Bambury 1
Emily Bambury
UNIV 112
Professor Dempster
24 November 2015
The Affects of Facebook
CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg had this to say regarding the rise of social media:
"Back, you know, a few generations ago, people didn't have a way to share information and
express their opinions efficiently to a lot of people. But now they do. Right now, with social
networks and other tools on the Internet, all of these 500 million people have a way to say what
they're thinking and have their voice be heard." Facebook began as a social media site solely for
Harvard undergraduate students in 2004 (Clemmitt 91). The site opened to all teenagers and
adults two years later and according to McAfee, a leading company in security technology, as of
2012, “nine in ten Americans ages 13 to 17 use Facebook, making it the most popular social
networking site” (Clemmit 85). Facebook has revolutionized the way we communicate and since
adopting this technology, people have begun to question its affects. How have social media sites
(SMS), particularly Facebook, changed our perspectives of relationships and definitions of
friendship? Does this type of social media ultimately enhance or hinder our ability to cultivate
and maintain friendships and communicate effectively? How does Facebook affect our wellbeing? What role does Facebook currently play in higher education and how could it play a role
in the future?8
The census is in: quantity over quality is the way to friend on Facebook. Erin M. Bryant
and Jennifer Marmo of the School of Human Communications at Arizona State University,
published a study in 2012 and asserted that “an analysis of Facebook friendship should include
Bambury 2
acquaintance relationships as a distinct form of friendship” (1017). A study published by the
American Psychological Association conducted by Adrianne M. Manago, Tamara Taylor, and
Patricia M. Greenfield of the psychology department at the University of California, Los Angeles
found that these acquaintances “formed the majority of participants’ Facebook networks” (377).
Manago and her team claim that having a larger following on a site like Facebook could be
advantageous because “emerging adults [are getting] more attention” (378). Most Facebook
users can relate to this in some way or another. People post statuses and friend on Facebook in
the hopes of generating an audience. This large and growing audience will not only view the
statuses and photos someone posts but “like” them and validate that user. Most people have an
abundance of acquaintances as Facebook friends who are valued because they make up the
majority of a person’s Facebook audience.
Facebook “friending” has very different qualifications and implications compared to
face-to-face friendships. Through Facebook the word friend has become a verb. The previously
cited study from Bryant and Marmo focuses on interaction rules and how they differ between
different levels of friendship. One rule, for example, is “only write on a friend’s wall if you are
actually friends with them offline” (Bryant and Marmo 1021). Interaction rules do not exist
exclusively on SMS but interaction rules for the specific cites vary greatly from the offline
counterparts. On a website where everyone you communicate with, even a stranger, is labeled a
“friend,” distinctions between acquaintances, casual friends, and close friends become more
apparent and with those distinctions come specific interaction rules. However, recently,
Facebook’s dynamic has begun to change. As Ben Marder, a business fellow at the University of
Edinburgh puts it, “Facebook used to be like a great party for all your friends where you can
dance drink and flirt. Now with your mum, dad and boss there, the party becomes an anxious
Bambury 3
event full of potential social landmines” (Clemmitt 89). These limitations users place on
themselves govern how they act on the site and restricts their freedom on Facebook. This concept
is very apparent in applying for schools and jobs. A few years ago, the fear that college
admissions officers or potentially employers could see photos or status that were only meant for
friends led some people to clean up their pages. Katie E. Davis of the Information School at the
University of Washington agrees and points out that as this shift takes place, adolescents begin
“conform[ing] to whatever image they believe fits best in their social circle” (Clemmitts 88).
Davis refers to this as “packaged polished selves” (Clemmitt 88). This “polished self” interferes
with how Facebook affects people. Now Facebook friends are not only composed of strangers,
acquaintances, and close friends but also co-workers, bosses, and family members.
Facebook also greatly affects people’s physical and psychological well-being. One
researcher cited in Cyr, Berman, and Smith’s article suggests that high Internet use could lead to
“depression, loneliness, low self-esteem, and anxiety as well as physical impairments such as
lack of sleep, lack of eating, and limited physical activity” (81). It can be concluded that high
SMS use can yield these same negative results. In addition, Cyr and her team worry that “young
people with higher levels of identity related anxiety and distress may be using communication
technology to manage their discomfort” (89). Clemmitt validates this statement in her article
(89). This means that adolescents who struggle with these issues are turning to social media as a
cure. If high use can lead to significant psychological issues, then logically, attempting to use
SMS to fix those types of problems should result in worsened effects. In yet another study cited
by Cyr, Berman, and Smith, researchers concluded, “increased internet usage was associated
with decreased well-being” (82). A statement from Rosen supports this assertion that as a
generation we “have grown dependent on continuous technological connection” (Clemmitt 88).
