TY - JOUR
T1 - Is There social capital in a social network site?
T2 - Facebook use and college student's life satisfaction, trust, and participation1
AU - Valenzuela, Sebastián
AU - Park, Namsu
AU - Kee, Kerk F.
PY - 2009/7
Y1 - 2009/7
N2 - This study examines if Facebook, one of the most popular social network sites among college students in the U.S., is related to attitudes and behaviors that enhance individuals' social capital. Using data from a random web survey of college students across Texas (n = 2,603), we find positive relationships between intensity of Facebook use and students' life satisfaction, social trust, civic engagement, and political participation. While these findings should ease the concerns of those who fear that Facebook has mostly negative effects on young adults, the positive and significant associations between Facebook variables and social capital were small, suggesting that online social networks are not the most effective solution for youth disengagement from civic duty and democracy.
AB - This study examines if Facebook, one of the most popular social network sites among college students in the U.S., is related to attitudes and behaviors that enhance individuals' social capital. Using data from a random web survey of college students across Texas (n = 2,603), we find positive relationships between intensity of Facebook use and students' life satisfaction, social trust, civic engagement, and political participation. While these findings should ease the concerns of those who fear that Facebook has mostly negative effects on young adults, the positive and significant associations between Facebook variables and social capital were small, suggesting that online social networks are not the most effective solution for youth disengagement from civic duty and democracy.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=68849095723&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2009.01474.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2009.01474.x
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:68849095723
VL - 14
SP - 875
EP - 901
JO - Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication
JF - Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication
SN - 1083-6101
IS - 4
ER -