{"id":1427,"date":"2011-02-01T01:51:05","date_gmt":"2011-02-01T01:51:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2011\/02\/in-the-news-does-facebook-make-us-more-or-less-social-part-2.html"},"modified":"2011-02-01T01:51:05","modified_gmt":"2011-02-01T01:51:05","slug":"in-the-news-does-facebook-make-us-more-or-less-social-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/02\/in-the-news-does-facebook-make-us-more-or-less-social-part-2.html","title":{"rendered":"In the News: Does Facebook Make Us More or Less Social? (Part 2)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yesterday, I noted a recently released study of Facebook. S. Craig Watkins and H. Erin Lee of the Department of Radio-Television-Film of the University of Texas at Austin have published “Got Facebook? Investigating What’s Social About Social Media.” (You can download the PDF here<\/a>.) Watkins and Lee argue, on the basis of extensive research, that use of Facebook actually makes us more social in measurable ways. <\/p>\n

Here are a few more excerpts from “Got Facebook?”<\/p>\n

Our findings further allow us to address the question, What is social about social media? The proliferation of new communication technologies–laptops, smart phones, gaming devices, social network sites–compels many to argue that humans have become less social and, as a result, less interested in their friends and neighbors. Our findings suggest that Facebook is not supplanting face-to-face interactions between friends, family and colleagues. In fact, we believe there is sufficient evidence that social media afford opportunities for new expressions of friendship, intimacy, and community.<\/p>\n

When asked to rate their level of agreement to the statement, “I wish I could spend less time on Facebook than I currently do,” only about 20% of ther respondents report that they agree or strongly agree. About 40% report that they disagree or strongly disagree, suggesting that the majority of our respondents either are content with their current level of time spent on Facebook or would not mind spending more time on the site.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"woman-computer-dark-sad-5.jpg\"<\/form>\n

The study also found some interesting differences between male and female Facebook practices:<\/p>\n

Still, there are some interesting distinctions among young Facebook
\nusers. For example, women and men use the platform but often in
\ndifferent ways. Women, when compared to men, are much more likely to use
\nFacebook to communicate about or share content related to friends and
\nfamily. Men, by contrast, are much more likely to communicate about or
\nshare content related to pop culture, the news, or current events.<\/p>\n

Compared to female students, males are more likely to list their political and religious views.<\/p>\n

Women are more likely to do things such as post comments and “likes” to
\ntheir profile, suggesting a greater tendency than men to engage in
\npersonal communication.<\/p>\n

Women are much more likely than men to post photos to their profiles.
\nPhotos are an important way to share fun and important personal
\nexperiences with friends as well as build and maintain an online
\nidentity.<\/p>\n

Men tend to use Facebook more than women to post links to current events and news- related topics.<\/p>\n

Men are significantly more likely than women to post videos to their Facebook profile.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Watkins and Lee have provided some solid data for a discussion of the social impact of Facebook. They leave many stones unturned, of course. For example, I would be interested to know if people who use Facebook frequently spend more or less time in face-to-face relationships. It would also be interesting to discover more about the kind of people who use Facebook. I wonder, for example, if introverts might find Facebook to be a more comfortable medium, especially in the “getting acquainted” stage of a relationship. <\/p>\n

It would be hard to measure, but I am also curious about the quality of relationships experienced by people who spend lots of time interacting with others digitally. It seems to me that frequent texters and Facebook users might have many more casual friends, but less depth in their relationships. Yet, Facebook may also encourage long term connections between people, and this might contribute to greater relational depth.<\/p>\n

I continue to be interested in your responses. Does Facebook enhance your social experience? If so, how? If not, why not? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday, I noted a recently released study of Facebook. S. Craig Watkins and H. Erin Lee of the Department of Radio-Television-Film of the University of Texas at Austin have published “Got Facebook? Investigating What’s Social About Social Media.” (You can download the PDF here.) Watkins and Lee argue, on the basis of extensive research, that…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[202,128],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1427","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-in-the-news","category-technology"],"yoast_head":"\nIn the News: Does Facebook Make Us More or Less Social? (Part 2) - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1427","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1427"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1427\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1427"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1427"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1427"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}