From Social Network to Privacy Issues - Essay Example

? A Research Review on Facebook: From Social Network to Privacy Issues Outline Paragraph Introduction Paragraph 2. First Scholarly Article: Discussion of the Methodology Paragraph 3. First Scholarly Article: Findings on Advantages of Facebook Paragraph 4. Second Scholarly Article: Discussion of the Methodology Paragraph 5-7. Second Scholarly Article: Findings on Disadvantages of Facebook Paragraph 8. Third Scholarly Article: Discussion of the Methodology Paragraph 9. Third Scholarly Article: Findings on Disadvantages of Facebook Paragraph 10. Conclusion Through the very much increasing popularity and acceptance of social networking sites, it is really difficult to imagine life without Facebook. Different people across the world are engaging to online social networks like Facebook because of the enjoyment and entertainment it brings to them. People join the site, provide details about their personal information, upload pictures and give status updates. What people usually have in their minds is the fun that this online medium can bring. However, it is often the case that they have unaware out on the possible dangers of revealing information across the web. There are many existing research studies on the emergent phenomenon of Facebook. Research on online privacy generally finds out that Facebook as an online social networking site has pros and cons. It is advantageous because of the ability to maintain or even strengthen social capital such as friends, family, colleagues and others (Ellison et al. 1143-1167). However, this research review will shed light on the often taken for granted concerns on online social networking site, in particular, the case of Facebook. This paper is significant for the reason that it presents the existing knowledge on the famous phenomenon of social networking sites through Facebook. It is important because through the examination of the three (3) scholarly (peer-reviewed) articles: “Facebook and Online Privacy: Attitudes, Behaviors, and Unintended Consequences” by Debatin, Lovejoy, Horn and Hughes, “The Benefits of Facebook “Friends”: Social Capital and College Student’s Use of Online Social Networking Sites” by Ellison, Steinfield and Cliff, and “Information Revelation and Privacy in Online Social Networks (The Facebook Case) “ by Gross and Acquisti, I am able to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of online social networking sites. Its advantage lies on the power to develop and even maintain social connections but its disadvantage has something to do with the often taken for granted in our society, which is having a representation of oneself in the web puts the individual at risk from the unintended consequences of online social networking sites. Its risks vary from minor to serious implications of online privacy. As an overview of how this research review will go through, the discussion of this article is presented in such a way that: first shows the benefits of having an online social networking site; next tackles the risks of disclosing personal information in Facebook.; last is the conclusion on the topic being examined, “Advantages and Disadvantages of Facebook.” Indeed, Facebook has been a trendy online social networking site over the years. Its impact on the society is very vast that it is able to encompass a wide range of individuals. Some individuals see Facebook as the extensions of themselves while some see Facebook through the benefit of staying connected to different people. In a Facebook study by Ellison, Steinfield and Lampe which is quantitative in nature, they interviewed a randomly selected sample of 800 Michigan State University (MSU) undergraduate students using a structured questionnaire via online survey (1143-1168). Since they have employed online survey, they only yield a total of 35.8% response rate or equivalent to 286 respondents out of the randomly selected 800 sample. Because online survey is limited to getting the demographic information of the non-responders, researchers of the said study could not identify if bias occurs from their sample. However, they claim it to be representative sample with little exemptions as compared to its universe of MSU undergraduate students. In this regards, I find this claim as already not a representative sample for they have stated that it has a few exemptions. How can a sample be representative when it is skewed not only to a few but to many factors? Thus, this means that is does not represent the population of MSU undergraduate students for the yielded sample is more female (66%) than males (34%), more younger (mean score of 20.1 years old) than the older segment, more in-state (91%) than out-of-state (9%) residence, and more on-campus (55%) than off campus (45%) residence (1149). Moreover, it is vital to note that only 94% among their sample have Facebook accounts but which is the basis of the findings. It would be much clearer if this is earlier stated in the methodology part. With the endeavor to scrutinize and assess the association between Facebook and social capital, this research investigation by Ellison, Steinfield and Lampe figure out that Facebook usage is related to bridging, bonding and maintaining social capital (1143-1168). Strongest relationship exists between use of Facebook and gathering new online contacts or friends because of the