The Use of Social Networking among Students in the Age Groups of 13-17 Years - Research Proposal Example

PLEASE MARK THE CHANGES THAT YOU WILL DO FOR ME SO I CAN DO THEM ON THE ONE THAT I HAVE AS FINAL WITH THE FRONT SHEET AND THE TANLE OF CONTENTS. THANK YOU. 1. Introduction In recent years, social networking has emerged into a popular and important concept for both individuals and organizations. In fact, social networking sites (SNS) such as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter have evolved into playing a prominent role in our daily lives and have surpassed the traditional means of communication such as phone and mail. Wartman (2009) argues that SNS today have much more relevance and importance than email as a tool for communication and staying in touch with family, friends and acquaintances. According to Herring (2011), social networking is extremely popular among students, especially those between the ages of 12-18 years. He attributes this phenomenon to the ability to communicate with people having a set of common interests using SNS technology. For instance, SNS allow users to form groups based on a specific subject, allow private communication among select people and provide features to show or hide specific user information and messages based on a set of predefined rules. Such components allow users to establish and nurture virtual relationships regardless of geographical location. This virtual relationship among two or more individuals can be based on various factors including past associative history (classmates, neighbours etc.), love, business or any other form of social interaction. Traditionally, interpersonal relationships were limited to physical interaction through scenarios such as family, marriage, employment, social clubs etc., most of which come under the purview of legal frameworks, constraints and scrutiny. Social networking however is not restricted entirely within any of these boundaries and even facilitates the establishment of relationships among individuals who may have never met or seen before physically. Ozok (2009) stresses that this excitement behind the possibility to meet new people, particularly of the opposite sex, that encourages students using socials networking. He further adds that virtual interactions through SNS are also capable of influencing the relationships of users with people close to them and can be either good or bad in the nature. The paper is a research proposal for studying the use of social networking among students in the age groups of 13-17 years. The proposed research topic was selected as it is evident that social networking is extremely popular among students and develops a major proportion of their activities performed through the Internet. Chatting with friends, posting messages or sharing photographs are some of the tasks that students perform on a daily basis using SNS. In fact, Carroll (2008) estimates that over 30 million users who log into Facebook everyday are students. Such figures raise the question over why social networking has gained prominence among students. The topic also presents an interesting perspective into a trend that is very recent in nature and offers valuable insights into the potential evolution of the internet. In this context, the proposed study shall attempt to answer the following questions: Do SNS affect users’ opinions about friendship? What do users believe about friendship? What is the nature of users’ relationship through SNS with their friends? For the above discussion, it is evident that social networking provides several features to students and is one of the reasons for the high level of interest and involvement among students. The subsequent sections provide further insights into the influence of SNS on students that will help in answering the above questions. 2. Literature Review Social networking has provided an entirely new perspective to people in terms of community and interaction. In fact, social networking is based on the founding principles of the Internet which call for a seamless and unrestricted exchange of information across a digital medium. Thus, social networking delivers the additional component of relationship building to the internet. In fact, many tools and features like email, instant messaging (chat) and blogging, which are traditionally independent from one another and serve different purposes, have been bundled together to provide a single communication platform by social networking providers such as Facebook and Orkut. The availability of a comprehensive communication platform in the form of SNS, the relative ease of use and the presence of millions of users has elevated social networking into a daily activity in a student’s life. Although users differ in their levels of usage of SNS based on gender, age, geographical location, ethnicity etc., Mark (2010) has determined that over 90% of students between the ages of 12 and 18 who have access to an Internet connection do maintain some form of social interaction on the web. This rising presence of social networking in our daily lives has begun to redefine the ways in which relationships are established and sustained. For instance, teenagers have been found to reply on SNS to search and seek potential partners. Purvis (2009) supports that Facebook has evolved into exerting such an influence on students that it plays a significant role in their romantic relationships. It is therefore interesting to observe whether SNS will become the de facto mediums for finding romantic partners in the future. In many ways, researchers are of the opinion that social networking will evolve to become an extension of one’s real life and behavior. As stated earlier, the purpose of this study is to understand the interplay between social networking and the real lives of young students and discover the ways in which the former has redefined and recast their social interactions. According to Sparrow (2009), it is relevant to say that