The Web 2.0 phenomenon has produced many social networking sites, but one of the most popular is undoubtedly Facebook, with millions of users worldwide. Most Facebook members use the site to keep up with friends, share pictures or other content, and post messages. But Bacebook is also a good virtual example of how networking between friends takes place.
Scholars have begun to use Facebook as a means to study how friendships are formed and maintained. Researchers at two different American universities have begun monitoring the Facebook profiles of students to learn more about friendship.
Some researchers claim that studying Facebook profiles is leading to a new branch of social science; one that will allow observers to learn more about how friendships began, mature and end in the off-line world.
By analyzing user profiles, and concentrating on details such as favorite films and music, career paths, and habits, researchers hope to discover how friendships are made, and which parameters are most important in maintaining good social interaction.
With over 50 million users worldwide, Facebook is one of the most popular sites online, but until now no one has thought of utilizing this vast virtual resource to learn more about the art of friendship. One of the most important questions researchers are looking at is whether people with similar interests naturally become friends, or do people begin to share the same interest as a result of being friends.
Besides analyzing user profiles for the individual’s habits, music preferences and career choices, researchers also look at how users rate other Facebook members using features such as Facebook’s “hot or not” rating system, which assigns a number based on the attractiveness of the member.
Other aspects that are considered include proximity to other users, the amount of time a user spends online, and the average number of posts a user makes every month. The “free for all” nature of social networking sites such as Facebook is seen as a type of virtual petri dish, in which social scientists can observe friendship and networking behavior.
But even though social scientists are excited about the possibility of studying social interaction on Facebook, some psychologists see a problem with this type of research. The primary complaint is that while Facebook could be a good general source of information on creating and maintaining relationships, the individuals involved often do not maintain these friendships in the off-line world.
It is clear however that using social networking web sites to analyze social behavior is a convenient source of data that scientists have never had before. It is also evident that social relationships developed online can be meaningful to the individuals involved, and therefore have at least some value in large-scale research projects.
Both Harvard University and the University of California are currently carrying out social friendship research utilizing Facebook. And although Facebook is not designed as a forum for social research, it may turn out to be one of the best ways to study human social interaction in a natural setting.
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