This thesis explores how social networking sites are changing the way individuals socialize in everyday life, and how users mediate this social media. The hypothesis explored is that Facebook user’s perception of risk, when using the site, is related to how they frame the technology. Drawing on conceptual and theoretical tools from science studies and the sociologies of friendship, risk and surveillance, interview data is collected and analysed in order to identify the dynamics that structure Facebook use. It is concluded not only that, as hypothesized, participant’s awareness and perception of risk is based upon their framing of the social networking technology, but also that the framing processes arise from the technosocial hybrid nature of Facebook. That is to say, it is not exclusively based on technological possibility or on existing social practices but instead by a constant balance between the two.

This thesis explores how social networking sites are changing the way individuals socialize in everyday life, and how users mediate this social media. The hypothesis explored is that Facebook user’s perception of risk, when using the site, is related to how they frame the technology. Drawing on conceptual and theoretical tools from science studies and the sociologies of friendship, risk and surveillance, interview data is collected and analysed in order to identify the dynamics that structure Facebook use. It is concluded not only that, as hypothesized, participant’s awareness and perception of risk is based upon their framing of the social networking technology, but also that the framing processes arise from the technosocial hybrid nature of Facebook. That is to say, it is not exclusively based on technological possibility or on existing social practices but instead by a constant balance between the two.

This study examines the impact of political information conveyed through social media. Using the popular social network site (SNS), Facebook, I conduct a quasi-lab experiment, survey experiment, and randomized field experiment involving undergraduate students to explore the extent to which peer-to-peer communication via social media can increase political knowledge, change political attitudes, and mobilize people to vote.

The terms social media and social networking have been under the spotlight in recent times due to enormous success of some of the social networking websites. Creating profiles and making friends are the prime activities on these sites. People upload pictures, videos and create events on these sites to share with their friends. Some people are more active than others when it comes to participating in online social activity. But more or less, most users; be it active or passive find time almost daily to log in and see what is happening on these sites. The aim of this paper is to propose a design for online profiles of researchers and teachers who work in a university environment based on ideas from existing social media and similar systems. In this research I a) identified elements of such a system by studying the already existing profiles of researchers in ten different Swedishuniversities b) interviewed researchers and students at different departments of UppsalaUniversity to get first hand knowledge on how such a system should look like c) propose design recommendations for online profiles of people involved in education in universities based on the requirements collected.

Background Social Media is a communication tool employed nowadays not only by multinational or middle-size and small companies, but also by non-profit organizations and governmental institutions. Today, more than 60% of the Swedish municipalities are participating on Social Media platforms with the purpose of engaging with the citizens. Online Engagement is not radically different from traditional Engagement, just as Citizen Engagement has close similarities with Customer Engagement. All of the Engagement facets are comparatively discussed in the current research paper, and four Dimensions, each including several factors that might differentiate Engaged and Unengaged users are described and used in the empirical study, in order to fulfill the purpose of the research. Purpose This research paper investigates the factors that differentiate the users from different stages of engagment on public institution’s social media profiles. Method The factors differentiating users from different stages of Engagement were identified by using relevant theories and previous research, and by conducting a quantitative study on Trafikverket, Swedish Transport Administration, Facebook profile followers. Conclusion Five factors were tested throughout the statistical data analysis. Three of them were found to be signifcantly different for users that are engaged within the profile and users that are not engaged. These factors are Usefulness, Privacy & Security and Communicaion & Relationship. Based on the findings and literature review, several suggestions for engaging with citizens, were proposed.

Ever since the virtual community boom that aroused by Facebook, almost every industry began to take interest in starting their own Facebook Page. Armstrong & Hagel III(1996) indicated that virtual community breaks the balance of commercial trade by giving the customers more power, while at the same time helps the industry to deepen and broaden their customer relationship, making those who are good at using the new power of customer benefits from it. That is to say that in the free market of internet, minority market can be served more easily and effectively, while the majority market has gradually become the market combination of several niches (Chris A., 2006).Virtual community also changed the business rule, allowing the small enterprise to challenge the big ones (Armstrong & Hagel III,1996). This study tries to find out the common and unique business patterns by doing research study and categorizing the current usage of Facebook Page, so the managers can have a reference to adjust their method accordingly, and so further study can be build upon it. In this rising boom of virtual community, what are the strategies behind it? Can those strategies really attract the fans to the Facebook page and allow the fans to participate in it? Observation method was adopted in this research to analyze the Facebook page in Taiwan. Data were collected according to different trades, in order to analyze how the four motivations: information, assistance, recreation and social interaction work in the virtual community. The unique strategy and its affect will be discussed, and relative studies will be reviewed to see if there is a better way to attract the attention of the fans. This study shows that there are unique strategies adopted in different trades for the difference of the fans, and there are improvement needed in those business patterns. As the conclusion, four advices are raised in this study: increase the searching accessibility, provide complete data, adopt the link of Facebook Page wisely, and appropriate article length. So the managers can have a reference to adjust their method accordingly, and so further study can be build upon it.

