual factors in digital divide, we examined how social support interacts with education, income, and race/ethnicity, and jointly influences OHAs. Using data from the 2017 Health Information National Trends Survey, we found the effects of education on several OHAs. Income only affected HITs utilization that had just started to diffuse across the U.S. society. We also identified reinforcing effects of social support and education on HITs utilization, and reinforcing effects of social support and income on online health information seeking. The implications of these findings for health communication and public health research were discussed.
In diesem Kapitel betrachten wir die besondere Beschaffenheit der Interaktionen mit Gleichaltrigen und ihre Auswirkungen auf die soziale Entwicklung von Kindern. Zuerst besprechen wir theoretische Perspektiven zur besonderen Rolle der Interaktionen mit Gleichaltrigen. Nachfolgend betrachten wir Freundschaften, die engste Form solcher Beziehungen. Danach betrachten wir die Interaktionen von Kindern innerhalb der größeren Gruppe von Peers. Diese Beziehungen werden nicht zusammen mit Freundschaften behandelt, weil sie für die Entwicklung von Kindern eine etwas andere Rolle zu spielen scheinen, besonders was das Ausmaß an Vertrautheit untereinander betrifft. Zuletzt geht es um den Einfluss der Eltern in Bezug auf die Peer-Beziehungen von Kindern.
A panel study of high school seniors during the 2006 midterm elections (N = 567) shows a striking pattern of Democratic youth thriving when exposed to counter-attitudinal climates. Democratic adolescents were more likely to disagree and listen to opponents if they lived in conservative counties compared with Democratic youth living in liberal counties. We infer that Democratic identity is distinguished from Republican identity as outwardly agonistic during adolescence. This pattern was partially replicated during the 2012 presidential election with emerging adults (N = 186). Compared with Republicans, Democrats appeared more motivated to shore up their attention to news and acquire knowledge in support of informed voting when exposed to dissonant climates in battleground states. Looking to the 2020 presidential election and beyond, we advocate for study designs that account for multiple opinion climates salient to conflict-seeking youth. The paper concludes with recommendations for civics education that promotes spirited albeit civil expression in interpersonal and mediated contexts.
Social networking is arguably the fastest growing online activity among youth people. This article presents new pan-European findings from the EU Kids Online project on how children and young people navigate the peer-to-peer networking possibilities afforded by social networking sites, based on a survey of around 25,000 children (1000 children in each of 25 countries). In all, 59 % of European 9-16 year olds who use the internet have their own social networking profile. Despite popular anxieties of lives lived indiscriminately in public, half have fewer than fifty contacts, most contacts are people already known to the child in person, and over two thirds have their profiles either private or partially private. The focus of the analysis, then, is to understand when and why some children seek wider circles of online contacts, and why some favour self-disclosure rather than privacy. Demographic differences among children, cultural factors across countries, and the specific affordances of social networking sites are all shown to make a difference in shaping the particularities of children’s online practices of privacy, identity and connection.
The aim of this study was to examine the role of social networking sites (SNSs) in early adolescents’ social lives. First, we investigated the relation between SNS use and several aspects of early adolescents’ social lives (i.e., friendship quality, bridging social capital, and bonding social capital). Second, we examined whether there are differences between SNS users and nonusers in terms of their social lives. Drawing on a survey among 3,068 early adolescents, results showed positive relations between SNS use and friendship quality, bridging social capital, and bonding social capital. Furthermore, we found positive effects of SNS membership on these social indicators. In sum, even though concerns have been voiced about a possible negative impact of SNS use on adolescents’ social lives, we found no evidence of this. Results of this study show that the role of SNSs in early adolescents’ social lives is positive at least concerning friendship quality, bridging social capital, and bonding social capital.
This paper aims to understand how Internet users may improve their social capital by investing in online social activities. We argue that the Internet can be a convenient and efficient means of maintaining existing social ties and/or of creating new ties. We seek to identify the determinants of online investments in social capital and the nature of the interaction with traditional forms of investment in social capital. Using a Luxembourg household survey, the econometric results reveal a significant positive impact of volunteer activities and trust (two measures of social capital) on online investments to maintain social capital, but more ambiguous results are found between online investments and face-to-face contacts with friends. By contrast, online investments to create new ties are poorly related to the Internet users' existing social capital, but depend on the opportunity cost of time. ©2010, Journal of Economic Issues / Association for Evolutionary Economics.