Bambury 4
This is why we check our phones constantly even when we are not being contacted or simply
because we are bored. Using a cell phone while with friends is no longer considered rude but
normal. Even when you are with someone offline, you have the ability and the luxury to contact
and interact with as many online friends as you want. The emergence of SMS has greatly
impacted and changed communication. Psychology professor, Larry Rosen, of California State
University mentions that relying only on words can lead to misunderstandings because “you
don’t have access to [nonverbal] cues” (Clemmitt 84). This can negatively affect how people
communicate face-to face because it reduces people’s abilities to accurately read facial
expressions and body language. Social media can also teach young people how to be empathetic
(Clemmitt 89). By responding positively and supportively on Facebook, teenagers cultivate skills
that they can apply offline. These issues with social skills can lead to things such as anxiety. All
of these contribute to a never-ending cycle of discomfort and turning to social media as a
remedy.
One important aspect of well-being in the social media world is a sense of belonging.
Terrel L. Strayhorn, a professor and the Director of the Center for Higher Education Enterprise at
Ohio State University, reports “first-year students tended to report a stronger sense of
belonging… if they used SNSs infrequently or not at all” (793). However, Ellison, cited in
Manago, Taylor, and Greenfield’s study, says “the more intensely college students used
Facebook, the more they perceived that they were integrated into their university community”
(370). Whose conclusion is correct? Some may argue that Strayhorn’s is more valid because it is
more recent by five years. However, it is most likely that these contrasting concepts are simply
the result of two different studies. Overall, Facebook and other SMS seem to negatively affect
psychological well-being especially anxiety and depression.
Bambury 5
Many perceive a dichotomy between Facebook and education. McLoughlin and Lee
bring up that many view Facebook as “a convenient tool for procrastinating, gossiping, and
relieving boredom or simply as a source of diversion during lectures (44).” As educators look for
new platforms to facilitate online learning, Facebook often comes up in discussion. Facebook’s
status as a distractor would clearly not be conducive to an effective learning environment. In
addition, Frisen and Lowe believe that “education is clearly a social process but it is probably
much closer to an ongoing discussion or debate than en extended celebration with an everexpanding network of friends” (McLoughlin and Lee 44). However, since Facebook has so many
colleges-aged users it could be beneficial to use this platform because it is a user-friendly site
that students are already comfortable and familiar with. While many view education and
Facebook as an odd partnership, informal learning already occurs constantly when people share
news articles and promote casual discussions. In the future, Facebook could have a more
prominent role in facilitating formal learning.
Facebook is the most popular social media site in the world today. Similar sites like
Myspace fell nearly out of existence after the emergence and rapid development of Facebook. It
is important to acknowledge that Facebook and other forms of social media can change us,
sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. All this advancement and increased availability of
technology brings into question “how much communication technology is too much” (Cyr,
Berman, and Smith 81)? Is there a limit? The United States is a nation of consumers that is
constantly importing and stimulating the economy by spending. Now with all these technological
advancements, our new focus is the consumption of information. While this consumption is
beneficial in educating people faster than ever before, there are also concerns. Facebook and
other social media sites affect our sense of belonging and other psychological needs mostly in
Bambury 6
negative ways. Researchers cannot completely agree on whether SMS help or hurt us or even if
these changes are simply generational and have less to do with advances in technology than is
assumed. As Rosen puts it, “it’s a tough area to study because it’s all so new” (Clemmitt 86).
Contrasting reports of the affects of Facebook can likely be attributed to the nature of the studies.
All studies involving social media use and its effects, utilize surveys and self-reporting. In this
way, small samples can only truly determine and summarize the affects Facebook has on the
specific group studied. The vast majority of the groups being studied are undergraduate college
students. This is a fairly homogenous group considering the demographics of who goes to
college and who can afford college. These studies fail to study older adults who use social media
and non-college young adults who use sites like Facebook.
Although SMS like Facebook have been available to the general public for almost ten
years, the long-term affects are still ambiguous. As recently as 2013, Marcia Clemmitt, a
frequent author of CQ Researcher articles expressed her uncertainties regarding exactly how
Facebook affects us. While there is extensive research, much of it is not conclusive in the sense
that it cannot be applied to large groups of people. The fact of the matter is social media is
changing us. Today, these changes may be labeled as a problem. But as time goes on, humans
will undoubtedly adapt and become accustomed to the part Facebook plays in relationships,
communication, well-being and learning.