Facebook Is Using You - Research Paper Example

Introduction Social networking gained popularity as online interactive media enabled social interaction between users, their friends, families and their business associates. Several social networking sites have developed based on web2.0 technology and the users range from individuals to businesses. Social networking platforms have blurred the lines between the young and the old, between individuals and businesses, between personal and professional lives. Users freely create their profiles and advertise unabashedly about themselves. There are hundreds of social networking sites which keep millions engaged on the internet. Amongst the most popular social networking sites are FaceBook, MySpace and Hi5. Facebook or the “blue page” appears to be amongst the most used platform with 845 million users (Sengupta 2012). There are 425 million users that access Facebook through their mobile devices. Facebook will now be selling shares of stock to the public (Andrews 2012). People have started talking blue to the extent that it has been giving rise to concerns as people post a lot of personal information on their profiles or as status message. While this provides people with a platform to remain connected with family and friends, the disadvantages far exceed the benefits that people can leverage from it. Cyber attacks and cyber bullying are the two main issues which the Facebook users are constantly under threat of. Research questions Under the circumstances it is of interest to know why, despite these disadvantages, people use Facebook so regularly. User behavior is also of importance and it would be of academic interest to know their experience with Facebook as a networking platform. What do the Facebook users gain through this platform and how could the regulators make it easier for the users. These are some of the critical issues facing most users, and would be probed into, in this research paper. Current data and statistics Facebook usage has reached phenomenal figures. Even though Google was the most visited site in US with 153 million visitors, FB with 138 million visitors, was the most popular social network site (BBC News 29 December 2011). The table below gives the details of the web brand and the number of unique visitors that the brand received during 2011. While popularity of social networking is on the rise, web-based email is on the decline. Web brand Unique visitors per month SOURCE: NIELSEN 1. Google 153,441,000 2. Facebook 137,644,000 3. Yahoo 130,121,000 4. MSN/WindowsLive/Bing 115,890,000 5. YouTube 106,692,000 6. Microsoft 83,691,000 7. AOL Media Network 74,633,000 8. Wikipedia 62,097,000 9. Apple 61,608,000 10. Ask Search Network 60,552,000 Source: BBC News 29 December 2011 Secondary data Facebook Addiction The millions of Facebook users spend 10 billion minutes every day checking in with friends, writing on people’s walls, clicking through photos and keeping pace with their friends, family and associates (Hafner, 2009). FB is like any other addiction and fortunately the youth is gradually recognizing the toll that this takes on their academic life. Some have limited their FB activity to once a month. Some others have deactivated their account while yet others give their passwords to friends to keep control over the page till they feel ready to come back. Apart from being time consuming, the teenagers also do not find it fulfilling or enriching. Facebook is like watching a social landscape where one gets the feel of everything that everyone is doing. This makes one obsessed with one’s position in this landscape and it is difficult to turn away. However, teenagers have been able to maintain their balance and deactivate their accounts although Facebook it not willing to share the number of users that have deactivated their account. Initially people start off with Facebook thinking it enhances and enriches their social life only to be disappointed and distracted over time. Damage to the brain It is not merely disappointing and distracting Facebook addiction can even damage the child’s brain. Greenfield (2009), a neuroscientist, contends that if such addiction continues, a world without long-term relationships, a world where people are unable to understand the consequences of their actions or empathize with others, is not very far. This could hamper happiness and prosperity and threaten the very survival. Technologies such as Facebook can alter how the mind works. Brains are susceptible to change and the environment in which humans live has changed over the past generations. All experiences leave a mark on the brain as per neuroscience. The child’s brain is the most vulnerable because it has not yet acquired all the experiences. Three areas of computing will leave a mark on human life – social networking, online societies and computer games. Since children are being kept away from playing outdoors, more and more children are turning to the computers as they find a whole new world open before them. More than 50% people between 12 and 17 years of age have their own profile on Facebook. Greenfield contends that social networking satisfies the basic human need to belong and receive instant recognition and feedback. Hafner finds that the youth does not find it fulfilling and hence turns away from it after some time. Because