Facebook friend count and self-esteem among Atlanta adults

¶ … Friends and Self-Esteem

FACEBOOK

FACEBOOK FRIENDS

AS A MEASURE OF SELF-ESTEEM

Facebook, reportedly the second most-trafficked Personal Home Page (PHP) (site in the world, provides the means for people to share and connect with the world, while opening their world to others Numerous males and females in the Atlanta, Georgia "scene" regularly utilize Facebook, a social network Website, as their primary resource to maintain and strengthen existing relationships, establish new relationships, as well as keep current on the area events promoted. This mixed method study examines the correlation between self-esteem and the number of friends 53 Atlanta singles/participants, between the ages of 25 and 35; representing varying races and income levels, accumulated on Facebook.

Analyses conducted on the results of this study's participants suggest that those individuals who possessed higher self-esteem reported a realistically high number of friends. In addition, those participants with an unrealistic number of friends exhibited symptoms of lower self-esteem.

FACEBOOK FRIENDS AND SELF-ESTEEM

"Friends broaden our horizons

They allow us to be ourselves -- and accept us that way.

They enhance our self-esteem because they think we're okay, because we matter to them.

And because they matter to us - for various reasons, at various levels of intensity-they enrich the quality of our emotional life"

- Judith Viorst (20th century)

(Columbia World, 1996).

INTRODUCTION

Significance of the Study

The researcher's effort invested in developing this study, along with personal interactions with friends on Facebook, and ongoing informal discussions with a number of friends, who as the researcher also live in the Atlanta area and interact with friends on Facebook, confirm the online social networking model has boomed, is booming and will likely continue to boom. Facebook's status as the sixth-most-trafficked Web site in the United States makes it an irresistible subject for many types of academic research, including this study.

In addition to thoroughly examining information relating to the correlation of the number friends in regard to individuals who post on Facebook, the researcher's efforts expand current credible information and enhances current research through the implementation of a survey of the 53 study participants. Along with exploring components contributing to a person's self-esteem, the researcher asserts that the knowledge gained form this particular effort simultaneously contributes to the researcher's inherent quest to gain more personal insight. The resulting contribution to current research and personal increased insight will consequently confirm this study's significance.

Research Question and Sub-questions

Does the number of friends an individual cultivates/maintains on Facebook influence his/her self-esteem? This primary question serves as a guide for this mixed method study which examines the correlation between self-esteem and the number of friends a person has on Facebook. The following three sub-question simultaneously address a number of other components contributing to the determination of the answer for this study's primary research question.

1. How does Facebook facilitate friendships?

2. How do "friends" online compare with traditional "friends"?

3. What factors influence a person's self-esteem?

Research Design and Methodology

This mixed-method scientific study conducts a survey of 53 study participants who regularly interacts with friends on Facbook. The researcher developed the questionnaire from exorcists selected from a number of current questionnaires related to the assessment of an individual's self-esteem. For the participants, the researcher randomly selected 27 males and 26 females in the Atlanta, Georgia "scene," who regularly utilize Facebook as their primary resource to maintain and strengthen existing friendships.

Along with implementing a survey of the participants, the researcher conducted a methodical search through variety of credible which included two subscription research databases: 1) Questia Media database; 2) Highbeam Research database, along with several free search engines such as Google.

Organization of the Study

A study, such as this one, traditionally includes a minimum of seven sections, which may include the following:

2. Abstract

3. Introduction

4. Method

5. Analysis

6. Discussion

7. Conclusion

This study includes each of the aforementioned seven sections, along with a literature review to total eight sections. The following segment denotes content/information presented in the Introduction; Method; Analysis; Discussion; Conclusion.

Section 3: Introduction

Section 3, the Introduction section introduces the study's focus, relates the context of the problem, along with the problem statement, and the main research question, with the three sub-questions addressed / The significance of the study is also noted in this section.

