Obtained from author with the author's permission for publication
by APCUG member groups.
Today’s college student is as familiar with Facebook as they
are to types of Starbucks coffee, episodes of Grey’s Anatomy,
and the rising cost of their university tuition.
Students, who comprise the majority of Facebookers, are
obsessing over the popular social networking site. In order to
gain a clearer understanding of how students are utilizing the
site, let’s examine the role Facebook plays in the life of the
typical college student.
Anson Jablinski, a sophomore of Baylor University, believes
Facebook is extremely useful as a “place to keep track of
friends as they spread out and attend various colleges.” After
keeping a tally of how often he logs on to the site, Anson
realized he visits it approximately 16 times a day.
Another Baylor sophomore, Elizabeth Lawrence admits that she
lives on Facebook. “I check it practically every thirty minutes
to every hour that I am on the computer (which is 9 hours a
day),” said Elizabeth. She considers Facebook to be part of her
daily routine.
Like many students, Anson and Elizabeth check the ‘newsfeed’
portion of Facebook that provides any updates that occur on
their friends’ profiles, as well as notifications of new
messages. This feature allows users to stay informed in the
lives of their Facebook friends.
While visiting the site numerous times a day may seem obsessive,
being an active member of Facebook has its benefits.
It’s an excellent resource, as it provides the contact
information (cell phone, address, personal websites, e-mail,
hometown) of the user’s Facebook friends.
Students can use the site as a tool to connect with classmates,
form study groups, or ask questions concerning coursework.
Facebook provides ultimate connectivity, free of charge and
available wherever one can find internet connectivity.
Junior Baylor student, Helena Sung, appreciates the social
benefits of being a member of the networking site. “The ‘about
me’ section gives you some insight into what kind of person
he/she is,” says Helena, “if you want to get to know someone
better and have a better relationship with others, Facebook can
be the start of connection.”
Student artists, writers, and musicians often use the site to
showcase their talent. They can easily inform their friends
about upcoming events, and ask for feedback on their work.
Users can add extra ‘applications’ to their profile that are
simply for fun and entertainment. For instance, students will
send virtual gifts to their friends, or can
buy a virtual drink for someone using the Happy Hour
application. Petlovers can even create profiles for their
animals through the dogbook/catbook applications. With all
of the available applications, Facebook offers a great
temporary escape from the stress of school.
In college, balancing one’s social life with one’s academics can
be tricky, and certainly, this social networking site has the
potential to add further complications. However, if students are
able to reasonably limit their usage of Facebook, they can
benefit from its advantages without allowing it to distract from
their studies.
This article has been provided personally by the
author solely for publication by APCUG member groups. All other uses
require the permission of the author (see e-mail address above).