of lack of face-to-face conversation, people are also losing their social skills as they need not maintain a polished tone or body language. People are less conscious, less embarrassed, less concerned and less inhibited about how they would be evaluated. Cyber hacking While people love to remain connected through Facebook, they do not realize how their conversation, posts and likes are being tracked and used by advertisers for target marketing. Facebook’s inventory consists of personal data of users. Facebook sells space to advertisers who want to reach the users. For instance, if the word cupcake has been mentioned in the status, immediately an advertisement of the closest bakery will appear on the page (Andrew 2012). This is an instance of how people’s privacy is being encroached upon and used for growing business. What is even worse is that such ads may actually be a ploy to track the user’s personal data by an existing or a probable employer. Countries like the US do not even have a law that permits people to know what data companies have about them. Almost 85% of FB’s total revenue came through such advertisements. Cyber bullying The Department of Culture, Media and Sport is responsible for policies aimed at preventing cyber bullying but the department has not been able to control it. Cyber bullying has gone beyond limits when it even ruined memories of the deceased Charlotte Porter by posting offensive comments on the FB memorial site, a year after the death of the 17-year old (BBC News 2012). While the culprit was imprisoned it demonstrates social networking sites can be disastrous; it can ruin families. The law makers were the law- breakers when more than 150 police officers faced disciplinary action against their posts on Facebook. Through FB posts people even harass their ex-colleagues or ex-partners and even make comments about officers’ wives (BBC News 2011). They even use this platform to post racist comments. Using abusive language and leaving undesirable comments about female colleagues is quite common. All these continue to occur because there are limited or inconsistent policies on what is acceptable and what is not. Police officers, like other users have a right to privacy but they should be aware of the risks they are subject to, when they identify themselves as members of the service. Facebook as a platform to conduct surveys Facebook is not merely using data to derive mileage; it also allows the platform to be used to conduct surveys and researches. It has been used to conduct a survey of motives and attitudes of college students that use nonmedical prescription. This survey which was targeted at students that had misused prescription medication returned 527 valid responses, thereby surpassing typical benchmarks for online surveys (Lord, Brevard and Budman 2011). This demonstrates the potential for social network sites to serve as powerful vehicles to connect with college students about drug use. Facebook has a diverse audience appeal and broad reach and hence it could serve as an ideal platform to deliver health programs to young adults as well as health professionals. It is expected that prevention programs could be better reached through Facebook as individuals with substance use might be reluctant to seek help from other sources. Facebook has pervaded all countries of the world and is equally popular with both sexes. A study conducted among Saudi women revealed their reasons for Facebook usage and their experiences in using Facebook. The study found that women find this an interesting platform to connect with family and friends, to share their thoughts and to express their feelings (Al-Saggaf 2011). They even engaged in taking quizzes and found this an interesting part of being on Facebook. These women also indulged in self-disclosure through their profiles but had privacy concerns. Some joined Facebook as it provided them with a platform to share their political views on public affairs. As far as the experience with usage is concerned, there were mixed feelings. Some found it an interesting platform as it made them more sociable and self-confident while others found that it took time away from their family-time. This finding is particularly interesting given that Saudi Arabia has restriction on what can be said on social networking sites. This also suggests that since women are not looked at favorably when discussing politics, they find Facebook as a platform to give vent to their feelings. This further suggests that people from other cultures also could be using Facebook as a tool to conduct activities which they are restrained from. Social networking sites are designed to share information about the self with others, including likes/dislikes, hobbies, and through wall posts and status messages. Through such activity people recognize their own shortcomings and limitations which can affect their self-esteem, even if it is temporarily. It could either lower their self-esteem or enhance their self-esteem depending upon the impact. Human beings have a tendency to self-evaluate based on broader social norms and standards. This normally results in lower ratings and lower self-image. Viewing one’s profile online can prompt downgrading of self-esteem according to the Objective Self-Awareness (OSA) theory. People view their profiles very often and