hypothesis that the online social network helps lessen the impediments to communication. It is also discovered that the less intense usage of Facebook, the lower the self-esteem, while the more intense usage of Facebook, the higher the self-esteem of being an undergraduate student in MSU. This is also true for satisfaction ratings with life as an undergraduate student in MSU. On the one hand, usage of Facebook and bonding social capital is not strongly associated though a relationship between them exists. Maintained social capital is noted to be increasing as the increase of intensity of Facebook usage. Though the findings are only limited to MSU community, it is important to observe that the respondents describe the components that their Facebook profiles comprise. These elements include personal information on name of high school, status of relationship, photos of themselves alone, screen name in AIM, classes, pictures together with others, and for a few, they indicate mobile numbers (1155). Moreover, online contacts on Facebook who can see their profile involves their high school friends, people in their classes, other friends, total stranger at MSU, someone met at the party, family, resident mentor, total stranger from another campus, professors, administration and law enforcement (1155). Given much revealed information to its different online audiences including the total strangers, it is important to also consider the possible threats of online social networks like Facebook. Privacy in online social networking site, Facebook, is studied by Debatin, Lovejoy, Horn and Hughes (83-108). They investigate Facebook through the following elements: whether its users have awareness on the privacy implications of using the said online site; the understood benefits of its usage; and also, the possible dangers of using Facebook. In order to meet these objectives, the researchers employ both quantitative and qualitative methods (90-93). The tandem of both methodologies is beneficial for the reason that whatever the limitations of the first method are supplemented by the second method while the limitations of the second method are supplemented by the first method. Employing two different approach yields more insightful findings. For the quantitative part, the pool of respondents is interviewed via online survey (90). Convenience sample is employed to obtain a sample of 119 undergraduate college students from Midwestern United States (MSU) (90) in which there are more females with 68%, more 22-24 years old with 27% and almost all are U.S. Americans with 95%. Like Ellison, Steinfield and Lampe (1143-1168), Debatin, Lovejoy, Horn and Hughes (83-108) support the finding that the Facebook is advantageous because it aids on maintaining and promoting social interactions via online. The understood benefits outweigh the probable risk from the online site. Its findings suggest Facebook’s negative implications like being followed or stalked, suffering from harassment, receiving unsolicited and undesirable advances, thieving of personal information, or even spreading or rumors have been experienced by almost 18% of the respondents. Furthermore, it is important to note that despite the experienced damaging results of Facebook, their research figures out that a total of 91% of Facebook users have not only awareness but also familiarity on the privacy settings and using the said feature in the online site but only 77% among the respondents would keep and set the privacy setting of their profiles (Debatin, et al. 93). Not all aware of the privacy settings in Facebook safeguards their profiles while all unaware do not protect their identities in the web. Some would change the privacy settings of their account so it can be viewed only by their friends even though the term “friends” is flexible. The term “friend” is case to case basis because Facebook users send and accept friend requests to people whom have varying degrees of relationship to them. In Facebook, some can be actually friends, some are family, some can be totally complete strangers, and others. As Debatin, Lovejoy, Horn and Hughes (93-94) add, given that nine (9) out of ten disclose their full names in their accounts, share their hometown and birthday, as well as manage to upload their pictures together with others, a big majority of Facebook users promote online contacts to have the access on the personal details they reveal in the social networking site. With the flexible definition of “friend” in Facebook, information about individuals may possibly be disclosed even to people we personally are not acquainted with. Moreover, it is also the case that Facebook users understand more the danger of online privacy concerns to others than to their very own selves. Aside from the self, the others are more affected by Facebook privacy issues. When its users already experience online penetration of their privacy or when they hear about the others’ experience, it will only be the time to set their privacy settings and protect their accounts. To supplement the quantitative findings, qualitative analysis is made from 8 respondents (2 males and 6 females) which are picked from the online survey respondents. Selection of the respondents is based from their answers regarding their self-reported experience of privacy concerns in the online social networking site (Debatin et al. 92). Facebook works