This study explores the relationship between perceived bridging social capital and specific Facebook-enabled communication behaviors using survey data from a sample of U.S. adults (N=614). We explore the role of a specific set of Facebook behaviors that support relationship maintenance and assess the extent to which demographic variables, time on site, total and “actual” Facebook Friends, and this new measure (Facebook Relationship Maintenance Behaviors) predict bridging social capital. Drawing upon scholarship on social capital and relationship maintenance, we discuss the role of social grooming and attention-signaling activities in shaping perceived access to resources in one's network as measured by bridging social capital.
Research has established a positive relationship between Facebook use and perceptions of social capital, a construct that describes the total resources − both potential and actual − available in one’s social network. However, the process through which social capital conversions occur is unclear. This study presents results from semi-structured interviews with 18 adult Facebook users (ages 25 to 55) about their Facebook use, focusing on how participants use the site to request and provide social support (associated with bonding social capital) and information (associated with bridging social capital). Findings describe how Facebook use facilitates interactions related to social capital and users’ beliefs about the potential negative outcomes of these interactions, providing insight into how users negotiate potential benefits and risks when making decisions about site use.
This article outlines the main results and methodological challenges of a large-scale survey on actual digital skills. A test covering three main dimensions of digital literacy (theoretical, operational and evaluation skills) was administered to a random sample of 65 third-year high school classes, producing data on 980 students. Items include knowledge questions, situation-based questions and tasks to be performed online. A Rasch-type model was used to score the results. In agreement with the literature, the sample performed better in operational skills, while showing a particularly poor performance regarding evaluation skills (although for this dimension the test shows reliability issues). Through a robust regression analysis we investigate if a skills divide based on ascriptive differences, gender and family cultural background, exists among the students. It emerges that cultural background has a significant effect, which is stronger on operational skills, while gender shows a more definite impact on theoretical knowledge.
This study assesses whether Facebook users have different ‘connection strategies,’ a term which describes a suite of Facebook-related relational communication activities, and explores the relationship between these connection strategies and social capital. Survey data (N = 450) from a random sample of undergraduate students reveal that only social information-seeking behaviors contribute to perceptions of social capital; connection strategies that focus on strangers or close friends do not. We also find that reporting more ‘actual’ friends on the site is predictive of social capital, but only to a point. We believe the explanation for these findings may be that the identity information in Facebook serves as a social lubricant, encouraging individuals to convert latent to weak ties and enabling them to broadcast requests for support or information.
Group differences in the use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) were investigated, to test the diversification hypothesis that argues that minorities and immigrants will be more likely to use CMC to compensate for their lack of social capital. Data were gathered from a sample of Internet users reflecting the percentage of minorities in the general population (n = 1,264). The results provide support for the hypothesis, indicating that in multicultural societies disadvantaged groups show greater motivation to use CMC to expand business and occupational contacts, whereas members of the majority group are more motivated to use CMC to maintain existing family and friendships ties. Implications of the finding are discussed.
Earlier HomeNet publications reported small but reliable negative effects of using the Internet on measures of social involvement and psychological well-being among new Internet users in a sample of Pittsburgh families in 1995 -1996. The effects were called a "paradox" because participants in the sample used the Internet heavily for communication, which typically has positive effects on well-being. Since that first study, the Internet changed markedly, giving people much greater choice of contacts, activities, and information. In a three-year follow-up of the original sample, these negative effects are no longer evident. A new longitudinal 1998-1999 study of new computer and television purchasers (who used the Internet for communication and for information) found that they generally experienced overall positive effects of using the Internet on communication with friends and family, community involvement, and psychological well-being. Using the Internet generally predicted better outcomes for extraverts and those with more social support—but worse outcomes for introverts and those with less support. The studies suggest that many people, especially those with good social resources, have integrated the Internet into their ordinary lives to their advantage.
