Social Networking and the College Community

Social networking sites, such as Facebook and Myspace, are online communities in which individuals can communicate with people in their social network and meet new people. These sites have become increasingly popular, which has lead to their increasing impact on society. One specific aspect of social networking sites are their impact on the lives of college students and the college community as a whole. While social networking sites are a good medium for communication, some problems result due to the prominence of these sites.

As college students make the transition from their high school community to that of college they must take part in the process of making new friends and maintaining old ones. This is generally difficult as many students move away from their homes and to new, unfamiliar territory. Through social networking sites like Facebook, college students can meet their new peers while still being able to communicate with their old ones. A study in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication showed that the primary purpose of college Facebook users is to stay in contact with high school friends, followed closely by connecting with people in their classes (1156). Social networking sites also allow freshmen to connect more easily with one another through networks. These networks link people with commonalities so that they may communicate through the website. Networks can be focused on regions, schools, workplaces, or a variety of other things. Many students are part of their college network. Through these networks, students can connect with peers who share similar interests, learn about events and activities going on around campus, and find other students in their classes. This feature of social networking sites provides freshmen with a helpful way to assimilate into the college community.

Although social networking sites can provide a medium through with college students can become involved on campus, there are other aspects of social networking sites to consider. Many social networking sites raise the issue of privacy. By posting information on these websites, users could be attracting internet predators. A number of students post their phone numbers, addresses, and even room numbers. In the survey done in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communiation, 20% of students surveyed said that they had their mobile phone number on their Facebook profile (1156).

In December 2005, University of Maryland student Josie Brown was killed by another UMBC student John Gaumer, whom she had met through MySpace. This is just one example of the crimes that have resulted through communication on these social networking sites. To combat crimes resulting from the sites, some precautionary measures have been taken. In particular, MySpace has restrictions on age and does not allow convicted sex offenders to possess accounts.

While the negative aspects of social networking do need to be examined, it is important to recognize that through user awareness, these sites can provide very positive experiences. College students should use social networking sites to supplement their traditional college social life. By using social networking sites solely to connect with college peers and stay in touch with old high school friends, the negative aspects of social networking can be alleviated.



Ellison, Nicole, Charles Steinfield, Cliff Lampe. “The Benefits of Facebook “Friends:” Social Capital and College Students’ Use of Online Social Network Sites.” Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 12(4)2007: 1143-1168.