Article:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jun/16/facebook-social-networking
Summary:
New research by Pew claims that people using social network sites (such as Facebook, MySpace, Linkedln and Twitter) feel that they are better supported emotionally by their online friends. "Its half the boost in total support that someone recieves from being married or living with a partner". Online friends give each other advise, information and companionship. This provides emotional support and well-being.
Reaction:
I think this is a really interesting article. I do recognize some things from the research. If someone updates their status on Facebook, they immidiately get a lot of reactions from online friends (who can also be their real friends) and they feel supported. People who are not on a social network site, do not get all the attention and reactions. I do think that there is a downside as well. People on social network sites will be needing all the reactions in order to do something. People get atticted to facebook and all the attention.
Hi Eliza,
ReplyDeleteI like your opinion about the article because you put in own experiences. I recognize these experiences myself, but on the other hand I don't think getting support via a computer is more personal than support in real life. All these internet profiles makes contact with other people very impersonal. It is already that far that there are people who cross the line by putting almost nude pictures on the net only to get attention because they don't get it in real life. These people are getting, as you already mentioned, addicted by getting attention all the time. Mostly girls do this with pictures and they forget that there also lover boys for example on these social networks. I am not saying I disapprove these networks, I have them myself, but especially pupils should be informed very well for the dangers (which is actually another kind of subject but I wanted to mention it). To come back on the article: I agree that it boost your ego getting lots of reactions, but those reactions are impersonal and you don't know for sure if people really mean it, you don't see their face when they post a reaction.