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This study examined patterns and determinants of seeking online health information among a nationally representative sample of 7,028 Jewish and Arab 7th- through 12th-grade students in 158 schools in Israel. Nearly all respondents (98.7%) reported Internet access, and 52.1% reported having sought online health information in the past year. Arab students (63%) were more likely than Jewish students (48%) to seek online health information. Population-group and sex differences in health topics sought online were identified, although fitness/exercise was most common across groups. Multivariate regression models revealed that having sought health information from other sources was the strongest independent correlate of online health information-seeking among Jews (adjusted odds ratio = 8.93, 95% CI [7.70, 10.36]) and Arabs (adjusted odds ratio = 9.77, 95% CI [7.27, 13.13]). Other factors associated with seeking online health information common to both groups were level of trust in online health information, Internet skill level, having discussed health/medical issues with a health care provider in the past year, and school performance. The most common reasons for not seeking online health information were a preference to receive information from a health professional and lack of interest in health/medical issues. The closing of the digital divide between Jews and Arabs represents a move toward equality. Identifying and addressing factors underpinning online health information-seeking behaviors is essential to improve the health status of Israeli youth and reduce health disparities.
Some of the earliest and best-known theoretical work on the social implications of the Internet focus on interpersonal interactions with other users met online. However, in part because of the difficulty of measuring the level of interactions with others met online, generalizable empirical research on this topic remains limited. In this study, the authors develop a new approach to measuring the degree of online interactions with those not known offline. Next, they test the relationship between these online social interactions and social capital using a probability sample survey of U.S. residents. Contrary to previous empirical investigations, they find that the level of online interaction with people met on the Internet positively relates to common indicators of social capital, such as generalized trust. Finally, they discuss the implications of these results.
Social capital has traditionally been defined in terms of the amount of resources that one derives as a result of a diversity of interpersonal relationships. However, the quality of these relationships across development has not been examined as a contributor to social capital and few studies have examined the significance of various age-salient relationships in predicting adaptive functioning, especially testing for cumulative effects over time. Using data from the Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation, developmental models spanning from infancy to adulthood were tested via path modeling, linking quality of various age-salient relationships (e.g. infant-caregiver attachment, peer competence, friendship security, and effectiveness in romantic relationships) to global adaptive functioning at age 28. As hypothesized, quality of age-salient relationships during different developmental periods predicted the quality of subsequent relationships, but also showed links with adaptive functioning in early adulthood. Results also showed that the quality of infant attachment relationships not only was linked with more proximal relationships, but also had direct effects on global functioning, suggesting the potential significance of early relationship quality in adaption and well-being in adulthood.
Internet newsgroups allow individuals to interact with others in a relatively anonymous fashion and thereby provide individuals with concealable stigmatized identities a place to belong not otherwise available. Thus, membership in these groups should become an important part of identity. Study 1 found that members of newsgroups dealing with marginalized–concealable identities modified their newsgroup behavior on the basis of reactions of other members, unlike members of marginalized–conspicuous or mainstream newsgroups. This increase in identity importance from newsgroup participation was shown in both Study 2 (marginalized sexual identities) and Study 3 (marginalized ideological identities) to lead to greater self-acceptance, as well as coming out about the secret identity to family and friends. Results supported the view that Internet groups obey general principles of social group functioning and have real-life consequences for the individual. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Social networking sites (e.g., MySpace and Facebook) are popular online communication forms among adolescents and emerging adults. Yet little is known about young people's activities on these sites and how their networks of “friends” relate to their other online (e.g., instant messaging) and offline networks. In this study, college students responded, in person and online, to questions about their online activities and closest friends in three contexts: social networking sites, instant messaging, and face-to-face. Results showed that participants often used the Internet, especially social networking sites, to connect and reconnect with friends and family members. Hence, there was overlap between participants' online and offline networks. However, the overlap was imperfect; the pattern suggested that emerging adults may use different online contexts to strengthen different aspects of their offline connections. Information from this survey is relevant to concerns about young people's life online.