interpersonal relationships today develop through web based interactions. SNS like Twitter, Facebook and Myspace however do contain certain deficiencies such as impersonation and false identities among some users. In fact, a study by Kizza (2010) established that over 32% of the users (who were students) have used deceptive identities or provided false information when using SNS. Users have also frequently encountered problems related to the unauthorized use and modification of their material such as photographs and video. Sites such as Facebook have been constantly working to plug such loopholes by providing features such as privacy controls and other user controlled restrictions on personal content. Carol (2008) finds that the distance between users can be a significant factor in transforming a relationship from an office to online mode. His analysis estimates that over 67% of the respondents stated that most of their friends maintained an online presence through one or more SNS. This suggests that many use social networking as a tool to keep contact with offline friends and has been found to be true across all age groups and irrespective of gender among students. The remaining 32% of the respondents who believed that most of their friends did not use online social networking felt that they would in fact have enjoyed closer relationships having their friends used social networking. A majority of the respondents (over 75%) felt that the information divulged by them in their Facebook or Myspace profile did not compromise their privacy or independence in any way. The inclusion of instant messaging into such sites has only enhanced these relationships as users no longer felt the need to use different programs for email, chats and message posts. However, Mark (2010) explores the negative consequences of social networking and finds that there can be some impact on relationships depending on how users understand a particular SNS and disclose personal information. In some cases, information posted on wall posts was found to be misunderstood by readers. The visibility of comments and post to different users can also affect relationships and results in fights if the person posting the message does not maintain some decency in their post. For instance, a simple sequence of posts that make fun of a user can easily get out of control resulting in breakdown of the relationship and misunderstanding. Further, the ease with which messages can be posted also creates the potential for spreading rumours and false news that can affect the reputation of a person or group. With the gradual but rapid shift of communication into the internet, Purvis (2009) believes that relationships between people will largely weaken. As online social communication becomes more sophisticated, it is expected that a user’s inner circle of friends will become rather prominent and visible in comparison to other on the user’s contact list. 2.1 Types of Online relationships Relationships maintained by users through SNS vary in nature and can be used for both good and bad purpose. A few types of these relationships are described below: 2.2 Friendship According to Mason (2008), Friendship develops between two individuals when they meet each other, interact and share a few common thoughts and interest. Thus, friendship is different from other forms of interaction in that it involves the sharing of thoughts on multiple occasions. Common scenarios where two friends may cross paths include studying in the same school, living in the same locality or coming from a similar background. Friendship does not only require two people to meet each other, but also depends on several other factors such as transparency, mutual interest and appreciation of each other. Being more open and sharing personal information are some precursors to a healthy friendship (Boot, 2003). Rodkin (2008) says that a student who has many friends naturally has more opportunities to succeed academically. In fact, coping with study related stress has been found to reduce among students who enjoy a broader social network which helps them perform better and live a healthy social life (Parks, 2007). Such students also have a wider access to information that broadens the knowledge of the student on several important aspects. Wasserman (2005) describes the role of a student whose role is central in a social network. Such students are more active on SNS and are in an enhanced contact with members of their networks as they are often perceived as being more open and helpful than others. Popular SNS users experience more coverage among other users and their profiles are likely to be viewed more often. Bott (2003) finds a direct relationship between student’s academic performance and their levels of online activity. A highly performing student, who is also more open and receptive to others, has a greater chance at developing new friendships. 2.3 Advisory Social networks are also used by individuals for the sole purpose of sharing information and guidance on a common agenda. Online forums set up for specific purposes such as sharing. Music or discussing software issues are one such example where people largely interact without knowing much about their contacts. Thus, advisory social networks are less concentrated towards friendship and are more instrumental in nature. A typical scenario for advice is experienced constantly among software developers who often encounter bugs and programming issues that cannot be resolved independently without further information. Such users resort to online forums and SNS for contacting known people who they think can solve the problem or simply post their query awaiting a further reply. This helps the individual obtain assistance from all possible advisory networks. Likewise, individuals who are active in advisory networks and those who increasingly offer assistance rather than seeking it are constantly approached by users for guidance (Wasserman, 2005). Thus, a user perceived as a mentor fulfils the role of centrality and is capable of gathering information and offering expert advice to several other users. 