they also take their own time in posting about themselves. However, a study conducted by Gonzales and Hancock (2011) found that selective self-presentations in digital mediated environments can have a positive influence on self-esteem. This is in contrast with the OSA theory which suggests that when people compare with social norms, it could lead to lower self-esteem. Exposure to information presented on one’s Facebook profile could enhance self-esteem especially when it is edited to enhance self-presentation. This suggests that Facebook has not created new motivation for self-presentation but has only provided a new tool to implement such motives. Problems revealed through secondary data The secondary data reveals several advantages and disadvantages of using Facebook. It is an excellent tool for people to remain connected with family and friends. Because of the extensive usage by the youth, it is also being used as a platform to conduct surveys and to reach out to them with health programs. It is believed that it would be possible to reach out to more people through this platform than through any other means. People also find it a useful medium to enhance their self-esteem. However, these appear to be insignificant advantages compared to the numerous disadvantages encountered. Over time it becomes an addiction but many are able to maintain a balance. However, addiction can cause damage to the brain as it alters the way the mind functions. User data is utilized for advertising and marketing while cyber bullying is also a regular phenomenon. Thus users are exposed to tremendous amount of risks but they still continue to use the platform. What is even more intriguing is that women in Saudi Arabia also extensively use Facebook to connect with their family and friends. Practical primary research A questionnaire survey was conducted among thirty students and youth at YSU. Most of the respondents were between the age of 18 and 30 and the findings revealed that all but one had a Facebook account. More than 50% of the respondents had been on Facebook for over 4 years while the Facebook has been in existence for only five years. This demonstrates the level of addiction that Facebook induces the moment people start with it. People try to develop self-esteem and self-identity through their Facebook profiles. This perhaps is the reason that almost 40% of the respondents admitted to checking their profiles daily and another 40% check their profiles on a weekly basis. More than two-thirds of the respondents spend more than one hour in checking their Facebook accounts daily while almost one-third admitted that they do not know how much time they spend on Facebook. This implies that they spend too much time and would not like to admit or they actually spend so much of time that they lose track of the number of hours spent on Facebook. More than 50% of the respondents admitted that they spend over 7 hours in connecting with the family or friends, and the rest spend between two to six hours. This suggests that connecting with family and friends is the major activity on Facebook. The major activity, apart from connecting with friends and family, include playing games, reading news, and sharing photos. Most of the respondents had between 150 to 300 people on their friend list while more than two-thirds had over 300 people on their friend list. More than 60% of the respondents also had Facebook application on their mobile devices such as iPhones, iPads and iPods. More than 70% of the respondents update their status on a monthly basis while some never post any status message. All the respondents have been tagged by friends in videos and photos and most have been tagged in 20-40 photos and videos. Only five of the twenty-nine respondents expressed annoyance at getting tagged while the rest did not get annoyed at being tagged. Most use their real name on Facebook while six of the respondents do not use their real names. All the respondents said they would recommend their friends that do not have a Facebook account, to sign up. The findings from the primary data corroborate to some extent with secondary data however, no incidence of cyber bullying and cyber hacking have been reported. The respondents too find it an addiction and that it takes time away from the family. However, most would recommend the platform to their friends as well. They do have privacy concerns but they continue to use Facebook to keep in touch with their friends and family, to share photos, to play games and to read news. They also use it as a medium to express their political views on public affairs to which they otherwise have no access. They do not object to being tagged in videos and photos by their friends and they access Facebook even through mobile devices. They regularly check their profiles and update it which helps to enhance their self-esteem. This primary data was limited to one region and hence may not reflect world opinion. However, the world’s largest social network now faces intense security from consumers, courts and regulators worldwide. While its business model relies on the hose of information that its users willingly share, users in Europe are demanding greater control over their information. Facebook is now required by law to expunge every bit of personal information at the request of the user (Sengupta 