Social network sites (SNS) have become increasingly pervasive in the daily lives of adolescents. This study explores the relationship between SNS use and perceived online social capital among adolescents using survey data from Australia and Korea. We conducted a face-to-face survey of adolescents (12–15-year-olds) in major cities in Australia (N = 401) and Korea (N = 644) in 2013. There was no significant difference in time spent on SNS between adolescents in the two countries; however, significant differences in the way adolescents use SNS were found. Australian adolescents tended to use SNS for group activities, whereas Koreans used it for social monitoring. There was a positive relationship between SNS use and online social capital in both countries. However, the types of social capital that were found to have a strong relationship to SNS use were different. Among Australian adolescents, SNS activities had a higher correlation with bonding social capital compared to bridging capital, whereas the result was contrasting among Korean adolescents. The impact of SNS use on online social capital differed between the two countries, showing that Australian adolescents reporting low SNS use gained online social capital if they used SNS more intensely. Finally, the impact of SNS use and culture on perceived online social capital was examined by conducting hierarchical multiple regressions. Interpersonal communication and group activities emerged as significant predictors of online social capital.
Recent studies on social networking sites (SNSs) reveal that users’ social background is not a significant predictor of participation in this type of social media. The broad user bases of Facebook and other social media platforms also appear to suggest that social background no longer affects access to SNSs. A small number of studies even claim that in the participatory web environment, social content is more likely to be created by non-elites, such as lower-income people or racial minorities [Blank, G. (2013). Who creates content? Stratification and content creation on the Internet. Information, Communication & Society, 16(4), 590–612]. Nevertheless, engagement with SNSs also reproduces inequalities, for example via class- and ethnic-based ‘self-segregation’ [boyd, d. (2012). White flight in networked publics? How race and class shaped American teen engagement with MySpace and Facebook. In L. Nakamura & P. A. Chow-White (Eds.), Race after the internet (pp. 203–222). New York, NY: Routledge]. Drawing on a large-scale survey (N = 2327) and a set of 56 interviews with Italian teenagers, the current paper explores the persistent influence of socio-economic background and cultural capital in adolescents’ use of SNSs. The research findings show that, although structural variables inevitably influence their participation in social media, teenagers from ‘lower-income’ families are more enthusiastic about the communication and relational features of these sites. In contrast, their peers from ‘elite’ families focus on the capital-enhancing opportunities offered by SNSs and display a critical stance that leads them to limit their social activities on these platforms. Overall, the results suggest that SNSs are not exempt from digital inequalities, but nonetheless provide novel opportunities to lower-income teenagers.
The debate on the social impact of information and communication technologies is particularly important for the study of adolescent life, because through their close association with friends and peers, adolescents develop life expectations, school aspirations, world views, and behaviors. This book presents an up-to-date review of the literature on youth sociability, relationship formation, and online communication, examining the way young people use the internet to construct or maintain their inter-personal relationships. Using a social network perspective, the book systematically explores the various effects of internet access and use on adolescents' involvement in social, leisure and extracurricular activities, evaluating the arguments that suggest the internet is displacing other forms of social ties. The core of the book investigates the motivations for online relationship formation and the use of online communication for relationship maintenance. The final part of the book focuses on the consequences, both positive and negative, of the use of online communication, such as increased social capital and online bullying. Wired Youth is ideal for undergraduate and graduate students of adolescent psychology, youth studies, media studies and the psychology and sociology of interpersonal relationships.
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Recent research has established online social lives as a significant aspect of adolescents' lives and development. The current study considered the relationship between adolescents' offline (i.e., 'real life') and online social worlds and their self-concept, which is a broad indicator of well-being during adolescence. In this quantitative study, 733 adolescents between the ages of 10 and 18 (M = 15, SD = 2.33) were surveyed about their online and offline social worlds and self-concept. Regression analysis revealed the moderating effect of online socializing in the relationship between offline social life and general self-concept, consistent with a 'Rich Get Richer' hypothesis of online use.
Culture is a set of values that influences attitudes and social behavior. Despite the role of culture in shaping attitudes and motivations, most of the extensive research literature on the determinants and patterns of social media use has focused on psychological and social factors. The purpose of this study is to fill this gap by investigating the role of cultural values in perceptions of privacy, trust and motivations for using Facebook among young Palestinians in Israel. We relied on Hall’s concept of high and low communication contexts and three of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions: collectivism, power distance and uncertainty avoidance. Data from a survey of Arab high school students (N = 567) established that variations in the adoption of cultural values are associated with the motivation for using Facebook through their effect on trust and on privacy concerns. We discuss the findings and their implications.