This exploratory study investigated the differences between traditional 12 step meetings and online 12 step videoconferencing meetings in a recovery-based social networking site (SNS). Drawing from a social support framework and the social identity model of deindividuation effects (SIDE), I conducted an online survey (N = 97) measuring perceptions of effectiveness, small group and relational satisfaction, identification, social support and network quality, anonymity, and access for both traditional and online videoconferencing meetings. In addition, an index was created to assess online community members’ level of engagement within the SNS. Findings reveal that (a) traditional 12 step meetings rank significantly higher on perceptions of social support quality and recovery network quality, as well as overall meeting effectiveness, and small group and relational satisfaction, (b) members’ perceptions of small group and relational satisfaction, social support and network quality are significant predictors of identification within a 12 step group, and lastly (c) members’ level of engagement within the SNS is strongly correlated with a number of positive outcomes suggesting that the more engaged a member is with various features within the SNS, the more social support and recovery benefits a member perceives. In sum, this study advances practical understanding of the role SNS and online videoconferencing meetings have in shaping the experiences of members in recovery. The usefulness of this study for online social support researchers as well as suggestions for future research are discussed. / text

The current report reviews the recent research on online social networking sites (MySpace and Facebook), and their impact on adolescent self-concept and identity development. This paper describes the history and recent expansion of social networking sites, followed by an overview of adolescent identity development. The literature suggests both positive and negative effects of social networking use on adolescent self-concept. Positive effects include the strengthening of group identity, the benefits of self-expression, and the ability to reinforce social relationships. On the other hand, negative effects include an intensified discrepancy between one’s ideal and actual selves, false representations of the self, and the risks involved with online disclosure. The relationship between personality factors and social networking use is also explored. Finally included are implications of this research for school counselors working with adolescents growing up in the digital age. / text

This dissertation investigated the effectiveness of a newly designed intervention for adolescents with test anxiety. This CBT-based intervention is comprised of two parts: self-guided psychoeducational computer modules, and an online social networking group. The intervention was designed to provide adolescents with an effective means of reducing test anxiety symptoms, delivered through a familiar medium—the Internet. This study was conducted in classrooms in Houston, TX, with high school student participants. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: those receiving the computer modules component only, those receiving the computer modules and social networking group, and those receiving no treatment (control). Test anxiety levels were assessed with the self-report Test Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger, et al., 1980). Changes in test anxiety levels over time were compared to changes in a measure of academic achievement. The author compared changes in test anxiety level among the three groups using repeated measures ANOVA. It was hypothesized that participants in the two treatment groups would show improvements in test anxiety symptoms over time, while those in the control condition would not. It was further hypothesized that decreases in test anxiety symptoms would correlate with increases in academic achievement. Participants in all three groups showed some decrease in anxiety symptoms. There were no statistically significant differences between groups; however, there were some intriguing trends in the computer module only group, which showed a clinically meaningful, but not statistically different, decrease in anxiety. There was no association between changes in test anxiety symptoms and academic achievement. Results of this study suggest that this intervention may not currently present an effective option for treating the symptoms of test anxiety. Results may be used to make data-driven improvements to address the limitations and unforeseen weaknesses of this intervention approach. / text

Research suggests older adults who remain socially active and cognitively engaged have better cognitive function than older adults who are socially isolated and disengaged. Using an online social networking website, like Facebook.com, may require simultaneous cognitive and social engagement, thus yielding improvements in both domains. This study aimed to examine the efficacy of learning and using Facebook as an intervention to maintain or enhance cognitive function in older adults. Results from a small pilot study with 7 older adults suggested there may be positive effects on executive functions and memory following learning and using Facebook. Therefore, a larger and more well-controlled examination of the intervention was completed. Participants were 41 older adults (12 male), with a mean age of 79.4 and 16.5 mean years of education. Participants were assigned to learn how to use Facebook (n = 14) or an online diary website (active control, n = 13), or they were placed on a waitlist (no treatment control, n = 14). Participants assigned to learn a website attended three 2-hour classes over the course of one week and then used the website at home daily for the next 7 weeks. Participants assigned to the waitlist received no contact for 8 weeks. All participants completed a series of neuropsychological tests and questionnaires on social and lifestyle factors before and after this 8-week period. Results showed that all participants were able to learn and use Facebook or an online diary website over an 8-week period. In addition, the Facebook group showed a significant increase in updating performance at post-test compared to no significant change in the control groups. Other composite measures of executive function, memory, and social support showed no differential improvement in the Facebook group across the 8-week interval. Thus, learning and using an online social networking site appeared to provide specific benefits for executive functions associated with working memory in a group of healthy older adults. This may reflect the particular cognitive demands associated with online social networking and/or the benefits of social engagement more generally.