WILL YOU BE MY FACEBOOK FRIEND 1 THE ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION WILL YOU BE MY FACEBOOK FRIEND? EXAMINING A NEW DEFINITION OF “FRIEND” IN MODERN SOCIETY By

3 Introduction.5 Literature Review.7 Methods.16 Results.17 Discussion.21 Conclusion.24 Appendix.26 Work Cited.41 WILL YOU BE MY FACEBOOK FRIEND 5 Introduction The evaluation of social networking behavior has made it an interesting and relevant topic to study. Various researchers have touched on the reasons behind social networking, who takes advantage of social networking sites, and what effects these connections have on users. The most popular social networking site today is Facebook. With more the 1.6 billion page views each day, Facebook has made it into the daily media practices of over 21 million users (Ellison, Steinfield, & Lampe, 2007). The beginning of Facebook started with college students in an attempt to connect students within each college to each other. This site was helpful in creating social connections with other students and forming bonds and friendships based on personal profiles, photo uploads and wall comments. Soon this site grew to include high school students. In 2006 Facebook went public, allowing everyone with Internet access to have a Facebook account. Facebook quickly became an addiction, not only to the college students, but also to most users. In 2006, Facebook was “used at over 2,000 United States Colleges and was the seventh most popular site on the World Wide Web” (Ellison, et al., 2007). Evaluating the differences of being a Facebook friend or being considered a friend offline is relevant in social network research. Previous research has touched on relational development within a computer-mediated context, identity presentation and privacy concerns within Facebook (Ellison, et al., 2007). Drawing from the URT, this research aims to uncover the perceived differences between computer mediated relationships or Facebook friends, and face-to-face interpersonal relationships,. These comparisons will look at the perceived closeness of each relationship in addition to the level of comfort and reduced uncertainty within each relationship. Understanding if the amount of time an individual spends on social networking sites plays into the perceived closeness and comfort of computer-mediated relationships is a main goal WILL YOU BE MY FACEBOOK FRIEND 6 of the present study. In addition to this, the application of the Uncertainty Reductions Theory (URT) will also be taken under consideration. This theory focuses on the steps people engage in during initial interactions to reduce uncertainty and increase predictability. (Steinfield & Lampe, 2009). The URT aims to uncover exactly how people become comfortable and establish interpersonal relationships with others based on their first initial interactions. This study will relate the URT to the perceived closeness of both parties within the computer-mediated relationships. Using this theory will help to understand how each relationship is compared in perceived closeness and comfort level. According to this theory, individuals with increased predictability and reduced uncertainty within a relationship feel more comfortable with each other. This study aims to explore computer-mediated relationships on Facebook. Specifically, this study examines if the amount of time individuals spend on Facebook will affect their comfort level with relationships maintained online. We hope to better understand the impact that Facebook has on perceived comfort and closeness levels within existing interpersonal relationships. The Internet has brought about a new and popular medium of communication. Social networking has become the new way to communicate with existing friends and family as well as form new relationships over the Internet. Understanding the significance of these relationships is important in taking the next step in evaluating the uses and significance of social networking as a new and popular phenomenon. Not only for younger individuals who may be considered “tech savvy” but also for older generations who may also be adapting to this new way of communication. WILL YOU BE MY FACEBOOK FRIEND 7 R1: Does the amount of time spent on Facebook affect the perceived closeness and comfort of the computer-mediated relationship? R2: Does the type of relationship determine the amount of time spent communicating on Facebook? R3: Does higher levels of perceived closeness on Facebook lead to a more satisfactory interpersonal relationship? R4: Does higher levels of perceived comfort on Facebook lead to a more satisfactory interpersonal relationship? Literature Review The Internet allows people to connect with others on a global level. The information each profile provides, such as age, school, interests, and photos, gives people a starting point for initial interactions. The area of interest within this study lies in the question if “Facebook friends” differ from the “friends users talk to at home, on campus, or at work? ” An average Facebook user has hundreds of friends however, ask the same user how many friends they have offline, and prepare for a significantly smaller number (Pennington, 2009). Relational Maintenance Relational maintenance online for established relationships is common and necessary for successful relationships; however, the foundation of these relationships on social networking WILL YOU BE MY FACEBOOK FRIEND 8 sites versus face-to-face is what can be evaluated (Wright, Craig, Cunningham, Igiel, Ploeger (2008). 2008). Social networking provides opportunities for people to formulate new relationships as well as connect with existing friends. The Internet, or more specifically computer-mediated communication (CMC) is considered a valuable resource for relational maintenance for relationships formed online and offline. However, it is important to understand that Facebook supports a variety of relationships, intimate to acquaintances, and is not a specified site for any type of relationship (Wright, et al., 2008). The influences of relational maintenance have been reveled as the amount of similarity between the two users and the attraction to one another. Wright et al. (2008) understand these influences appear in both online and face-to-face contexts. It is important to understand the factors that influence the maintenance of the relationship (Wright, et al., 2008). Wright et al. (2008) suggest that attitude similarity may cause a change in online relationships, because of the relative reduction of nonverbal and contextual cues. This means, without face-to-face communication, the nonverbal aspect of the communication is lost (Wright, et al., 2008). This is one of the main differences between offline and online communication that can affect relationships. Failure to understand nonverbal communication within a face-to-face conversation can lead to misinterpretation of the message. According to Wright and his colleagues (2008), attraction is another important variable that affects relational maintenance. Within this context it is important to understand Wright et al.’s interpretation of “attraction. ” Wright et al. (2008) considers attraction to be the “degree to which a target is seen as a likely friend”; however, they note that attraction is also related to physical attraction (Wright, et al., 2008). The information that can formulate attraction of the WILL YOU BE MY FACEBOOK FRIEND 9 user can be found on the user profiles through wall posts, photos, videos, or other comments that allow the viewer to make personal interpretations and impressions. This study evaluated the factors that influence relational maintenance and compared them, online and offline. This study aimed to come up with some theoretical explanation of relational maintenance based on the Facebook usage patterns in college students (Wright, et al., 2008). The findings of this study showed that both attitude similarity and attraction influenced the amount of information one may disclose, thus increasing predictability and interdependence. Wright and his colleagues (2008) interpreted both predictability and predictability to be valued outcomes in relational maintenance. Although attitude similarity can be also developed in a face-to-face setting, Wright et al. (2008) found that attitude similarity was a predictor of social attraction. Both Ramirez (2009) and Wright et al. (2008) supported the idea that the greater similarity, the greater feelings of social attraction. This social attraction can lead to discussion and encourages Facebook users to initiate and continue conversation “with greater levels of intimacy”, or depth (Wright, et al., 2008). Write et al. (2008) also uncovered the negative side of relational maintenance on social networking sites. Understanding the restriction of nonverbal as well as social contexts over the Internet leaves a certain level of uncertainty. According to this study, this uncertainty leads to a decrease in predictability and therefore, threatens the survival of the relationship. This finding applied to individuals with little to no interaction outside of Facebook. The predictability of an individual within a relationship can correspond to comfort level as well. Measuri