The present study examines the relationship between adolescents’ social capital and individualism-collectivism using data from the Value of Children Study (Trommsdorff and Nauck 2005) from Estonia (N=228), Germany (N=278), and Russia (N=280). Two social capital indexes for adolescents (measuring parental social capital and peer-group social capital) were developed for the analysis. The COLINDEX Scale (Chan 1994) was used to measure individualistic and collectivistic values. In all three countries collectivistic values predicted parental social capital whereas individualistic values predicted peer-group social capital. There were also a few country-specific relationships between the constructs, with collectivism and peer-group social capital being positively related in Estonia and individualism and parental social capital signif- icantly negatively correlated in Russia. The current analysis suggests that during the adolescence, collectivistic values are more likely to be related to higher levels of parental social capital and individualistic values to higher levels of peer-group social capital. Therefore, it seems that at the individual level and for adolescents the individ- ualism and collectivism are related to different forms of social capital in the different manner.
Social network sites have gained tremendous traction recently as a popular online hangout spaces for both youth and adults. People flock to them to socialize with their friends and acquaintances, to share information with interested others, and to see and be seen. While networking socially or for professional purposes is not the predominant practice, there are those who use these sites to flirt with friends-of-friends, make business acquaintances, and occasionally even rally others for a political cause. I have been examining different aspects of social network sites, primarily from an ethnographic perspective, for over six years. In making sense of the practices that unfold on and through these sites, I have come to understand social network sites as a genre of "networked publics." Networked publics are publics that are restructured by networked technologies. As such, they are simultaneously (1) the space constructed through networked technologies and (2) the imagined collective that emerges as a result of the intersection of people, technology, and practice. Networked publics serve many of the same functions as other types of publics – they allow people to gather for social, cultural, and civic purposes and they help people connect with a world beyond their close friends and family. While networked publics share much in common with other types of publics, the ways in which technology structures them introduces distinct affordances that shape how people engage with these environments. The properties of bits – as distinct from atoms – introduce new possibilities for interaction. As a result, new dynamics emerge that shape participation. Analytically, the value of constructing social network sites as networked publics is to see the practices that unfold there as being informed by the affordances of networked publics and the resultant common dynamics. Networked publics' affordances do not dictate participants' behavior, but they do configure the environment in a way that shapes participants' engagement. In essence, the architecture of a particular environment matters and the architecture of networked publics is shaped by their affordances. The common dynamics fall out from these affordances and showcase salient issues that participants must regularly contend with when engaging in these environments. Understanding the properties, affordances, and dynamics common to networked publics provides a valuable framework for working out the logic of social practices.
The goal of this study is to examine and understand the relationship between the utilization of Facebook features and two types of social capital: bonding and bridging. An online survey was conducted using a college sample (n = 256). The results show that, with bonding social capital, the frequent use of Like feature was positively associated whereas that of Comment was negatively associated. With bridging social capital, the frequent use of Wall was positively associated. The results also show that the preference for Wall, Friend, Comment, News Feed, Like, Message, Photo, and Chat was positively associated with both bonding and bridging social capital. On the other hand, the preference for Status and Group was positively associated only with bridging social capital. Limitations of this study and the implications of the findings are discussed and suggestions for future research are provided.
This study uses the amount of time users spend on social networking sites (SNSs) to differentiate user groups and investigates the following three issues: (1) the most common behavior of different groups when using SNS; (2) whether users have different perceptions of their social capital on SNSs versus in real-life environments; and (3) whether there are differences in the perceived social capital of different groups. This study discovered that users have different user behavior depending on their amounts of usage. In particular, heavy users tend to be willing to share information and often use application programs associated with SNSs. With regard to perceptions of social capital, the study found that different groups have somewhat different ideas as to what constitutes social capital. We summarize a novel individual social capital systematic behavior and discuss the practical implications of this work and suggestions for future research. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
a b s t r a c t Using computers with friends either in person or online has become ubiquitous in the life of most ado-lescents; however, little is known about the complex relation between this activity and friendship qual-ity. This study examined direct support for the social compensation and rich-get-richer hypotheses among adolescent girls and boys by including social anxiety as a moderating factor. A sample of 1050 adolescents completed a survey in grade 9 and then again in grades 11 and 12. For girls, there was a main effect of using computers with friends on friendship quality; providing support for both hypotheses. For adolescent boys, however, social anxiety moderated this relation, supporting the social compensation hypothesis. These findings were identical for online communication and were stable throughout adoles-cence. Furthermore, participating in organized sports did not compensate for social anxiety for either adolescent girls or boys. Therefore, characteristics associated with using computers with friends may cre-ate a comfortable environment for socially anxious adolescents to interact with their peers which may be distinct from other more traditional adolescent activities.
