Social Network Blog - y11

This week’s reading focused on the ways in which the Internet has affected the construction of our social networks. A basic theme in all the readings was the differing opinion of the Internet as a virtual domain where social network boundaries are still unclear. In all the articles, it is clear that the Internet does play a significant role in the way we are able to construct, maintain, and expand our social networks. It also strengthens the point that achieving intimate relationships over the internet is challenging, since physical contact plays a large role in establishing shared interests, trust, and experiences.

While reading about the internet-based small world study, I was immediately struck by the enthusiasm in the responses. Even after she closed her email account, she still had people contact her that were desperate to help her succeed at her project. This project highlighted several unique aspects of the internet as a social networking tool. Firstly, people want to connect with others. Whether it’s in the hopes of forming a new tie, strengthening an old one, to learn, or to be kind, people are willing to exert the effort and time to invest in social networking behavior over the internet. Secondly, the intent facilitates information spread unlike any other interactive communication medium. Within hours and days, information spread to the remotest corners of the world. It’s interesting to note that Milgrim could never achieve this level of success with his small world experiment in the sheer volume that this 13-year-old girl collected. This raises the question of whether small-world internet studies can be more valuable for social networking and information spread research than the regular “pass a folder along” approach.

In our second paper for the week, Barry Wellman discusses the myth and legend surrounding the internet as both a constructive and destructive social networking tool through the examination of existing literature. One area of contention that struck me was the observation that our interaction with the world around us was a zero-sum game; if we spend more time on the internet, we immediately ignore physical interactions. Can real-life and internet coexist, and potentially benefit from one another? Wellman concluded that the internet provides specialized help from different internet resources, that it is often supportive, and that the lack of physical contact does have an effect on the quality of the tie. The pattern of support seeking is the same as through other mediums, but it is more accessible, diverse, and discreet, which then serves to imitate real communities. Also, the internet provides us with an array of weak ties, which increases structural holes in our network, and, as we all know, weak ties can be even more valuable than the strong ones! Wellman reports on the overall low-risk interaction also helps in our ability to create more diverse ties, and that the reciprocal nature of the internet is particularly strong in spite of a lower sense of obligation and more anonymity.

While reading “Social Interactions Across Media”, I found it interesting that the researchers used two different methodologies to both test and strengthen their findings. After conducting both studies, they found that with a socially-pioneering young audience, the internet is a very widely used social networking tool that is mostly used to complement other social networking venues, usually at home, is especially important in maintaining distant social circles. These findings were very insightful, since they indicate that both the internet and regular social networking media can co-exist, and actually benefit from one another. People use the internet to reinforce their strong ties through increased virtual interaction, and to establish weak ties that increase their overall personal network. Even if it is a solitary activity, surfers connect to other resources and people more easily and enthusiastically then meeting strangers over the phone or face-to-face. Do you agree with the claim that the internet can benefit, not destroy, the quality of our social networking?

The next article examines and compares the quality of online vs. offline relationships with young people in Israel. In their study, the examined the length of time they reported knowing a tie, and then looked at both active and content multiplexity in their relationships. Studying duration was not a suitable choice for this study, since the internet’s mass proliferation is relatively new and already puts internet tie duration at an unfair advantage. Researchers found that those with online friendships reported fewer topics of discussion than with offline ties. This finding connects to Wellman’s study that found that people use the internet in a specialized and selective manner (i.e. to access certain resources they need). However, it seems that the issue of physical contact is important when it comes to discussing intimate (relationship) issues. However, wouldn’t the increased anonymity of the internet and a user’s search for specialized resources offer them the opportunity to discuss these issues over the internet more, since they don’t risk judgment or disapproval?

The last paper dealt with how the internet affects community life. I found Hampton’s point on the internet as “a new realm for public space” compelling, since we are now liberated from physical barriers and constraints, and are able form active and thriving public spaces in a more accessible and diverse manner. His analysis on Netville revealed that, yes, the internet might be able to increase the quality of our physical relationship with ties in our communities, through increasing tie strength and multiplexity. However, he ends with stating that internet communities can become like “virtual street corners”, yet will not replace the socialization that takes place in physical locales. Do you think the internet, particularly web-conferencing and chatting, will decrease our desire to meet up in public spaces?