2.4 Hostile People also have adverse and hostile relationships with others over SNS. Such indulge in negative exchanges that result in indifference, anger and distress. According to Vangelisti (2009), such communication is detrimental to the student and inhibits their performance and confidence. Hostile relationships also restrict the exchange of information and thus contribute to the negative growth of valuable knowledge. On a similar note, a student who maintains a negative online profile and engages in negative exchanges is shunned by his existing friends and has a reduced chance to correct his reputation. Parks (2007) finds that such people prefer to use aliases or do not disclose personal information including names when demonstrating their hostile behaviour on SNS. Besides romance, students prefer social networking to find new friends and establish contact with old friends and classmates. Users are allowed to create and develop their social profiles by providing personal information and pictures apart from posting messages (e.g. on walls) that can be viewed by others. In this context, Kraus (2009) has shown that male students who posted information pertaining to sexism and drinking (normally negative behaviour) on these sites received a generally favourable response from friends and contacts on their list. However, this phenomenon was opposite in the case of female users pointing to the demonstration of traditional social perceptions on the web. Shih (2009) explains the provisions of social networking in defining an online identity (profile), provide support and collaboration among friend, create a sense of inclusion and serve as an outlet for public expression of thoughts and opinions. In fact, students who are typical introverts were found to depend extensively on social networking to make up for the lack of certain social skills. Such individuals also spent more time on SNS than average student users and found better incentives to maintain online friendships. Another interesting outcome from this study was that users defined groups and disclosed information to friends depending on the level of mutual trust. Thus, a user did not share the same level of information with two different users due to different perceptions of trust and interaction. 3. Methodology The study shall adopt a research methodology that relies on both primary and secondary sources of information. Primary sources depend on methods like surveys and interviews to sources the latest information from people associated actively with the topic being studied. Secondary information, on the other hand, relies on results and interpretations from previous studies through books, journals and magazine articles, to provide useful conclusions that provide answers to the research questions. The study will use both forms of sources in order to obtain the latest information and corroborate the findings with earlier studies to maintain quality and flow in the outcomes. Besides, using secondary sources will assist in understanding potential shifts in trends and patterns over the use and growth of social networking. Research Design The design of the study comprises the analysis and understanding of the current phenomena surrounding social networking using the preliminary survey methodology. The analysis shall focus extensively on determining how people and SNS behave and operate currently. For this purpose, a group of 40 participants (simple random sample), age 12 – 18 of the study will be selected and divided into two groups. The first group comprise students who will actively use SNS (referred as SNS) while the second group will include students who do not use them (referred as NSN group). The survey method requires the collection of facts concerning the research through the use of a questionnaire. This method helps collect and aggregate inputs on user perceptions, beliefs, behaviours and preferences which can then be analyzed using suitable methods. The questionnaire (Appendix XXX) used for this survey is structured to identify reasons that their encouraged or discouraged users from using SNS, frequency and purpose of usage, expectations and the extent of social interactions and identity within both survey groups. The questionnaire will be attached at the end of this survey and it will use independent variables (e.g. Gender) and dependent variables (e.g. frequency of use, importance, quantity of information). Research procedure Members of the survey groups will be given the questionnaire form and provided three to four days to provide their responses. Details of all participants who receive the questionnaire, including their contact information, will be recorded for administrative purpose. The responses and status of each participant will then be tracked using an excel sheet which will help in tracking the progress of the responses. The answer forms shall then be collected and studied carefully to identify prominent observations, which will then be recorded in a separate document in an aggregated format. The most common and meaningful observations will be summarised and interpreted using appropriate analytical methods. Since this is a purely voluntary approach, there will be no incentives to participants. In case the size of the participant population falls short, more candidates will be sought through the friends’ lists of existing participants. 