Article Analysis: Social Networking and Adjustments Among International Students
Researchers have started to focus on how people use technology to manage their social networks in order to gain social capital and to adjust (socially and psychologically) to situations. Social network sites have received growing attention regarding their effects on social capital and psychological well-being. Websites like Facebook are used to maintain pre-existing relationships and to create new connections. But what about people who don’t have a permanent home or are away from home for an extended amount of time? Putnam has defined two types of social capital: bridging (“weak ties”) and bonding (strong ties). It is argued that the internet can provide and maintain various forms of social capital (meaning weak and strong ties). There is a strong relationship between the Facebook usage of a student and their bridging social capital. When international students travel to the US, those who exhibit more traits of horizontal collectivism may seek more connections with other international/domestic students compared to those who exhibit more traits of horizontal individualism, thus leading to more bridging social capital. On top of that, the former student will likely gain more emotional support from the students it befriends and in turn adjust better in the US. One idea is that introverts tend to use SNSs more in order to connect with others and increase their social capital. However, it is also suggested that extroverts use SNSs more and benefit from both the online and offline communication. The study focused on how Facebook usage has influenced international students’ social capitals and adjustments. There were several results that the data suggested. First, international students should be encouraged to employ SNSs like Facebook to expand and manage their social network because this could benefit their online bridging capital. Schools should also create groups on SNSs to facilitate the usage of SNSs among international students. Schools could use SNSs to create an online community for international students that would eventually lead to offline interactions. Means should be provided for more introverted students to SNSs to bridge to difference online networks and to have a greater sense of college adjustment.
I know that this is not the most exciting artifact, but there are not exactly a lot of visuals that represent the connectivity supplied by social network sites to international students. With that, my explanation is basically said. I chose this artifact because it visually shows how one person can interact with the entire world - now, pretend that person is an international student and they are using Facebook as there way of interacting.
The concepts that I believe best fit with this article are Network and Interactivity. Obviously, with Interactivity it is the usage of sites like Facebook that relate it to this topic. This article is entirely focused on how people interact through sites like Facebook and what kind of relationships these lead to. In specific relation to international students, websites like Facebook allow students to broaden their Network which they socialize in. By adding people to Facebook after meeting them abroad, you can come back and continue to stay in touch with them. This means that you extend your own personal Network, rather than temporarily changing Networks for a while like you would do by traveling.
To be honest, there were a lot of inconsistencies in the research of this article – which they later admitted in their reflection. However, the authors did hit home on a few ideas that, while they are relatively common sense, I agree with wholeheartedly. First off, you should know that I couple years back I was able to spend a summer abroad in Europe. I met many people, some of whom I stayed in contact with using a certain social network site. Can you guess which one? Yeah, it’s Facebook. During my entire trip I blogged at the end of each day to record what I saw/did/ate/spent/etc/ (another thing which I greatly encourage you do if you go abroad!) and I also made sure to add people on Facebook as I met in in Europe. Obviously, I made sure to form a decent relationship before sending my friend request though, because it is weird to get a friend request from a person you recall as “that one girl”. Anyway, to elaborate on what the article briefly touched on involving bridging/bonding, I believe that Facebook is ideal when creating bridging (“weak”) ties and maintaining bonding (“strong”) ties. But face-to-face conversation is the best way to make and keep friends for sure!
