Does being on Facebook make me (feel) accepted in the classroom? The relationships between early adolescents' Facebook usage,classroom peer acceptance and self-concept

The present study aimed to explore the relationships between classroom peer relations, self-concept, and the use of social networking sites in early adolescents. The differences between Facebook users and non-users in their (teacher-assessed and sociometric) classroom peer acceptance and the peer relations, academic and global self-concept were investigated. In addition, the incremental predictive power of students' Facebook usage indicators for their peer relations self-concept beyond their actual classroom acceptance was tested, as well as the moderating role of early adolescents' gender classroom peer acceptance in the relation between Facebook usage and peer relations self-concept. 404 early adolescents (47.3% males; 82.9% Facebook users) participated in the study. No differences were found between users and non-users in their social preference, teacher-assessed peer acceptance, and academic and general self-concept. However, Facebook users reported significantly higher peer relations self-concept. No significant differences were found between Facebook users classified in different sociometric groups. Measures of Facebook usage explained incremental variance in peer-relation self-concept beyond classroom peer acceptance measures. In addition, a significant interaction effect between emotional connectedness to Facebook and gender was found; being highly emotionally connected to Facebook was beneficial only for girls’ peer relations self-concept. These results shed light on commonalities and differences in Facebook and classroom connectedness.     

Adolescents' response to parental Facebook friend requests: The comparative influence of privacy management,parent-child relational quality,attitude and peer influence

Smartphones greatly reduce parents' ability to monitor their children's online activities. A recommended surveillance technique is to ‘friend’ adolescents on social networking sites (SNS) such as Facebook. However, adolescents use these sites to experiment with adjusting their self-image based on friends' feedback, so is it possible for them to simultaneously satisfy the very different expectations of both peers and parents? This study explores adolescents' attitudes to parental presence on Facebook using Communications Privacy Management theory (Petronio, 2002) as the theoretical framework to investigate the relative influence of privacy management, relational quality and peer pressure. The study was conducted among 262 secondary school children living at home and recruited via their schools. Results showed that while privacy management and peer influence were significantly related to adolescent attitudes to parental presence on Facebook, only attitude to parental presence on Facebook and parental-adolescent relational quality predicted friendship status. A picture emerged of adolescents very much in control of their SNS privacy who were largely indifferent to parents on Facebook. There was however, a sizable, peer-influenced minority, opposed to parental presence, for whom friendship may be counter-productive. While this study uncovered many unique associations relating to adolescent-parental Facebook friendship, further qualitative research is recommended to provide a deeper understanding of this complex subject.     

Senior citizens on Facebook: How do they interact and why?

This study investigated why senior citizens use Facebook and how they participate in specific activities on Facebook in order to gratify their needs. An online survey of 352 senior citizens over 60 years old revealed four primary motivations for using Facebook: social bonding, social bridging, curiosity, and responding to family member requests. The analysis of the relationship between senior citizens' motivations and their participation in activities on Facebook indicates that social bonding is a major motivation for participating in most activities on Facebook. In addition, data reveal that using message-based interactivity features on Facebook (i.e., posting on other people's wall and Facebook chatting with others) leads to greater Facebook use. The findings of this study contribute to our understanding of senior citizens' Facebook use as an emerging communication tool.     

Understanding the privacy behavior of adolescents on Facebook: The role of peers,popularity and trust

We study whether peer influence processes, popularity and trust predict privacy settings on Facebook. We use large-scale survey data from 3434 Dutch adolescents combined with observed privacy behavior on Facebook. The findings show that peer influence processes play a role and that adolescents imitate the privacy settings of their peers in the classroom. Such imitation processes are particularly pronounced for highly connected classrooms. The results show that more popular adolescents in the classroom are more likely to publicly display their Facebook profiles. Furthermore, we find that low-trust groups (ethnic minorities, lower educated and younger adolescents, and girls) more frequently opt for private Facebook profiles.     

Modeling educational usage of Facebook

The purpose of this study is to design a structural model explaining how users could utilize Facebook for educational purposes. In order to shed light on the educational usage of Facebook, in constructing the model, the relationship between users' Facebook adoption processes and their educational use of Facebook were included indirectly while the relationship between users' purposes in using Facebook and the educational usage of Facebook was included directly. In this study, data is collected from Facebook users with an online survey developed by the researchers. The study group consists of 606 Facebook users whose answers were examined by using a structural equation model. The analyses of the 11 observed and 3 latent variables provided by the model showed that 50% of educational usage of Facebook could be explained by user purposes along with the adoption processes of Facebook. It was also found that Facebook adoption processes could explain 86% of all user purposes. Finally, while Facebook adoption processes explained 45% of its educational usage, it could explain 50% of variance in educational usage of Facebook when the user purposes were added into the analyses.     

