Response to The Benefits of Facebook Friends & Faux Friendships

Summary 1:

The Benefits of Facebook ‘‘Friends:’’ Social Capital and College Students’ Use of Online Social Network Sites by: Nicole B. Ellison, Charles Steinfield, & Cliff Lampe

This article was about the beneficial outcomes of developing relationships on social networking sites such as Facebook. The term, social capital, was mentioned. Social capital is basically the collection of resources obtained through relationships, online and offline. The more social capital the better. It influences lower crime, better health, community togetherness, higher self esteem and more. One might argue that all the heavy internet use nowadays is detrimental to social capital since it seems that people spend more time on the computer than developing real relationships. However, another way to look at it is that the interactions people make online can serve as supplements for offline interactions. They did a study on 286 students from Michigan U to measure their Facebook usage, psychological well-being, and social capital. The most important findings were that Facebook plays a big part in how students begin and maintain relationships.

What Surprised Me?

What was surprising to me was the overall positive tone of the whole article. Instead of bashing Facebook and focusing on the negatives like many tend to do, this article actually recognized Facebook for what it was made for; bringing people together through online interactions.

Summary 2:

Faux Friendships by William Deresiewicz

This article tackles the topic of the validity of today's friendships. Everybody wants to be friends with everybody whether it be in the workplace, home, or on the internet. It posed the question "If you have over 700 friends on Facebook, in what sense do you actually have any at all?" The meaning of friendship is beginning to change. In ancient times, friendship was very selective with high expectations and qualifications. The idea of one true friend is no longer in effect; friendship is now universal. It also ties in with the modern world which is about equality, individualism, choice, self-expression, and freedom. However, today's facebook friendships are all an illusion, according to the article.

Ponder This...
"Is Facebook beneficial to relationships or is it really all an illusion as Deresiewicz's article states?

Identity Observation

What I Observed 9/16/10:
The setting is a dorm room. There are two beds, two desks, two chairs, and plenty of sitting room on the floor.  The time is around 10 PM. My roomate and I, plus 4 friends (2 boys 2 girls) decided to hang out there with the intent of completing homework. I focused on two people--Max* and Cassandra*. Max's hair is wild and curly, while Cassandra's hair is tamed and straight. Max was wearing a long sleeve shirt and his jeans down low so his boxers could show. Cassandra was wearing a tank top with jeans and flip flops. They both had their cellphones in one hand and McDonald's hamburgers in the other. Their laptops were sitting in front of them. I had mine too and was secretly taking notes. Both were sitting on the floor with very laidback attitudes and neither of them seemed to be doing any work. There was hip hop music playing from Max's computer.  Their conversation jumped from one random topic to the next--Lilo & Stitch, skateboarding, ice cream, etc.-- and included various swear words. The convo was even flirty and sexual at times. Every now and then someone would take their iphone out and start recording and taking pictures for what else? Facebook! There wasn't really anything out of the ordinary with Max and Cassandra; they were just two typical teenage college students.


This connects to the Identities chapter in Born Digital mostly because of the fact that pictures and video were being taken solely for the purpose of putting it on the internet. Everything that is going to be posted on Facebook adds to their digital identity and some of that stuff may not be the best content to show potential employers. So Cassandra swears and tells crude jokes around her friends and only around her friends. If the video of that gets posted, it becomes part of her digital identity and no one will know that she isn't always like that. The only way people get a sense of who you are on the internet is by what you post and if what is posted is negative then people will view you in a negative light.


*names changed for privacy

Response to Dossier Chapter & Public Displays of Affection

Summary 1:

Born Digital by Palfrey & Gasser

• Chap.2: Dossiers

This chapter was mostly about the negatives of having so much personal information on digital records and systems. People today are dealing with a loss of privacy due to the fact all of their personal info is in digital format and how easily accessed the information is. They mentioned the term "digital dossier", which is ALL of the personal digital information of a person, accessible or not. That includes a Myspace profile, Social Security records, birth certificate, and more. The people guilty of this information overload include companies, hospitals, governments, families, friends, and sometimes the person themselves. This is definitely a new age. Back in previous times, first off there weren't many ways to store information and even when the means became available there were still moderate limitations. Now, all one has to do is google a name and many different details about the person, sometimes incriminating, will pop up. It seems that we have traded control over our info for the convenience of having the info available whenever we want it. Sure, it's convenient now, but will it be so in the future?

Summary 2:

Public Displays of Connection by Donath & Boyd

This article was similar to Chap. 2 in Born Digital in that it elaborated on how personal information has become so public nowadays specifically due to social networking sites. Some of the problems it addressed were possible identity theft and people on the sites not being who they claim to be. One specific problem a female teacher had was with the overall visibility of her connections on popular site, Friendster. Many of her students were on the site trying to add her as a friend but she denied them because she didn't want them to see her risque' list of friends. This problem is common throughout the social networking world.

What Surprised Me!
It surprised me when I realized that sometimes I, like many, don't take a second thought before putting my personal info on the web. I flood it with pictures and details about my whereabouts and what I'm doing. I guess I subconsciously think that no one is going to take advantage of the information or use it against me, but I need to start thinking twice now before I do those things.

Ponder This...
"Is equipping your child with a tracking device or installing a camera in your home a good idea to keep track of your child or is that taking it to the extreme?"

Response to Technology in College Classrooms & Identity Chapter

Summary 1:


Questioning Assumptions About Students' Expectations for Technology in College Classrooms by Sarah Lohnes and Charles Kinzer is an article about how technology fits into the lives of various college students. Their first assumption was that it would play a big role in the classroom due to the significant role it plays in the social & domestic lives of many students. However, in a study done in 2005 on nine liberal arts college students, they were proved wrong. Eight out of the nine students rejected the act of bringing a laptop along to class, saying it is a distraction rather than an aid. The one student who favored the idea felt that it gave him the flexibility to multitask and obtain the most from his learning experience. Whether nine students were enough to serve as the demographic, I'm not sure, but by the end of the study, the researchers' previous ideas and assumptions changed greatly.

What Surprised Me!
Nothing in this article really surprised me. If anything, I agreed completely with the eight students against bringing a laptop to class. To me it's a hassle and a BIG distraction, even at home.

Summary 2:

Born Digital by Palfrey & Gasser 

• Chap.1: Identities

This chapter talked about the similarities and differences between identities from the olden days and now, the 21st century. Back in the 19th century, a teenage girl living in a small village could successfully change her identity by moving to another village and creating a new one for herself. Now, with the internet and all the social networking sites available, people have almost no privacy and definitely no ability to move to another city and create a new identity. The chapter also touched on the benefits and risks of putting yourself online. Some benefits were that you could gain many social skills and interactions & play with different identities until you find your niche. On the other hand, someone may use the information against you; a company refusing to hire you because of a racy photo, a creeper stalking you in your neighborhood, or even identity theft.

What Surprised Me!
One part that really surprised me was the high school male who said "Facebook is like a white, preppy Myspace." I was taken aback by his statement because last time I checked, EVERYONE was on facebook and it has been this way since the book was published in 08. I can understand the preppiness but the white part? I don't understand..

Ponder This..
"Do you think it's fair for companies and schools to use your facebook as a determining factor for hiring and admittance?