The Relationship between Social Networking and “real life” Interaction, O’Neill, Robert
School of Education and Behavior Sciences
Communication and forms of communication have been evolving the way humans interact. The use of socially interactive technologies, such as Social Networking Sites (SNSs), text messaging or instant messaging, is on the rise among young people (Pierce, 2009). Not too long ago the internet was used for games and entertainment, but now it is being widely used for interaction between associates, friends, and colleagues. In the current study 100 students were randomly chosen from HCU classes to participate in a questionnaire. It was predicted that there will be a significant relationship between gender, college classification, ethnicity and the amount of time spent on social networking sites. The current study also predicted that reported comfort levels will have a significant relationship with the type of interaction students prefer. The sample chosen from the HCU student population were asked to complete a 2 page survey, the first page being demographics and SNS usage, while the second page measured reported comfort levels when using text messaging, SNS, email, IM, and face-to-face interaction. The results were compiled and analyzed using Spearman’s Rho, which revealed that the results were significant. Caution is advised when conducting future research, because participants might have over or underestimated their responses creating a bias. However, because of the growing population of SNS users this study does show how comfort levels and anxiety play a significant role in SNSs and “real life” communication.
