An article on Psychology Today provided some insight into the world of social networking. It is interesting to note that it’s not that much different than in the real world, where issues of gender, authority and personal beliefs are at play. The more things change with internet speed, the more they stay the same!
* Males are far less likely than females to mention significant others in the “About Me” sections of their MySpace profiles.
The article, written by a male, suggests that this is perhaps because they’re inherently less inclined to define themselves through their relationships. But from the female perspective, it seems like they’re just keeping their options open.
*Studies show that comments indicating misbehavior increase males’ perceived physical attractiveness, but the same kind of comments have the opposite effect on females’.
Ahhhh…the double-edged sword is at work in cyberspace.
*According to one study, having too few or too many Facebook friends greatly decreases your social attractiveness: 300 was judged the optimal number. Any more and you start looking desperate.
*Many Facebook users mute aspects of their lives that might be very meaningful to them for the sake of creating acceptable online personas. For example, only 13 percent make explicit claims of religious identity (versus 85 percent in the U.S. census).
*One-third of surveyed students believe faculty should not be permitted access to Facebook, citing concerns of identity management and privacy.
Males are more than twice as likely to be OK with faculty presence on Facebook. But again, females may be more at risk from an overly-interested authority figure.
*Despite students’ reluctance to integrate teachers and professors into online social networks, instructors who disclose information about their social lives on their Facebook profiles increase student motivation and create a more comfortable classroom climate.
Tags: Facebook, Internet Speed, Social Networking