Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
1 Introduction
Social networks enable humans to gain access to information, support in time of
need, and form an immensely important part of our everyday lives. From business
cards and address topics to firm handshakes and attentive listening, a significant
part of our actions are devoted to creating and maintaining our networks.
Over the past two decades, those connections have become increasingly
supplemented by online media, beginning with message boards, progressing to
email and instant messaging, and now blooming into online social networking
sites such as Facebook.com (“Facebook”).
Research into our online social networks is in its infancy. This paper will
discuss recent relevant research, describe this study and its results, and focus on
implications for broader fields.
2 Background
2.1 Definition and History
Boyd and Ellison define online social network sites as websites that enable users
to construct a profile describing themselves, show who they feel connected to, and
view the connections of others [1]. Many users join with the goal of demonstrating
their social networks, connecting to a larger extended network, gaining access to
job or travel opportunities, and communicating with geographically distant friends
[1], [2].
Online social networking is a recent phenomenon, with most scholars tracing
its inception to SixDegrees.com in 1997 [1]. A second generation of networks
developed focused on specific communities, such as job-seekers and ethnic
community. Developers believed that by addressing the needs of a single
community, they hoped to focus on common interests, as Feld [3] suggests, and
cross link those communities to create higher levels of interaction. Many of these
networks succeeded in gaining their niche communities, but soon encountered
new obstacles that prevented mass adoption, as users left the sites when their
bosses, friends, and family were all presented with the same online persona.
Facebook is the leading social networking service on the Internet today, with
billions of page views per day making it the sixth most visited website, and a user
base now numbering close to 200 million [4],[5], [6]. Users can upload a profile
and pictures, make links to “friends,” post public messages for others, and add
applications that enhance their online experience [2]. Users are able to view the
profiles of their friends after both confirm their a desire to be connected, and the
connections that their friends have made to others [1]. The typical user accesses
Facebook heavily, logging in for 20 minutes a day on average with two thirds of
all users logging in at least once each day [5].
Social networks enable us to connect digital data to our offline society, but can
require a significant investment of time and energy while possibly giving others an
inaccurate view of ourselves.