Many studies have examined the relationship between social network sites (SNSs) and the development of social capital. However, most studies to date have only considered college and adult populations. This study examines the patterns of SNS use in an urban, teenage sample in the United States. It tests the hypothesis that use of SNSs is related to higher levels of social capital. The results show that youth who use Facebook and Myspace report higher social capital in both their school and online relationships. In addition, the analysis suggests that distinct modes of SNS experiences are differentially related to bridging and bonding social capital. Time spent in SNSs is related to bridging capital, while positive or negative experiences are related to bonding capital. The study offers new insights into how youth experience SNSs and the relationship of that experience with their connection to the world.
Research on digital divide phenomena has produced opposing theoretical frameworks. This study pits the disappearing digital divide approach against the emerging digital differentiation approach and empirically tests the validity of their predictions regarding adolescents’ internet use and their tendency towards ubiquitous internetting. Multivariate analyses of a survey of 749 Dutch adolescents aged 13–18 showed that adolescents’ unequal access to socio-economic and cognitive resources shaped their use of the internet as an information and an entertainment medium. Adolescents with greater socio-economic and cognitive resources used the internet more frequently for information and less often for entertainment than their peers with fewer socio-economic and cognitive resources. We found a similar pattern regarding adolescents’ tendency towards ubiquitous internetting. The findings tentatively suggest that the emerging digital differentiation approach describes current digital divide phenomena more adequately than the disappearing digital divide approach.
How does the Internet affect social capital? Do the communication possibilities of the Internet increase, decrease, or supplement interpersonal contact, participation, and community commitment? Our evidence comes from a 1998 survey of 39,211 visitors to the National Geographic Society website, one of the first large-scale web surveys. We find that people's interaction online supplements their face-to-face and telephone communication, without increasing or decreasing it. However, Internet use is associated with increased participation in voluntary organizations and politics. Further support for this effect is the positive association between offline and online participation in volun tary organizations and politics. Internet use is associated with a sense of online community, in general and with kin. Taken together, the evidence suggests that the Internet is becoming normalized as it is incorporated into the routine practices of everyday life.
Adolescents are currently the defining users of the Internet. They spend more time online than adults do, and they use the Internet for social interaction more often than adults do. This article discusses the state of the literature on the consequences of online communication technologies (e.g., instant messaging) for adolescents' social connectedness and well-being. Whereas several studies in the 1990s suggested that Internet use is detrimental, recent studies tend to report opposite effects. We first explain why the results of more recent studies diverge from those of earlier studies. Then, we discuss a viable hypothesis to explain the recent findings: the Internet-enhanced self-disclosure hypothesis. Finally, we discuss some contingent factors that may deserve special attention in future research.
Social capital theory has developed over the past two decades and has become increasingly popular among youth studies scholars, as well as among policy and program researchers. Despite its wide usage, the theory's utility is limited and largely unknown because researchers typically only test one of the theory's core dimensions: whether social capital influences youths’ well-being. This paper examines the five main dimensions of social capital theory that have been discussed in a fragmented manner throughout the youth studies literature in an attempt to aid researchers in their conceptualization and operationalization of social capital and their testing of theory.
