Personality Trait and Communication in Social Networks - Essay Example

Social Media Personality Trait and Communication In Social Network There is a relationship between individual personality traits and communication on online social media. Patterns in conversation in the various social media sites can reveal personality traits of users to some extent. Murat (77), while examining the relationship between personality traits of students and the use of face book, asserts that the users of facebook are either extroverts or narcissistic. Murat (77) further vindicates that there is a possibility facebook users or social media in general have a sense of loneliness in their families contrary to the non-users. There is a perception that non-users of social media are timid, scrupulous, and unsocial. Murat reveals that students who are extrovert use and stay longer on the social media sites in comparison to the introverts. Interestingly, people who are shy and anxious are frequent users of these sites though despite them having fewer following or friends. There is a trend that individuals who exhibit honesty in these sites tend to get social support from users of the social sites in discussion. However, it can be argued that individuals with smaller social friends in these sites have little motivation to use the networking sites hence it can be argued that the relationship between shyness and how frequently the sites are used has no significance. It is for these reasons that it can be stated with absolute certainty that the purpose of using social media sites; the methods incorporated; time spent; and on the sites have a relationship with individual traits of the users (Murat 77). The big five model of personality can be effectively and efficiently validated to illuminate the above conviction. Report from ProQuest (1) lists that the big five model constitutes of contentiousness, openness to experience, agreeableness, neuroticism, and extroversion. Extroversion encompasses either an individual possessing the trait of being an outgoing individual and energetic or the converse where one exhibits the traits of being reserved and solitary. On the other hand, neuroticism includes how sensitive or nervous individuals can be or how secure and confident they are while agreeableness tends to focus on friendliness and compassionate and conversely unkind and cold nature of some persons. ProQuest report (1) also asserts that conscientiousness attempts to categorize traits in terms of how efficient and organized a person can be or being easy going but careless. The last of the big five entails traits that certain kind of people exhibit by being open to experience. Openness to experience is weight on inventiveness and curiosity or traits of being consistent but cautious. These factors are preempted to play a crucial role in determining the how different personality contributes to the way individuals communicate in the online social media. To reinforce these convictions further, the ProQuest report highlights the different methodologies that can be employed to identify the relationship between these traits in discussion and communication in the social media. One of the modalities that researchers have incorporated is the use of questionnaire based on theory. The other technique which was utilized by the ProQuest (3) is through the analysis of the language individuals in the process of communicating with others. This is a lexical approach where vital individual differences are encoded in reference to traits and when they are decoded, individual personality trait can be determined. The concept behind the argument in ProQuest (2) about personality is synchronization or the integration of the attitude, emotions, and responses in terms of behavioral patterns that individuals manifest. It assists in the analysis of interactions between persons in the determination or relationship social media and personality. The findings of the ProQuest report (7) through the modality of analysis of relation between personalities of users that are linked in various social media threads. Through the shared threads it can be validated that users have ideas and knowledge that they share. The other technique that helped to manifest this relation was through the analysis of relationship between the various pasts/threads. There are higher chances for people with certain dimension personality values to interact or rather communicate with similar dimensions. Murat (75) extrapolates that social media has completely revolutionized lives since the traditional channels of communication have been rendered ineffective for individuals to either follow or share information. In other words it ended the dominance of the traditional mass media. Earlier before the era of social media (information age), certain media outlets would actually determine the agendas of the globe. This phenomenon changed with the emergence of social media which rapidly suffocated the world. In addition, the advancement of technological devices used to access these sites has significantly precipitated the use of these channels or avenues. The most popular sites are myspace, twitter and facebook though facebook has emerged to be having an edge over the mentioned sites. Murat (75) elaborates that initially, facebook was intended to be a tool for students. However, it changed to accommodate every individual of 13 years of age and above. Murat (75) attempts to point out factors that motivate of lure individuals into social media sites. He argues that gender difference affects the consumption and usage of the sites in discussion. Besides Murat (76) attempts to answer reasons why individuals use social media sites and how the sites affect individual behavior. He asserts that one of the reason for using these sites help in the affirmation of self or individual qualities. On the other hand young persons or adults use the sites to maintain relationship, as well as pass time when bored. It provides channels through which people can are able to express their opinions, convictions, and beliefs, as well as interact with one another. Interestingly, others use the social media sites to increase their popularity. They tend to add or follow many friends with the sole intention of wanting people to admire them. Moreover, people have developed an inherent deep need to communicate with other persons they share or have an offline connection with. Using facebook as an example, Murat (76) elaborates that behind the use of this site there is the desire to promote self or individual identity. It provides a platform for individuals