Logging on to hang out:

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Logging on to hang out

• Social Networking Among College Students

Amanda Mahaney Oakland University
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Social Networking

• Began in 1996 by SixDegrees.com
• Reuniting old friendships and making new ones.
• Allow people to make their own profile with areas
  to list general interests.
• Add friends into network or get invited by others
  to join another social network.
• MySpace.Com, Friendster.Com, TheFacebook.com,
  Orkut.Com, LinkedIn.com

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Methodology

• Who Oakland University Freshman College Students
• 1 Male, 2 Female
• Twelve interview questions sent online
• Subjects must be part of a social networking
  website and be a student at Oakland University.
• More questions may be asked if needed for further
  research.

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Goal

• To find out why college students use these social
  networking websites.
• To find out if online communities limit face to
  face communication.
• Research will help to see which of these websites
  are the most popular and entertaining.
• To compare statistics from other sources to see
  how these websites have grown.

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Secondary Research

• 84, which is 90 million Americans, have used the
  Internet to contact online groups.
• 49 of those people said that these social
  networks have helped them connect with people who
  have similar interests.
• Use Internet more for online groups, and less for
  information about news, weather, etc.
• Researchers fear that Internet users might have
  less social interaction with their community.
• Horrigan, J.B. (2001). Online Communities
  Networks that nurture long-distance relationships
  and local ties. Pew Internet American Life.
  Retrieved February 10, 2005, from
  http//www.pewinternet.org.

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Guiding Questions?

• How popular is social networking among college
  students?
• What social networking sites are the most
  popular?
• Have they ever met these friends in person or
  seen them in public without being behind a
  computer?
• Do these websites interfere with everyday life?
• How much time is spent social networking?
• Does social networking sites limit face to face
  contact with people?

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Results-Subject 1

• Belongs to MySpace, TheFacebook and Livejournal.
• 400 friendsMySpace
• 50 friendsTheFacebook
• Member for over a year for MySpace.
• New member to TheFacebook.com.
• Main use is to promote his bands shows on the
  bulletin.
• Uses for entertainment and to meet friends.
• Has met people in person that he first met on the
  internet.
• TheFacebook has reunited old friendships from
  high school for him.
• Logs on multiple times a day and spends over two
  hours on social networking websites.

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Results-Subject 2

• Belongs to MySpace and Livejournal
• 350 friendsMySpace
• Member for a year.
• Main use is for entertainment and to meet
  friends.
• Has met 5 people in person that she first met on
  the internet.
• Uses bulletin to post information about her new
  pictures that she puts up on the website.

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Results-Subject 3

• Belongs to MySpace, Friendster and Livejournal
• 250 friendsMySpace
• Does not use Friendster
• Member for over a year
• Finds MySpace to be the most useful.
• Owns her own record label, which allows for
  promotion.
• Uses the bulletin to post information on upcoming
  shows and other news going on with the label.
• MySpace allows people to make a separate account
  for bands/companies
• Has met a lot of good friends through these sites.

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Results-Subject 4

• Belongs to MySpace
• MySpace140 friends
• Logs on only a couple times a week
• Main use for updates of shows and interaction
  with friends
• Member for half a year

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Conclusion

• Social Networking has helped to reunite old
  friendships and make new ones.
• MySpace found to be the most popular.
• No sign of less face to face contact
• Research may help others in the future to learn
  about social networking and how it effects
  college students.