Associations Between Off-line Social Functioning and Online Social Network Interactions Among Emerging Adults

Abstract

Communication through social networking platforms is central to the social experience of today’s emerging adults. In this study, we examined associations between emerging adults’ off-line social functioning (i.e., social skills and social anxiety) and online interactions on the social networking platform Facebook. A novel Facebook application was developed to systematically capture Facebook interactions of 92 students (59% female; M age = 18.57 years). Trained coders rated online language for content related to social interactivity and emotional valence. Self-report questionnaires measured social skills and social anxiety. Endorsement of higher social skills was associated with posts more frequently referencing existing off-line relationships, initiating interactions specific to an online context, and referencing both oneself and others positively. Ratings of higher social anxiety were associated with posts more frequently initiating interactions online and posts praising/supporting other users. Study methodology highlights the feasibility of capitalizing on novel technology to better understand links between off-line and online interactions.

“Protecting my Positivity”: Emerging Adults as Social Media Actors, Agents, and Authors

“…Just as their peers across the world, South African emerging adults use social media as a central stage for their personal and social development. It became clear how social media engagements permeates the everyday lives of this group of participants, echoing the findings of many previous research studies in this field (Bosch, 2020; Coyne et al, 2013; 2016; Dunn & Falkof, 2021; Hagedorn, 2016; Ohannessian et al, 2017; Ross et al, 2021; Vannucci et al, 2019). Participants agreed with the description of social media as a ‘super peer’ (Strasburger, 2012) and appreciated the fluid, flexible, and emergent nature of online groups and platforms (as mentioned by Noveck et al, 2021), which enabled a comfortable interconnectedness between their online and offline selves (Subrahmanyam et al, 2006).…”

“…Over the last few decades, the social media environment has become a prominent landscape for socialisation and an important developmental context for young people in particular (Breen et al, 2017; Coyne et al, 2013; 2016; Manago, 2015; Ohannessian et al, 2017; Ross et al, 2021; Vannucci et al, 2019, 2020). The development of a stable sense of identity is a key task during emerging adulthood (ages 18 to 29, Arnett, 2000, 2016; Schwartz et al, 2016).…”