A case study in library‐based scholarly publishing: The university of Michigan library's scholarly publishing office

In recent years, institutions of higher learning and research and the libraries that support them have become increasingly concerned about the costs and conditions of the publication and distribution of scholarship. In response, several universities have begin to explore the possibility of their libraries functioning as publishers, particularly looking to explore the possibilities and costs of electronic publication. The University of Michigan Library's Scholarly Publishing Office(l) (SPO) is one such institutional venue for the electronic publication and distribution of scholarly content. This discussion summarizes some of the policy issues that led to the creation of SPO, and describes SPO's organisation and some of the activities that instantiate its mission of building sustainable publication models that bridge the gap between academic self‐publishing and large, aggregated, commercial publishing. It also raises several questions about how libraries should function as publishers, and about cooperation and collaboration in building alternative venues for scholarly publishing. In detailing the work of SPO, the author hopes to use it as a case study to illuminate the mission of library‐based scholarly publishing efforts and the challenges such efforts must meet in order to succeed.     

What drives you to check in on Facebook? Motivations,privacy concerns,and mobile phone involvement for location-based information sharing

Given the popularity of checking in at a location via mobile phone, little research has examined the germane motivations tied to location check-in as a form of in-group electronic word-of-mouth and its relation to the concern of privacy. A survey with 255 college students found that the students' privacy concerns – both online and Facebook specific – did not show any relationship with the motivations of location check-in as a means of information sharing. However, the relationship varied among the non-users of location check-in on Facebook. Involvement with mobile phone showed mixed relationships with check-in motivations – commitment to Facebook, self-development and reputation, and promotional viral communication. Findings not only confirm that young Facebook users are relatively free from the concern of privacy during their location-based information sharing, but also suggest different motivational mechanisms to operate for Facebook users’ viral communication depending on the habitualness of their mobile phone use. Implications are discussed for interpersonal marketing strategies on social networking sites.     

Cultivating Social Resources on Social Network Sites: Facebook Relationship Maintenance Behaviors and Their Role in Social Capital Processes

This study explores the relationship between perceived bridging social capital and specific Facebook‐enabled communication behaviors using survey data from a sample of U.S. adults (N=614). We explore the role of a specific set of Facebook behaviors that support relationship maintenance and assess the extent to which demographic variables, time on site, total and “actual” Facebook Friends, and this new measure (Facebook Relationship Maintenance Behaviors) predict bridging social capital. Drawing upon scholarship on social capital and relationship maintenance, we discuss the role of social grooming and attention‐signaling activities in shaping perceived access to resources in one's network as measured by bridging social capital.     

The effects of social media on students’ behaviors; Facebook as a case study

Social networks are one of the most used communication methods of today's world. Their use in different fields has been examined in several research studies. This study aims to examine the effects of social media on student's behaviors which will mainly focus on Facebook. Whether there is a positive relationship between confidence, social media participation and social media related behaviors will also be assed with regard to using Facebook. In order to collect the primary data, a general scanning model was used to observe attitudes of high school students. The participants chosen were 362 high school students from level 9 to 12. The findings highlight that Facebook is used for communication entertainment and sharing news, pictures and songs. In addition, their Facebook profile picture is alone and students were aware that swearing is considered a form of misconduct, which is a good sign. The study also indicates that students were aware of protecting their social identity as their Facebook shares are not public. Furthermore, they respect privacy as they do not use their friend's Facebook account.     

Frequent Interaction and Fast Feedback Predict Perceived Social Support: Using Crawled and Self‐Reported Data of Facebook Users

The present study examines if Facebooking can contribute to psychological well‐being and if so, which aspects of Facebook use could play a significant role. Matching crawled data with self‐reported data from mobile Facebook users, we found that more social interactions with Facebook friends and faster friends' reactions to a user's post contributed toFacebook user's perceived social support and ultimately alleviated loneliness. We also found that the association between frequency as well as speed of Facebook social interactions and psychological well‐being were more significant among those who were sensitive to other's behaviors and feelings than those who were not. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings, particularly regarding mobile communication context, are also discussed.     