3.1 Research questions In addition to the questions to be analyzed under the proposed study, several other queries that tackle specific issues associated with young students and social networking will be used for this research. These questions are described below: What role do SNS play today in defining the interpersonal relationships between individuals? Previous studies by Ellison (2007) have established affection, self-definition and disclosure as the primary variables governing internet communication and developed many explanations over interrelationships between real and virtual lives. From the overall perspective, most of these studies tend to establish the extent to which students use SNS like Facebook to create, find and cultivate their online relationships with others. What level of interaction in real life is necessary for developing a continuing and healthy relationship on SNS? Snooping in one of the problems affecting SNS and a person’s online profile is vulnerable to disclosing any important information unless the user activates appropriate privacy controls in place. This particular question seeks to ascertain how much knowledge an individual needs to have about another person before a similar relationship such as friendship or romance can be evident on SNS. Typical example of such disclosures is the display of relationship statuses or access to private photo album and videos. How well are SNS accomplished in aligning with the development of relationships? This question aims to provide information on how a user’s online profile, messages, posts, activities (like online games on Facebook etc.) and pictures influence the person’s behaviour and attitude in real life. What is the role of anxiety in the use of certain features available in SNS? Matsuba (2006) argues that users who are socially anxious prefer online methods for communication to overcome their ineptness. Likewise, extroverts tend to disclose much more information and vigorously use SNS to stay in touch with friends. This question thus aims to understand the differences between these two kinds of users over their usage of SNS. What are the non-verbal modes of communications in SNS? Rabby (2007) stresses that trust among individuals grow with self-disclosure. This trust may sometimes be understood through non-verbal mediums, this question tries to understand how people use SNS in non-verbal ways. Research Hypotheses: …. The proposed study is an exploratory survey, which aims to explore the issues stated above in research questions. Hence, there are not actually any specific hypotheses and assumption. However, due to differences mentioned in literature, the analysis shall focus extensively on determining how people and SNS behave and operate currently in comparison with people that do not extensively use social networks (referred as NSN). Thus one hypothesis the study will examine is that NSN users believe that social networking is much less important in defining the interpersonal relationship than SNS users do believe. Similarly, the differences between the two will be examined in all above questions. 3.2 Questionnaire design The questionnaire that will be used as part of the proposed survey will focus on specific areas related to research topic that include self disclosure, self presentation, relationships and communication methods. The questionnaire, divided into these individual sections shall therefore concentrate on precise questions that will help exact the maximum information from the respondents. It must be specified that the survey questionnaire has been designed to facilitate a qualitative research that aims to explore and analyze all issues, trends and phenomena associated with social networking among young students. Some of the areas and core aspects that will be covered as part of this study are described below (Stern 2007):  3.2.1 Self presentation How often do users update their profile? How important do users consider their online profile? Do users believe that they are judged and perceived based on their profile, status, message posts and pictures? If so, to what level? Do users prefer to share their relationship status and information on work, education, address, contact numbers etc? 3.2.2 Relationships Which methods do users use most often to communicate with online friends? Do they believe in finding a partner through SNS? Are they comfortable with disclosing information on their relationships? Do users indulge in using groups to provide layered access to their friends? How often are SNS used to find friends and partner using the search and find by emails features? Do users like viewing the personal information of other users, both friends and otherwise. How social networking proved a useful medium for mending affected relationships? 3.2.3 Self disclosure How much time the user takes to disclose additional information after having made a new friend on SNS? How much information has the user disclosed in his profile? Does the user differentiate between users based on gender, age, location, race etc., when sharing information? 3.2.4 Communication Does the user prefer formal on informal language when communicating over SNS? Do the users like to judge people based on their online activity, disclosure etc? Do users tend to communicate differently with people they find special or romantically attached? How do users dissociate from others if they do not wish to remain in further contact? Do they block such users temporarily or remove them from their friends list? For the sample questionnaire, please refer to the Appendix. …. 3.3. Data Analysis Here we have to write few things about the analysis and if we will do campares between USERS AND NON-USERS. We have to say who will be the NON-USERS (e.g. those who will answer Never & Sometimes?) 