The Relationship Between Facebook and the Well-Being - Essay Example

Article Evaluation Article Evaluation Purpose of the experiment The purpose of the study was to investigatehow the use of Facebook relates to a person’s well-being. In particular, the researchers investigated how Facebook and attitudes relate to college adjustment and self-confidence. Using undergraduate students as the participants, the researchers were keen to generate findings that would expand the current knowledge regarding Facebook and well-being. They also evaluated how the use of Facebook relates to other variables that measure academic, emotional, and social adjustment and attachment to colleges.

Additionally, they aimed at analyzing how the relationships between Facebook use and well-being differ between the seniors and first-year student (Kalpidou 2011). 2) The study featured four hypotheses a. There exist a negative relationship between the students’ well-being and Facebook use. The number of Facebook friends, time spent on Facebook, and social connection has a negative relationship with variables related to college adjustment and self-esteem. b. There is a positive relationship between Facebook variables and social adjustment. c. Facebook variables will give varying adjustments in the senior class and first-year students. d. The upper-class students and the first-year students differ on how they use and their attitudes towards Facebook. 3) Operational Definitions in the study Facebook friends, Facebook time, self-esteem, social adjustment, total adjustment, attachment of institution, academic adjustment, emotional connection, social connection, and emotional adjustment.

Dependent Variables Self-esteem, social adjustment, total adjustment, attachment of institution, academic adjustment, emotional connection, social connection, and emotional adjustment Independent Variables Facebook friends, Facebook time 4) Summary of the Results The results supported the first hypothesis by confirming that there is a negative relationship between the time spent on Facebook and a person’s self-esteem. It, therefore, implies that those who spend much time have low self-esteem.

The results showed a negative relationship between Facebook friends and college adjustment. It implies that the students with most Facebook friends adjust poorly to college life. The results failed to support the second hypothesis as the researchers found no significant correlations between social and emotional connection to well-being and Facebook use (Kalpidou 2011). The results confirmed the third hypothesis as the experiment found immense differences between Facebook friends and academic and emotional adjustment in the two classes of students.

For students in the upper-class, there was a positive relationship between academic adjustment and having several Facebook friends. For the first-years, having several Facebook friends did not relate to college adjustment. In addition, the two groups differed on how their social and emotional connection to Facebook correlated to their well-being (Kalpidou 2011). Lastly, the results confirmed the fourth hypothesis. The first-years spent more time on the social site than their counterparts. The upper-class students had more friends on Facebook than the first-years.

The latter also reported increased emotional connection to the social site than the upper-class students. Both upper-class and first-year students, however, provided similar information in their Facebook profiles (Kalpidou 2011). 5) A variation of the experiment My experiment would investigate the relationship between participation in Facebook activities or the regularity of Facebook use to student participation and engagement in class. The hypothesis would be that increased use of Facebook and participation in Facebook activities relates positively to student engagement in class.

I would use university students as the participants without placing emphasis on their race or ethnicity. Reference Kalpidou, M., Costin, D., & Morris, J. (2011). The Relationship Between Facebook and the Well-Being of Undergraduate College Students. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 14(4), 183-189.