Social Networking vs. Social Media: Connections and Outcomes
This paper examines the distinction between social networking and social media, arguing that while social networking does not require social media, the two are increasingly intertwined. Drawing on studies of Facebook, YouTube, and other platforms, the paper explores how users form and maintain social networks online, the uses and gratifications that drive participation, and the civic and political outcomes that can result. The paper also investigates theoretical frameworks for understanding social network dynamics and considers how digital communication technologies are eroding traditional boundaries between public and private life. Findings suggest that social media amplifies existing social networks while also creating new forms of community engagement and identity expression.
- Defining Social Networking and Social Media: Distinguishing social networking from social media
- Social Networking Uses, Gratifications, and Social Outcomes: Facebook use, civic engagement, and political participation
- Previous Studies Examined: Survey data on student SNS habits and identity
- Theoretical and Conceptual Framework: Media circuits and social network theory
- Public/Private Boundaries and Their Erosion: Fractal model of public and private online spaces
- Summary and Conclusion: Key findings on networking, media, and outcomes
✍️ How to write this paper — guide, tools & examples ▾
What makes this paper effective
- Clearly establishes a conceptual distinction between social networking and social media at the outset, giving the entire discussion a focused analytical anchor.
- Integrates multiple empirical studies (Park et al., Pempek et al., Lange) to build a cumulative picture of how users engage with social network sites across different contexts.
- Uses numbered lists and percentage-based survey data to ground abstract claims in concrete, readable evidence.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective synthesis of secondary sources: rather than summarizing each study in isolation, it threads findings from Park, Pempek, and Lange together around shared themes — uses, gratifications, identity, and public/private dynamics. This thematic organization shows how disparate studies collectively support a single overarching argument.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a definitional section that separates its two key terms, then moves through empirical evidence on Facebook use, prior literature on SNS outcomes, and a theoretical framework grounded in Lange's YouTube research. A dedicated section addresses the public/private boundary erosion debate before a brief conclusion synthesizes the main findings. This funnel structure — from definition, to evidence, to theory, to implication — is a reliable model for social science essays.
Defining Social Networking and Social Media
The objective of this study is to examine social networking and how it does not require social media, and yet how social networking is increasingly utilizing social media. This work discusses how one's social networks in real life may or may not connect with their social networks online.
Matt Goddard, in his work "Social Networking vs. Social Media," states that social networking and social media "both have the word 'social' in them, but they should not be confused as the same thing" (nd, p. 1). Goddard describes social networking as "the what" and social media as "the how" (nd, p. 1). Social networks are comprised of peers "seeking and giving advice to make better decisions. Advanced social networking science can even tell us which people give out the most advice in the network and have the most influence. These people are called opinion leaders" (Goddard, nd, p. 1). Social networks connect through traditional means such as "face-to-face conversations, but we also use new-fangled approaches, such as blogs, syndicated videos, social bookmarks, and more, which we call social media. Unlike social network theory, which involves decision behaviors based on patterns of advice seeking, social media pertains to how this information can be shared online" (Goddard, nd, p. 1).
Social Networking Uses, Gratifications, and Social Outcomes
Park, Kee, and Valenzuela (2009) report that Facebook had 67 million active users in 2008, and that more than half of those users returned daily and spent an average of 20 minutes each day on the site. Park, Kee, and Valenzuela (2009) additionally note that the ability of college student populations to "form friends on the site" has resulted in huge success for Facebook, as it provides users with a way to "bridge their online and offline contacts." A great many studies "have been conducted to figure out the link between Facebook use and civic and political involvement based on social capital theory. However, it is not clear what specific features of Facebook produce those effects. Among the diverse applications of Facebook, Facebook Groups is a particularly popular and useful module that allows discussion forums and threads based on common interests and activities" (Park, Kee, and Valenzuela, 2009, p. 5).
The application's ability to "recruit members and spread messages easily through social networking" means that diverse political, social, and other special-interest organizations are creating online groups and utilizing the enhancements of Facebook Groups (Park, Kee, and Valenzuela, 2009, p. 5). It is reported that once an individual belongs to a political or civic group on Facebook, they "can receive mobilizing information that may not be available elsewhere. These individuals may also encounter more opportunities to engage in political activities" (Park, Kee, and Valenzuela, 2009, p. 5).
Bibliography
Gal, S. (2002). A semiotics of the public/private distinction. Differences: A Journal of Feminist Cultural Studies, 13(1), 77–95.
Lange, P. G. (2007). Publicly private and privately public: Social networking on YouTube. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. Retrieved from:
Park, N., Kee, K. F., & Valenzuela, S. (2009). Being immersed in social networking environment: Facebook Groups, uses and gratifications, and social outcomes. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 12(6). Retrieved from:
Pempek, T. A., Yevdokiya, A., Yermolayeva, Y., & Calvert, S. (2009). College students' social networking experiences on Facebook. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 30, 227–238. Retrieved from: http://elkhealth.pbworks.com/f/College+Students'+Social+Networking+on+Facebook.pdf
Weintraub, J. (1997). The theory and politics of the public/private distinction. In J. Weintraub & K. Kumar (Eds.), Public and Private in Thought and Practice (pp. 1–42). Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press.
Weintraub, J., & Kumar, K. (Eds.) (1997). Public and Private in Thought and Practice. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press.
Create your account
Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.