Outline of Essay

This essay examines the use of social networking sites and computer mediated communication and its users. It will pay particular attention to the role it plays in the social aspects of its users, especially among young adults. Factors such as well-being, social ties, and healthy communication between these mediums will be explored.

Studies show that users of computer mediated communication and social networking sites seem to be benefiting from this mean of communication rather than having a negative impact, especially in a social aspect. Studies show that those who interact in these mediums tend to have more social ties than those who do not interact in these mediums. Other studies show that adolescents using CMC and SNS are not creating more ties, but keeping up with existing ties. In comparison with students who were more isolated than those who were not, the more isolated students were still less likely to use CMC than the more social adolescents. Another study found that use of the popular social networking site, Facebook, is linked with social capital, in a way that proves interaction on these sites provides better benefits or users with low self esteem and low life satisfaction. Research has also been proven that CMC helps well-being among relationships, and has a positive effect on time spent communicating and enhances quality of friendships. It’s also interesting to point out that most of these studies have been conducted very recently, which may predict successful use of CMC in the future.

With recent evidence that CMC is used as a means to better communicate and help maintain relationships, is CMC bad? On study particularly points out that many young people are not able to communicate in existing outside environments more in the 21^st century. With all the hype of CMC in a negative sense, CMC may be proven to promote healthy well-being and successful maintenance of relationships.

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Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2007). The benefits of Facebook "friends:" Social capital and college students' use of online social network sites. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12(4), article 1. http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol12/issue4/ellison.html

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Boyd, Danah. (in press): “Why Youth (Heart) Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life” from David Buckingham (ed.) MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Learning, Identity Volume