who are egocentric to take full advantage of the available opportunity to propagate themselves with studies revealing that self presentation instincts significantly influence the use of social media avenues. Nevertheless, entertainment is one of the greatest contributors to the use of the sites in question. Murat (76) believes that facebook gaining competitive age over other sites is due to the ability of the site to provide its users with the leverage of some psychological and pleasure benefits. It is imperative to know that these sites influence the behavior of humans in several aspects. Apparently, young adults and more so the youths have incorporated the use of these channels as part and parcel of their daily lives in comparison to the slightly older generation who visits the sites less frequently. Numerous literature works and articles have been published in attempts to substance validate the effects and implications of the social media sites. Some of the implications is on the behavioral patterns of the users are as positive as they are at times negative. Murat (76) argues that students in universities or higher learning institutions are able to communicate informally when at risk or build and create good team spirit and also help them in taking individual responsibilities in their studies. The other positive impact of social media to the lives of users is that it helps in the development of certain traits such as self confidence. For instant, facebook triggers individuals to selectively self present themselves in an environment that is digitally presided over or mediated which in turn impacts greatly in the elevation of self esteem. Murat describes the culture inculcated or instilled by the media sites as an object of popularized culture where people in the society can maintain and construct their opinions and expressions in terms of gender, parenting, sexuality, and relationship among other issues. However, the negative implications may involve the contents of profiles or content paraded in the social media sites. These contents at times leave more questions than answers as some have the potential of making individuals develop negative feeling due to uncalled for negative judgment by friends. For example, facebook users tend to navigate their friends’ profiles and may give negative comments or judgments that are irrational. In addition, at times these sites hoodwink individuals from the realities of lives. An individual may post or thread subjects that indicate how happy they are with their lives which may not be necessarily be the case. Admittedly, more often than not, when individuals post happy moments of their lives, it usually creates a fallacy among friends or users of the same sites that they are indeed happy. Due to these perceptions, other users may make comparison with their lives and make judgment on how unfair life can be at times. As highlighted earlier, one of the technological developments that have catapulted the use of social media is mobile phones. Mobile phones with advanced features are frequently being launched into the marketing arena. These new features allure people as they develop the deep need to be trendy by possessing latest models in the market. Michael (96) elaborates that the number of mobile phone users has been on the increase with reports indicating that in 2013 approximately 7billoin individuals subscribes to the use of these gadgets. Different uses of these gadgets have some significant relation with peoples’ subjective well being as well as social capital. Studies show that regular vocal communication through mobile phones is an indication of the existence of a bond between the conversing individuals. These individuals may be friends or relatives. These devices perform more than communication purposes as they integrate other videos, audios and display of texts on the surfaces of the screens. The mobile phone, as a source of communication, is the most improving technology in the world. Research has it that, it has greatly affected people’s daily lives due to its connection with other forms of social relations and communications technologies (Michael 96). Mobile phone is a whole package. Highest ranking on its uses is the repeated conversations occurring within family and friendship circles, followed by internet applications then audio, video uploads to text messaging. In addition, mobile phones are also a source of information, entertainment through favorite movies, music and games (Michael 97). The use of mobile phone is mostly effective depending on the individual person, in relation to social networking and capital, being the most important of all even to providing answers to questions in relation to communication and social capital. On the aspect of mobile phones and subjective well being (SWB), Michael extrapolates that SWB encompasses subjective evaluation of individuals in reference to their quality of lives. It does not factor in externally generated factors such as wealth and physical health. It is often weighed in terms of social and psychological consequences or results. Michael argues that mobile phones lead to new forms of networking that are so individualistic. There is an emerging trend that tends to insinuate life satisfaction by trying to relate it to the user of internet. On the other hand, social capital is perceived to be an outcome or resultant consequence of social interactions more so when theses interactions are frequent or rather regular. Michael (100) points out that the suitability of mobile phones in the maintenance of the social capital. It is facilitated with the ability of mobile phones to enable individuals to connect much more closely. However, it can be question whether mobile phones help in bridging social capital that is linked to weak connectivity or ties. Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, mobile phones provide access to social media sites besides the communication provision. These services tend to perpetuate social capital bonding especially in the sustenance of weak ties. They help in minimizing time and cost involved in maintenance of relationship with large group or number of acquaintances (Michael 101). Work Cited: ProQuest. Report Information from ProQuest.1-14 2015 Murat, Yesil. The Relationship between Facebook Use and Personality Traits of University Students. International Journal of Academic Research. 2014. 6, 2:75-80 Michael, Chan. Mobile phones and the good life: Examining the relationships among mobile use, social capital and subjective well-being new media & society 2015, 17(1) 96–113 Read More