Cerca de las redes

Para qué sirven las redes sociales. Esa sigue siendo una pregunta sin responder. O en parte. Lo único que esta claro es que los medios (la industria) han reaccionado con desconcierto y está intentando desembarcar en Facebook y My Space de alguna forma. Tres investigadores de la Universidad de Texas (Namsu Park, Kerk F. Kee y el chileno Sebastián Valenzuela) trataron de responder algunas de las interrogantes que plantean las redes sociales a través de una encuesta realizada a más de dos mil estudiantes y centrada en Facebook. La percepción es que los jóvenes se sienten inclinados a participar por un "compromiso social" y también "satisfacción personal", pero existe conciencia de que el uso de estas redes (a diferencia de la vida real) no trae beneficios para el capital social. El uso intensivo de estas redes pone un desafío a los medios, especialmente por el uso que los jóvenes hacer de la tecnología y por la forma de consumir contenidos, algo que también es parte de las conclusiones de los investigadores. El estudio completo estará desde el sábado en el sitio del Noveno Simposio Internacional de Periodismo Digital, en el que expondrán los autores.

Lessons from Facebook
The Effect of Social Network Sites on College Students’ Social Capital
Moral panic is a common reaction to new forms of communication. The advent of television spawned fears of mass idiotization. Similarly, in the early 90s, critics held the diffusion of Internet as evidence of individuals’ increasing alienation from society and public life. The story with social network sites (SNS) such as Facebook and MySpace is not any different. Unsafe disclosure of information, cyberbullying, addiction, risky behavior and contacting dangerous communities are but a few of the concerns raised in the media about the use of online social networks.

As could be expected, researchers have begun to put to empirical test these claims, reaching a more balanced understanding of SNS. Existing research shows that young people are motivated to join these sites to keep strong ties with friends, to strengthen ties with new acquaintances, and, to a lesser degree, to meet new people online (Acquisti & Gross, 2006). At the same time, sites like Facebook allow them to exchange news and discuss issues, both public (e.g., the 2008 U.S. presidential election) and private (e.g., movie tastes).

In this paper, we examine if social network sites, given their nature and capabilities, have the potential for creating new pathways to civic and political participation. Specifically, we use original survey data to test several hypotheses regarding the influence of Facebook usage on college students’ social capital, a multidimensional concept that includes life satisfaction, social trust, civic participation and political engagement. In doing so, we also aim to gain a better understanding of “who is and who is not using these sites, why and for what purposes” (boyd & Ellison, 2007, p. 224).

The impact of online social networks on social capital can be achieved in myriad ways. For instance, common interest groups can help users coordinate for collective action. At the same time, regular exchanges between users can foster trust and norms of reciprocity that are key antecedents of community life. Likewise, news feeds allow users to keep in touch with what is going on “out there.”

In this context, social network sites may fulfill many of the promises of civic journalism, such as delivering shared, relevant information to its users and providing a place for exchanging ideas (Merritt, 1998). Moreover, in an era of shrinking audiences and damaged credibility in public institutions, it is vital for the media to help citizens connect to society and facilitate civic action (Rutigliano, 2007). Consequently, journalists and traditional news organizations can learn important lessons from social websites on how to engage individuals, especially young adults, in public life.