as to hasten, strengthen and exaggerate the rumors for some disclosed information are analyzed without its context. It is also the case that the information is shared even though it is no longer a public concern (Debatin et al. 97-98). It also serves as an avenue for hackers such as when they alter your profile identity as well as it is also an opportunity for unwanted contact given that personal information are disclosed in Facebook (Debatin et al. 98-99). To give a focus on the privacy implications on online social networks, Gross and Acquisti examine disclosure of information and privacy in Facebook. This research draws the total of 4540 Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) population who has Facebook. In order to evaluate the respondents’ disclosure of personal details, the whole sample’s profiles are looked for separately to its sex. Profiles are further extracted and downloaded to be used as the database for the study. Demographic profile of this research includes more undergraduate students (74%), more males (60%), and almost all are 18-24 years old (96%). In the evaluation of the data, this study (Gross and Acquisti) agrees and supports the earlier findings by Debatin, Lovejoy, Horn and Hughes (83-108). Information of different sorts is revealed to very large online viewers. As compared to MSU students (Debatin et al. 83-108), CMU students are disclosing almost close percentages of details on the following: real names, profiles with photograph, date of birth, present residence, and even contact number which in this case are skewed to males (Gross and Acquisti). Shared information on each profile in Facebook accounts has unintended risk like that of the online privacy implications. Because of the too much lenience of sending and accepting invites, more and more online contacts we personally not know may inflict harm on individual’s private sphere. For Gross and Acquisti, cyber-stalking is really a threat on one’s privacy. Due to the available data disclosed in the online social networking site, online friends tend to know the Facebook users’ whereabouts which aid the wrongdoing of real-world stalking. Through Facebook comes along the possibility of re-identification through demographics or even photograph. The danger is also when identities are stolen and used by others to their profiles. Indeed, these findings from different studies are too broad and tend to be too much all-encompassing. Different sets of sample have been used in order to scrutinize the growing phenomenon of Facebook. Though there have been gaps in the researches, I recognize that reality of the social world is certainly difficult to capture as real as it is. Researchers, as much as possible, can just try to define and explain the taken for granted realities just like that of Facebook. However, it is significant to notice that across the three (3) articles, there exist commonalities and differences in each. Although the findings are limited only to the context of Facebook in schools, we could not really generalize if the same is true in the world situated outside school. Studies should also be made on the outside the school context. Furthermore, Facebook is beneficial for it helps to build the social connections, social communications and social interactions through the internet. Even though definitely, for me, cyber-stalking to real-world stalking should be a real concern in Facebook studies for the reviewed scholarly articles are limited to the general definition of stalking. The Facebook case is not just harassment and abuse done in the cyberspace. It is not merely as simple as online damage due to information revelation done in different online social networking sites like Facebook. There are even reports that Facebook is even used as an instrument for rape and murder (Smith). Other reports in crimes also involve Facebook in their investigation due to the information that is readily available there (Dover and Tumposky). What is learned from the reviewed researches is that Facebook has advantages and disadvantages. Facebook is fun for it helps individuals to connect to others but what is important is to think of the unintended consequences of personal information revelation in the internet. The real mechanism to protect one’s life to all the possible harms is to limit the amount of information being disclosed to the people in the net whom one can really trust. Works Cited Debatin, Bernhard, Jennette Lovejoy, Ann-Kathrine Horn and Brittany Hughes. “Facebook and Online Privacy: Attitudes, Behaviors, and Unintended Consequences.” Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 15 (2009) 83-108. Print. Dover, Elicia and Ellen Tumposky. “Teen Triangle and Facebook Feud Lead to Murder of 15-Year-Old Florida Boy.” Abc News. Apr. 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. Ellison, Nicole, Charles Steinfield and Lamp Cliff. “The Benefits of Facebook “Friends”: Social Capital and College Student’s Use of Online Social Networking Sites.” Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 12 (2007) 1143-1168. Print. Gross, Ralph and Alessandro Acquisti. “Information Revelation and Privacy in Online Social Networks (The Facebook Case).” WPES Nov. 2005: n. pag. 25 Nov. 2011. Smith, Catharine. “Serial Sex Offender Admits Using Facebook to Rape and Murder Teen.” Huffington Post. Aug. 2010. Web. 25 Nov. 2011 . Read More