Understanding adolescent students’ use of Facebook and their subjective wellbeing: a gender-based comparison

Adolescence is marked by many changes, and adolescents seek peer support to compensate for the concomitant psychological and social challenges they face. In this respect, Facebook has become one of the primary tools adolescents use to build and maintain social relationships. The current study examines the determinants of Facebook use and its relationship with adolescents’ subjective wellbeing, stratified by gender. Data were collected from a nationally representative sample of 1,121 adolescent students (aged 12–17 years) consisting of 625 boys and 586 girls. The results indicated that the total number of Facebook friends, the need to belong and the perceived waste of time were correlated with adolescents’ use of Facebook; in turn, Facebook use was positively related to the subjective wellbeing of both male and female students. Gender differences were also observed; the need to belong and the positive relationship between Facebook use and subjective wellbeing were both stronger for male students than female students.     

Spreading love through fan page liking: A perspective on small scale entrepreneurs

Growing popularity of Facebook has made it a value-adding marketing channel for the small and medium sized businesses. As a marketing medium characterized by low cost and minimum risk it attracts small scale entrepreneurs to utilize this new platform i.e. brand fan page of Facebook as a business communication tool for reaching out to customers. Considering the significance of Facebook as social media marketing platform for businesses and the lack of understanding of this area, the present study investigates whether there exists a significant relationship between brands “liked” on the Facebook fan pages and brand love, word of mouth, and purchase intention from potential buyer perspective. The research was conducted taking five popular small scale entrepreneur backed firms on the basis of the number of likes on their fan pages. Respondents of the survey were followers of fan pages of sampled firms. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied using primary data collected from 311 respondents. The study reveals a positive relationship between “liked” brands on Facebook fan-page and brand love. Further, the study finds that liking the fan pages is essentially converted into WOM, and it results into purchase proposition.     

How lonely people use and perceive Facebook

This study examined the relationship between loneliness and various aspects of Facebook use including use activity, self-disclosure, attitudes, and satisfaction. Data were collected through an online survey among adult Facebook users (N = 536). Results revealed that loneliness was associated with a fewer number of Facebook friends and a less overlapping between Facebook and offline friends. Loneliness was inversely related to communicating activities but not significantly to presenting activities. Also, lonely people tended to engage in positive self-disclosure less but negative self-disclosure more. Although lonely people viewed Facebook as more useful for self-disclosure and social connection, their satisfaction of Facebook use was lower than their counterparts.     

Student’s perceptions towards using e-learning via Facebook

Research on utilising social networks for teaching and learning is relatively scarce in the context of information systems. There is far more emphasis on studying the usage of social networks towards fulfilling individuals’ basic social needs. This study uses the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2) to analyse students’ intention to use and use of e-learning via Facebook. It incorporates playfulness into the UTAUT2 model and categorises the determinants of intention to use e-learning via Facebook into three categories, namely, hedonic values, utilitarian values, and communication values. The data were collected in a two-stage survey from 170 undergraduate students, and the model was tested using structural equation modelling. We found that hedonic motivation, perceived playfulness, and performance expectancy were strong determinants of students’ intention to use e-learning, while habit and facilitating conditions all positively affected students’ use of e-learning via Facebook. The results of this study report new knowledge that academic institutions can utilise to create appropriate e-learning environments for teaching and learning. A number of theoretical and managerial implications for universities’ implementation technologies were also identified.     

The strategic usage of Facebook by local governments: A structural topic modelling analysis

We examine the content of the official Facebook pages of 502 Italian municipalities over the period 2016–2018 to empirically infer the motivations of municipalities to use Facebook. Our inference is mostly based on the relationship between the main topics discussed by the municipalities on Facebook and the most related municipal expenses per capita, which are reported by function in municipal financial statements.Using a structural topic modelling analysis consisting of an unsupervised machine learning procedure, we find that Italian municipalities mostly post on five semantically different topics on their Facebook pages. More importantly, each topic's prevalence is positively associated with the most related municipal expenses per capita by function. Furthermore, additional covariates significantly influence each topic's prevalence. Within the framework of legitimacy theory, these results indicate the strategic usage of Facebook by Italian municipalities for self-promotion and political marketing aimed at enhancing their political legitimacy and consensus among citizens.Our findings contribute to the literature on voluntary e-disclosures of local governments and on interactions between local governments and their citizens through social media. Therefore, these findings may have practical implications for public regulators, managers, and other users of social media.     