Section 4: Literature Review

Face book

In the article, "How Many Friends Is Too Many?," Steven Levy (2008) reports that one MySpace executive reported having 2,965 friends ( ¶ 1). The line by Buzzy Linhart, a singer, "You've got to have friends," most agree proves indisputable, however several thousand online friends may merit questioning. Facebook reportedly caps the number of friends any one person may claim to 5000. Questions regarding the nature of "friendship" on sites like Facebook need to be addressed. The purpose of maintaining a list, according to Facebook, is not to count who has the most friends, but to maintain closer contact with friends already in one's social circle.

"The average Facebook user has about 105 mutually accepted friends, and fewer than a thousand people are bumping against the company-imposed limit" (Levy, 2008, ¶ 3). Some individuals, nevertheless, who reached 5000 friends, claim the number is too meager. Self-esteem

In relating the study, "Social networks like Facebook boost 'social capital', self-esteem," Matthew DiGirolamo (2007) proposes that friend requests may actually buy happiness. "According to a new study from Michigan State University (MSU), general social networking Web site usage may lead to a boost in self-esteem and the ability to build relationships" (DiGirolami, 2007, ¶ 1). The MSU study noted that an increased number of friends contributed to increased social capital. Closing particular social gaps online reportedly helps people to maintain their social capital, which consequently links to lower crime rates and enhanced self-esteem.

In the article, "Are you an 'Alpha socialiser' or an 'attention seeker'?," Ofcom Research reports that almost half of all children in England, who access the internet, post personal profiles on social networking sites. Among 8- to 17-year-olds, 49% participate in online social networking, while 22% of adult internet users in England, over 16 years old have their own online profile Adults, this particular study notes, frequently have a profile on more than one site, with 50% of contemporary adult English social networkers reporting they access their profiles at least every other day. Some users report enjoy collecting friends, and lists of people they connect with online, even though they have never met.

The following denotes a five distinct groups, suggested to portray people who participate in social networking online.

Alpha Socialisers - mostly male, under 25s, who use sites in intense short bursts to flirt, meet new people and be entertained.

Attention Seekers - mostly female, who crave attention and comments from others, often by posting photos and customizing their profiles.

Followers - males and females of all ages who join sites to keep up with what their peers are doing.

Faithfuls - older males and females generally aged over 20, who typically use social networking sites to rekindle old friendships, often from school or Functionals - mostly older males who tend to be single-minded in using sites for a particular purpose. (Are you an…, 2008, ¶ 5)

Friends online, off-line

Dan Tynan (2008), a self-acclaimed expert on technology, contends in the article, "The etiquette of social networking: How to make friends online without alienating anybody," that friends on Facebook may not be exactly whom they claim to be. Tynan relates information regarding: "How to approach strangers online, handle unwelcome solicitations, or make real friends out of virtual ones" (Tynan, ¶ 1). Some individuals on Facebook only invite people they know well. Some invite people they know little about, while some invite strangers to become their friends online. Facebook automatically suggests people one might know as "friends," based on individuals already in their network. In general, friends make better connections when some kind of link exists to the person; when a valid reason exists for making the "friend" connection. Section 5: Method

The Method section, section 4, relates the method the researcher utilized to obtain data to analyze and combine with the literature reviewed to address the researcher questions developed for this study.

Section 6: Analysis

The Analysis section analyzes information from this study survey, along with information retrieved during the literature review.

Section 7: Discussion

The Discussion section explicates findings from the researcher retrieved from the information assessed form the literature review, along with findings from the analysis of the questionnaire.

Section 8: Conclusion

The Conclusion section presents a synopsis of relevant findings from the study efforts and relates the researcher's concluding thoughts. The researcher also recounts a sure, succinct, statement of this study's significance, as well as confirms the answers for this study's primary and researched sub-questions. The most relevant findings of the study are also related in this study's concluding section. Based on researched findings, the researcher then recommends considerations for prospective research, and notes any changes that, in hindsight, could have contributed to the strengthening the study.

CONCLUSION

Analyses conducted on the results of this study's participants suggest that those individuals who possessed higher self-esteem reported a realistically high number of friends.