Questions have been raised about the social impact of widespread use of social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, and Twitter. Do these technologies isolate people and truncate their relationships? Or are there benefits associated with being connected to others in this way? The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project decided to examine social networking sites in a survey that explored people’s overall social networks and how use of these technologies is related to trust, tolerance, social support, and community and political engagement.
“Popularity: What is it made of? How does a person get to be popular with lots of people and get a few close friends, too?” Zeroing in on a group of teens trying to navigate the social landscape of a 1940s high school, we learn the answers to these questions. While some girls, like Ginny, think they might have the key to popularity — parking in cars with boys — that doesn’t translate: “No, girls who park in cars are not really popular — not even with the boys they park with.” We follow Carolyn, Wally, and their friends while they help out with the school play, learning how to cultivate respectable relationships.
In the July online issue of Scientific American, Valerie Ross asks the question: Are Facebook profiles an accurate reflection of people’s personalities?
Social-networking sites are a way to find out about people you’re curious about but have never met—say, a prospective employee you’re deciding whether to hire. But when you scan someone’s profile, you probably expect a little fudging: an overly flattering photograph, a generously phrased blurb in the “about me” section. A study in the March issue of Psychological Science, however, suggests that Facebook users do not skew their profiles to reflect idealistic visions of themselveslink to continue reading
Social Networkshave been both embraced and vilified by the American public. Go ahead and bellyache about them, but like it our not they are here to stay.
On March 17, 12010 the Pew Internet and American Life Project was released, it showed that 8 in 10 internet have looked online for health information. Many patients say the internet has had a significant impact on the way they care for themselves or for other. 20% of these patients are going to social networking sites where they are sharing what they know and learn from their peers.
The impact Web 2.0 technologies bring to the balance of power between the client and professional is significant. The challenge for us as psychologists is in just how we will adapt and use this tool to reach out and connect to others in new and exciting ways. [continue reading…]