Facebook bullying: An extension of battles in school

This study examines the phenomenon of cyberbullying on Facebook and how it is related to school bullying among secondary school students in Singapore, aged 13–17. We also focus on generic use of Facebook and risky Facebook behaviors as the predictors of cyberbullying and victimization on Facebook. 1676 secondary students, from two secondary schools, participated in a pen and paper survey. The findings show that the intensity of Facebook use and engagement in risky Facebook behaviors were related to Facebook victimization and Facebook bullying, respectively. Moderately strong positive relationships between school bullying and Facebook bullying, as well as between school victimization and Facebook victimization, were also uncovered.     

The relationship between motivation and information sharing about products and services on Facebook

The purpose of this research is to explain the information-sharing process and investigate the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations that may induce information sharing on Facebook. Using the theory of planned behaviour, this research distinguishes between information-sharing intention and information-sharing behaviour. Based on self-determination theory, this research selects the extrinsic and intrinsic motivations that influence intention. Based on a survey of 233 South Korean Facebook users in their 20s and 30s, this research applies a structural equation modelling approach to develop the research model. All the intrinsic motivations are found to have a significant positive influence on information sharing about products and services. However, among the extrinsic motivations, only expected reciprocal relationship is found to have a significant positive influence on information-sharing intention. This research approaches Facebook empirically from a marketing perspective and suggests a strategic direction for marketers and Facebook managers.     

Association between Facebook addiction,self-esteem and life satisfaction: A cross-sectional study

In recent years, many research efforts have been focused on investigation of potential connection between social networking and mental health issues. Particularly important and controversial remains the association between Facebook use, self-esteem and life satisfaction. In our cross-sectional study, on a sample of 381 Facebook users, we tested the existence and strength of this relationship using Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS), Facebook Intensity Scale (FBI), Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (SES), and Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). With k-means cluster analysis, we divided the sample into 3 groups: ordinary, intensive, and addicted Facebook users. The results of our study show that ordinary Facebook users differ statistically in self-esteem and life satisfaction from both addicted and intensive users. Facebook addiction was in relation with lower self-esteem. Facebook addiction was also negatively related to life satisfaction. These results are in accordance with the previously published findings of other authors in the fields of social networking psychology and psychiatry.     

The influence of personality on Facebook usage, wall postings, and regret

The Five Factor Model of personality has been used extensively in the management and psychology fields to predict attitudes and behaviors. Only recently have researchers begun to examine the role of psychological factors in influencing an individual’s use of technology platforms, such as Facebook. This study uses both a survey of Facebook users and actual Facebook data to uncover why some individuals are more involved in Facebook than others. 219 undergraduate students participated in a survey that assessed their personality and their reported usage of Facebook. Of these, 143 voluntarily befriended the investigator, which gave her access to their actual Facebook sites and objective data on their number of friends, photos, and wall postings. Results showed personality to explain significant amounts of variance over and above gender and Facebook experience in terms of actual number of Facebook friends, the nature of their wall postings and on their level of regret for inappropriate Facebook content.     

Improving social media measurement in surveys: Avoiding acquiescence bias in Facebook research

Social media measurement relies heavily on self-report survey research. Hence, known biases in how individuals answer survey questions can introduce systematic errors into the social media literature. In particular, many common social media measures are prone to acquiescence response bias, an error that occurs due to individuals' tendency to agree with agree–disagree questions. The current study tests a series of techniques to both detect and overcome acquiescence bias in the context of Facebook measurement. Controlling for individuals' tendency to agree with agree–disagree questions, we find evidence that acquiescence has inflated the reliabilities and factor loadings of many Facebook use scales, and has altered correlations both among Facebook use measures and between those measures and related covariates. Further, when the individual-level tendency to agree with questions is controlled, Facebook measures demonstrate greater criterion validity in their relations to items that do not use agree–disagree scales. Having identified the presence of acquiescent responding, we test three methods for mitigating this response bias: the use of balanced scales, item-specific questions, and statistical correctives. All three methods appear to reduce the bias introduced by acquiescence. Thus, the results provide comparative evidence on strategies to alleviate the consistent impact of an important method bias in social media measurement and thereby contribute to improving the validity of social media research at large.