Title: Facebook, blogs, and other electronic communication: How students construct new environments
1Facebook, blogs, and other electronic
communication How students construct new
environments
2Presentation overview
- Facts about Facebook
- Theoretical implications
- Survey results
- Educational applications for social networking
- Discussion, experiences and questions
3Facebook facts
- Launched 4 February 2004 by a Harvard
undergraduate. - Now headquartered in Palo Alto, CA.
- Site is free to users and is financed by
advertising. - 70 million registered users.
- Average of 3 weekly growth since January 2007
- Fastest growing demographic People aged 25 and
older. - 14 million photos uploaded daily.
- Average user signs on 6 times daily about 20
minutes per day. - Sixth most trafficked website in the world.
- Maintains an 85 market share of
colleges/universities. - Facebook Statistics page, 20 May 2008
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5UM student time on Facebook
- CIRP 2007 (UM entering undergraduate students)
- 54.2 estimated spending 1-5 hours per week on
social networks such as Myspace.com and Facebook.
- Another 12.8 estimated spending 6 or more hours
per week on these networks. - This is slightly less time than their peers spend
nationally - Only one third (33.2) report reading internet
blogs frequently or occasionally.
6Time online
7Benchmarking
8The popularity of social networking sites
- Social networking sites are the number one online
community to which students belong. - Top two things students do on these sites
- Message people they know.
- Look at profiles of people they know.
9Reframing the question
- Facebook is a powerful tool
- Facebook influences community and identity
development - Universities can foster many communities on
campus in a positive way through Facebook - Facebook can be a way for students to explore who
they are and try on different identities in
ways that are less loaded.
10Theoretical frameworks
- Allows for integration into the campus community
- Transition between past and new communities.
- The multitude of communities (or groups) provide
students many ways to integrate into campus life. - Community and having a sense of community play
an important role in the culture of college
campuses Tinto
11Survey supports theory
- The primary reasons students participate in
on-line communities - 21 stay connected to friends on campus
- 3 meet new people
- 22 stay connected with high school friends and
others not on campus - 4 share common interests
12Blogging The complement
- Of the students that belong to blogging
communities,16 "generate conversation with
others who share their interests." - The top 3 reasons students participate in
blogging communities- to catch up on their
friends' lives- to journal about their own
lives for themselves - to journal about their
lives for others
13Surveying students
- Varied class levels were selected at random
- 1300 students in 2007
- 1100 students in 2008
- Asked questions about their on-line participation
- Gained insight into the role of social networks
and ways in which tools may be used to better
reach out to students
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15Who is on Facebook?
Answer Nearly every student!
16Student Facebook use
- 99.5 have Facebook accounts
- 22 view videos posted of they know
- 20 view photos of people they know
- Only 6 add their own videos
17Social networking replacing other community
development?
18Social networking replacing friendship
connections?
19Social networking helping students meet others?
20Social networking combating isolation?
21Identity developmentTraditional theories
- Arthur Chickering - Seven vectors
- Focused on college student development.
- Developing Autonomy - Disengage from parents.
Reliance on peers or other reference groups. - Establishing Identity - Refers to the person a
student feels he/she is.
22Identity developmentNew theories
- Emerging Adulthood term coined by Jeffrey
Arnett. - A developmental phase between ages 18 and 35 when
people assume adult responsibilities more
gradually than previous generations.
23Identity developmentNew theories
- Electronic Tether term coined by Nancy Fullman
- Describes connection students and parents
maintain through cell phones, IM, and other cheap
and convenient communication. - Extends Emerging Adulthood to describe the role
technology plays in extending relationships with
home instead of creating independence. - Delays development of Chickerings Autonomy
vector.
24Do you believe who you are is reflected in your
profile?
DSA Facebook Survey 07 - Initial Results
25Do you believe who you are is reflected in your
profile? (Why not?)
- Facebook is not intended to be taken seriously
- Representing oneself in any type of profile is a
difficult thing to do - My profile has only minimal information
- The format of Facebook only allows for a partial
representation of myself
DSA Facebook Survey 07 - Initial Results
26Online communitiesSelf expression?
27- Fans pages
- Events
- Groups
- Individual staff profiles
- Your examples?
28http//www.umich.edu/rsa
- Also, check out our Division of Student Affairs
Research Symposium.Plan to attend in May 2009!
29Fears of privacy violations
30Which Facebook privacy features do you know
about?
DSA Facebook Survey 07 - Initial Results
31How often do you use privacy features? (2007)
DSA Facebook Survey 07 - Initial Results
32Which of these have happened to you as a result
of your Facebook experience?
DSA Facebook Survey 07 - Initial Results
33Have you ever joined a group and then left based
on re-thinking its appropriateness?
DSA Facebook Survey 07 - Initial Results
34 In what ways do you use Facebook?