4. Conclusion While social networking has developed extensively during the past decade through the growth of the internet, the real reason behind this growth and popularity is the rise of SNS like Facebook and Twitter, which has allowed users to redefine their relationships with others and utilize them in several distinct ways. Communication tools like email, chat and blogs have added many new dimensions to online interactions and social communities. The focus today is to bundle all these different features and offer a collective solution to users’ social need and are easily accessible. Although several studies have been conducted previously to understand social networking, the proposed research extend it further by applying similar analysis techniques to young students who form a unique insight into the interplay between real and virtual lives and constitutes a highly vibrant section of individuals in terms of interaction and relationships (Walther 2008). The inclusion of computer based interaction grows with the ease of use, clarity and the level of assimilation among the masses. It is interesting to understand the pattern of evolution of social networking among young students as this may play a huge role in redefining the value of family, profession and society in the coming decades. Reference Bott, E (2003), Family and social network: roles, norms and external relationships in ordinary urban families. London: Routledge. Carroll, M (2008), the open knowledge society: a computer science and information systems manifesto. Communications in Computer and Information Science. Ellison, B (2007), the benefits of Facebook friends: Social capital and college students use of online social network sites. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. Herring, M (2011), Social Networking Sites. London: Routledge. Kizza, M (2010), Ethical and Social Issues in the Information Age. New York: Springer. Kraus, P (2009), Online Social Networks and Their Business Relevance. Berlin: Verlag. Mark, B (2010), Handbook of Social Network Technologies and Applications. New York: Springer. Mason (2008), E-learning and social networking handbook: resources for higher education. London: Routledge. Matsuba, K (2006), Searching for Self and Relationships Online. Journal of CyberPsychology & Behavior. Ozok, A (2009), Online Communities and Social Computing: Third International Conference, OCSC 2009. HCI International. Parks, M (2007), Personal relationships and personal networks. London: Routledge. Purvis, M (2009), Computer-Mediated Social Networking. Chicago: Pearson. Rabby, M (2007), Relational Maintenance and the Influence of Commitment in Online and Offline Relationships. New York: Communication & Mass Media Complete. Rodkin, P (2008), Social network analysis and childrens peer relationships. University of Michigan. Shih, C (2009), The Facebook era: tapping online social networks to build better products, reach new audiences, and sell more stuff. New York: Prentice Hall. Sparrow, A(2009), The law of virtual worlds and Internet social networks. London: Gower Publishing. Stern, L (2007), Social Networking on Facebook. Journal of the Communication, Speech & Theatre Association of North Dakota. Vangelisti, A (2009), Stability and change in relationships. Cambridge University Press. Walther, J (2008), the role of friends appearance and behaviour on evaluations of individuals on facebook: Are we known by the company we keep? Journal of Human Communication Research. Wartman, A (2009), Online social networking on campus: understanding what matters in student culture. New York: Taylor & Francis. Wasserman, S (2005), Social network analysis: methods and applications. Cambridge University Press. Appendix Sample Questionnaire Please answer the below questions in brief and restrict yourself to one-word or one-line answers wherever possible (questions without options require the respondent to furnish some explanation). 1. How often do you access social networking sites? a. Every Hour b. Daily c. Weekly d. Monthly 2. How much information do you disclose through your online profile and social networking activities? a. Nothing b. Partial c. Everything 3. Do you judge your online friends and contacts based on their online profile and activity? a. Yes b. No. c. Maybe 4. Which online tools and websites do you use most often to communication with your friends? a. Chat b. Message Boards c. Email d. Other 5. Did you find your partner through social networking? Do you both communicate extensively using Social Networking Sites (SNSs)? Have you disclosed your relationship status on SNSs? 6. Do you prefer to use groups to restrict the flow of personal information and communication among your friends? 7. Are you interested in exploring the profiles of SNS users other than your friends? a. Yes b. No c. Maybe 8. Has social networking helped you strengthen your network and improve your relationships with friends? 9. Do you differentiate based on age, gender, ethnicity, religion etc. when interacting with friends on SNS? 10. Do you use formal or informal language when communicating through SNS? a. Formal b. Informal c. Both d. Can’t say Note: The above presents a sample questionnaire that explores some of the areas related to social networking sites. The questionnaire has been designed to accept both single line as well as explanatory responses as deemed appropriate to the given question. The questionnaire based survey method is the most useful research approach for this study as it would help collect the most precise information from users who are currently active in social networking and online communication. Besides, social networking is a relatively new concept and there is not much literature to shed light on ongoing trends from both a qualitative and quantitative perspective. Hence, it has been decided to include data collection through surveys as a component of this study instead of relying on secondary sources for information (especially numerical). However, the quality of the data collected will depend on the size of the respondents employed for the survey. The study proposed to use at least 30-40 respondents in the age group of 12-18 years. Half amongst them will be designated as SNS users and the other half will be grouped under the non-SNS group through a pre-screening interview, which will be designed to determine the initial characteristics associated with each potential respondent (such as determining whether the respondent is a SNS user or not, whether the respondent falls under the designated age group, whether the respondent has a few friends in his network etc.). Read More