COLLEGE STUDENTS' FRIENDSHIPS, SELF-ESTEEM, AND EXPERIENCE USING FACEBOOK

Abstract

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between Facebook use, friendship, and self-esteem for college age participants who have had a Facebook account throughout adolescence. Previous research has shown a need to study friendship and self-esteem in relation to Facebook use. Because Facebook has been so pervasive, and friendship and self-esteem so integral to adolescent development, it was important to examine how these constructs related to one another. The present study examined 96 undergraduate college students' Facebook use, friendship, and self-esteem through online questionnaires. This study had important results including a positive correlation between number of Facebook friends and friendship intimacy, which was unexpected considering that past research on Facebook, friendship, and self-esteem indicated otherwise. The present results support the conclusion that friendship as an overall construct might be changing, which could also mean that Facebook has played a role in how we form, maintain, and view friendships.