The impact of Facebook use on micro-level social capital: a synthesis

The relationship between Facebook use and micro-level social capital has received substantial scholarly attention over the past decade. This attention has resulted in a large body of empirical work that gives insight into the nature of Facebook as a social networking site and how it influences the social benefits that people gather from having social relationships. Although the extant research provides a solid basis for future research into this area, a number of issues remain underexplored. The aim of the current article is twofold. First, it seeks to synthesize what is already known about the relationship between Facebook use and micro-level social capital. Second, it seeks to advance future research by identifying and analyzing relevant theoretical, analytical and methodological issues. To address the first research aim, we first present an overview and analysis of current research findings on Facebook use and social capital, in which we focus on what we know about (1) the relationship between Facebook use in general and the different subtypes of social capital; (2) the relationships between different types of Facebook interactions and social capital; and (3) the impact of self-esteem on the relationship between Facebook use and social capital. Based on this analysis, we subsequently identify three theoretical issues, two analytical issues and four methodological issues in the extant body of research, and discuss the implications of these issues for Facebook and social capital researchers

The Facebook Project - The Missing Box: The Racial Politics Behind the Facebook Interface

There is no race, ethnicity or nationality category available the default Facebook profile. This, combined with the fact that Facebook is a visually-driven website, suggests that Facebook serves to inadvertently or covertly perpetuate two racist or discriminatory norms: the colorblind mentality and racialized visual classification of others. This paper quickly traverses through a basic theory of identity that dictates that persons incur an on-going dialectic between individual and social identity, both on and offline. It contends that Facebook is an advantageous place to perform and portray one???s social identity and is largely visually-driven, therefore the interface is of paramount importance. Racial, ethnic, or national identity is of significance to many individuals and the lack of a place to express this is a form of discrimination. Such a category should be added to Facebook???s set of basic identity options. Guidelines for a successful implementation are provided.unpublishedis peer reviewe

On-line privacy behavior: using user interfaces for salient factors

The problem of privacy in social networks is well documented within literature; users have privacy concerns however, they consistently disclose their sensitive information and leave it open to unintended third parties. While numerous causes of poor behaviour have been suggested by research the role of the User Interface (UI) and the system itself is underexplored. The field of Persuasive Technology would suggest that Social Network Systems persuade users to deviate from their normal or habitual behaviour. This paper makes the case that the UI can be used as the basis for user empowerment by informing them of their privacy at the point of interaction and reminding them of their privacy needs. The Theory of Planned Behaviour is introduced as a potential theoretical foundation for exploring the psychology behind privacy behaviour as it describes the salient factors that influence intention and action. Based on these factors of personal attitude, subjective norms and perceived control, a series of UIs are presented and implemented in controlled experiments examining their effect on personal information disclosure. This is combined with observations and interviews with the participants. Results from this initial, pilot experiment suggest groups with privacy salient information embedded exhibit less disclosure than the control group. This work reviews this approach as a method for exploring privacy behaviour and proposes further work required

Mobile Value Added Services: A Business Growth Opportunity for Women Entrepreneurs

Examines the potential for mobile value-added services adoption by women entrepreneurs in Egypt, Nigeria, and Indonesia in expanding their micro businesses; challenges, such as access to digital channels; and the need for services tailored to women

Dynamics of private social networks

Social networks, have been a significant turning point in ways individuals and companies interact. Various research has also revolved around public social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook. In most cases trying to understand what's happening in the network such predicting trends, and identifying natural phenomenon. Seeing the growth of public social networks several corporations have sought to build their own private networks to enable their staff to share knowledge, and expertise. Little research has been done in regards to the value private networks give to their stake holders. This is primarily due to the fact as their name implies, these networks are private, thus access to internal data is limited to a trusted few. This paper looks at a particular online private social network, and seeks to investigate the research possibilities made available, and how this can bring value to the organisation which runs the network. Notwithstanding the limitations of the network, this paper seeks to explore the connections graph between members of the network, as well as understanding the topics discussed within the network. The findings show that by visualising a social network one can assess the success or failure of their online networks. The Analysis conducted can also identify skill shortages within areas of the network, thus allowing corporations to take action and rectify any potential problems.peer-reviewe

American Indian Youth: A Residential Camp Program for Wellness

The American Indian Youth Summer Wellness Camp strives to increase physical activity and healthful eating among at-risk southwest American Indian youth. The Wellness Camp is one week in duration and involves youth, aged 10-15 years. Youth who attend camp are self-selected or referred by local tribal health programs. In any given summer, 35-60 youth attend camp. Approximately 20%-33% of youth return from one year to the next. We describe our program to increase healthy lifestyles among American Indian youth at risk for overweight, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The Wellness Camp Program includes five primary components: (1) cultural capital, (2) structured education sessions, (3) anthropometric and risk behavior assessments, (4) physical engagement, and (5) health messaging. Within this article, we describe our program to increase healthy lifestyles among American Indian youth at risk for overweight, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease