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akron1239389919.pdf (571.73 KB)
ETD Abstract Container
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Myspace, Facebook, and the Strength of Internet Ties: Online Social Networking and Bridging Social Capital
Author Info
Adkins, Angela M.
Permalink:
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1239389919
Abstract Details
Year and Degree
2009, Master of Arts, University of Akron, Sociology.
Abstract
Online social networking sites seem particularly well-suited to forming the loose connections between diverse social networks, or weak ties, associated with bridging social capital, but is using one site the same as using another? This study explores the user and usage characteristics of two popular social networking websites, Myspace and Facebook, and then investigates the relationship between online social networking and bridging social capital using survey data from 929 university students and faculty members. Myspace users tend to have less education and be more racially diverse, have lower incomes, and focus more on forming new social ties online. Conversely, Facebook users tend to be better educated, have higher income, and focus more on maintaining relationships with their existing offline ties. A positive association exists between the degree of online social networking and bridging capital, although there was no meaningful difference in bridging capital between those who used Myspace only and those who used Facebook only. However, the results indicate that the use of Myspace in conjunction with Facebook significantly increases bridging capital and moderates the effect of race, income, and degree of usage. Together, this evidence suggests that online social networking is a useful tool for enlarging and maintaining a diverse social network, but that the examination of online social networking in the aggregate may hide distinctions among sites. Different sites are used in different ways, and thus using more than one site might provide the greatest benefit in terms of increased bridging capital.
Committee
Rebecca J. Erickson, PhD (Advisor)
Pages
48 p.
Subject Headings
Sociology
Keywords
online social networking
;
bridging social capital
;
Facebook
;
Myspace
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Citations
Adkins, A. M. (2009).
Myspace, Facebook, and the Strength of Internet Ties: Online Social Networking and Bridging Social Capital
[Master's thesis, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1239389919
APA Style (7th edition)
Adkins, Angela.
Myspace, Facebook, and the Strength of Internet Ties: Online Social Networking and Bridging Social Capital.
2009. University of Akron, Master's thesis.
OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center
, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1239389919.
MLA Style (8th edition)
Adkins, Angela. "Myspace, Facebook, and the Strength of Internet Ties: Online Social Networking and Bridging Social Capital." Master's thesis, University of Akron, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1239389919
Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)
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Document number:
akron1239389919
Download Count:
5,731
Copyright Info
© 2009, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Akron and OhioLINK.