2012). In the US, FB faces government audits about how it collects and shares data. Despite the misuse of data by such social networking sites, regulators are not able to manage the privacy regulations. Because of the vast amount of user data available, data analysis specialists have also come into existence. They have found infinite ways to slice and dice the data and sell the information to advertisers which has changed how online marketing works. A PEW study has found that more women and young consumers have become more active in protecting their privacy since 2009 (Epic 2011). They are deleting comments posted by others from their wall or removing the tags in videos and photos. They are even deleting people from their “friends” list. Facebook has recently introduced a new feature called TIMELINE which has allowed Facebook to take control over user’s data from the user and has made the information widely available without the prior consent of the user. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires Facebook to give prominent notice and take user’s consent before changing their privacy settings. FTC considers these as unfair and deceptive trade practices. The FTC is also taking steps to ensure that FTC does not engage in tracking users across the web and also to stop making facial recognition profiles without the users’ consent. While Facebook has facilitated deleting accounts, they disclaim all liability of the information already posted by the users. Proposed solution Users continue to use Facebook because of the social connections and the self-esteem it enhances. However, little do they realize how damaging it can be and how it encroaches on the privacy of the users. While in Europe the users have raised objections to personal information being used, this is not the case in other regions of the world. Therefore, the first step that the FTC should take is to make people conscious of the pitfalls of such sites. They should also be made conscious of their rights as users of social networking sites and how their personal information is being misused. FTC should have a global body where users could register complaints against cyber hacking and cyber bullying. Users should be cautious in what they want to share and with whom they should share. Since the information is being used by banks and insurance companies, revealing too much of personal information can go against their professional interests. Moreover, users should define their boundaries of personal and professional life in their own interests. Conclusion With the aim to evaluate why users continue to log on to Facebook despite the numerous disadvantages, this research was undertaken. The research finds that Facebook has become an addiction with the youth who use this medium to remain connected to enhance their self-esteem and to gather news, exchange photos and videos. This has reduced the popularity of web-based mail. The advertisers use the user data to devise their marketing strategy and advertise through Facebook which is the largest source of revenue for Facebook. However, Facebook has not been able to control cyber crimes and piracy despite warnings by the FTC. Users in Europe have started objecting to their personal information being shared and FTC too demands that prior consent of the users should be taken before their information is shared. Facebook however, disclaims all liability even when the Facebook account is deactivated and hence it is not likely that they are able to protect the privacy rights of the users that are active. People of all ages continue to use this social networking site as it is the easiest and cheapest means to gather information about family and friends, the easiest means to share and exchange videos and photos. Since it has a diverse usage across regions and countries, it is also used as platform to conduct market research or to disseminate vital information. However, the pitfalls are many and the regulators should take drastic measures to ensure the security and privacy of the users. Works Cited Al-Saggaf, Yeslam. "Saudi Females on Facebook: An Ethnographic Study." International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Society 9.1 (2011): 1-19 Andrews, Lori. "Facebook Is Using You." The New York Times, Sunday Review. 4 Feb. 2012. Web. 4 May 2012. BBC News. "Facebook troll ruined memories of Charlotte Porter." BBC News. Kent. 30 April, 2012. Web. 4 May 2012. BBC News. "150 officers warned over Facebook posts." BBC News. UK. 30 Dec. 2011. Web. 4 May 2012. BBC News. "Google and Facebook top 2011s most visited sites in US." BBC News. Technology. 29 Dec. 2011. Web. 4 May 2012. Epic. "Facebook Privacy." Electronic Privacy Information Center. 2011. Web. 4 May 2012. . Gonzales, Amy, L. and Hancock, Jeffrey, T. "Mirror, Mirror on my Facebook Wall: Effects of Exposure to Facebook on Self-Esteem." CYBERPSYCHOLOGY, BEHAVIOR, AND SOCIAL NETWORKING 14.1/2 (2011): 79-86 Greenfield, Susan. "How Facebook addiction is damaging your childs brain: A leading neuroscientists chilling warning." Mail Online, Daily Mail UK. 23 April. 2009. Web. 4 May 2012. Hafner, Katie. "To Deal With Obsession, Some Defriend Facebook." The New York Times, Internet. 20 Dec. 2009. Web. 4 May 2012. Lord, Sarah. Brevard, Julie and Budman, Simon. 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