The predictive relations between social capital depth (high-quality relationships across contexts) and breadth (friendship network extensivity) and early-adult, life adjustment outcomes were examined using data from a prospective longitudinal study. Interviews at age 22 yielded (a) psychometrically sound indexes of relationship quality with parents, peers, and romantic partners that served as indicators of a latent construct of social capital depth, and (b) a measure of number of close friends. In follow-up interviews at age 24, participants reported on their behavioral adjustment, educational attainment, and arrests and illicit substance use. Early-adolescent assessments of behavioral adjustment and academic performance served as controls; data on what were construed as interpersonal assets (teacher-rated social skills) and opportunities (family income) were also collected at this time. Results showed that depth was associated with overall better young-adult adjustment, net of prior adjustment, and assets and opportunities. Breadth was only modestly associated with later outcomes, and when its overlap with depth was taken into account, breadth predicted higher levels of subsequent externalizing problems. These findings are consistent with the notion that social capital is multidimensional and that elements of it confer distinct benefits during an important life transition.
A longitudinal analysis of panel data from users of a popular online social network site, Facebook, investigated the relationship between intensity of Facebook use, measures of psychological well-being, and bridging social capital. Two surveys conducted a year apart at a large U.S. university, complemented with in-depth interviews with 18 Facebook users, provide the study data. Intensity of Facebook use in year one strongly predicted bridging social capital outcomes in year two, even after controlling for measures of self-esteem and satisfaction with life. These latter psychological variables were also strongly associated with social capital outcomes. Self-esteem served to moderate the relationship between Facebook usage intensity and bridging social capital: those with lower self-esteem gained more from their use of Facebook in terms of bridging social capital than higher self-esteem participants. We suggest that Facebook affordances help reduce barriers that lower self-esteem students might experience in forming the kinds of large, heterogeneous networks that are sources of bridging social capital.
Kraut et al. (1998) reported negative effects of using the Internet on social involvement and psychological well-being among new Internet users in 1995–96. We called the effects a “paradox” because participants used the Internet heavily for communication, which generally has positive effects. A 3-year follow-up of 208 of these respondents found that negative effects dissipated. We also report findings from a longitudinal survey in 1998–99 of 406 new computer and television purchasers. This sample generally experienced positive effects of using the Internet on communication, social involvement, and well-being. However, consistent with a “rich get richer” model, using the Internet predicted better outcomes for extraverts and those with more social support but worse outcomes for introverts and those with less support.
Previous research suggests that Internet use may be associated with decreases in well-being among adolescents. However, there has been little investigation of the relationship between well-being and social aspects of Internet use. In the present study, 130 7th graders from a middle-class public school in California completed dispositional measures of well-being, and on three subsequent evenings they responded to questions regarding their Internet use (including detailed logs of instant messages) and daily well-being. Time spent on-line was not associated with dispositional or daily well-being. However, as suggested by intimacy theory, the closeness of instant message communication partners was associated with daily social anxiety and loneliness in school, above and beyond the contribution of dispositional measures.
People who have grown up with digital media are often assumed to be universally savvy with information and communication technologies. Such assumptions are rarely grounded in empirical evidence, however. This article draws on unique data with information about a diverse group of young adults’ Internet uses and skills to suggest that even when controlling for Internet access and experiences, people differ in their online abilities and activities. Additionally, findings suggest that Internet know-how is not randomly distributed among the population, rather, higher levels of parental education, being a male, and being white or Asian American are associated with higher levels of Web-use skill. These user characteristics are also related to the extent to which young adults engage in diverse types of online activities. Moreover, skill itself is positively associated with types of uses. Overall, these findings suggest that even when controlling for basic Internet access, among a group of young adults, socioeconomic status is an important predictor of how people are incorporating the Web into their everyday lives with those from more privileged backgrounds using it in more informed ways for a larger number of activities.
The popularity of the concept of social capital has been accompanied by increasing controversy about its actual meaning and effects. I consider here the alternative applications of the concept as an attribute of individuals vs. collectivities and discuss the extent to which causal propositions formulated at each level are logically sound. I present some empirical evidence illustrating the possibility that, despite the current popularity of the concept, much of its alleged benefits may be spurious after controlling for other factors. Implications of this analysis and results for theory and policy are discussed.
This study examined gender differences in the creation of hard and soft social capital in a sample of 352 female and 486 male faculty members. Men were shown to be more effective in creating hard social capital, but, unexpectedly, women were not found to be the emotional specialists they often are thought to be. Moreover, multilevel analyses indicated that men were more effective in using emotional intensity of ties to create hard social capital, and they were also more effective using team-related resources to create both hard and soft social capital.