Facebook “Friends”: social capital and college students' use of online social network sites.Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. Empirical research has linked social capital to many positives in society, such as improved mental and physical health, economic well-being, etc. Thus, social capital is important for the success of civil society. This research examined the relationships between Facebook use and the formation and maintenance of social capital amongst university students. The study also examined factors specific to the South African context and drew comparisons to the results of the original study. Analysis of the results suggests a strong association between the intensity of Facebook use and perceived bridging, bonding and maintained social capital. This paper broadens the understanding of Facebook usage by introducing the dimensions of race and age. Facebook usage was found to interact with measures of psychological well-being, suggesting that it might be beneficial to students experiencing low self-esteem and low life satisfaction.
Originally, the Facebook network was meant for students' use on campus, but is it worthwhile for them? Facebook is a broad source of information for students, offering correspondence between students, providing files and information exchange, and allowing new acquaintances on campus. On the other hand, Facebook includes a variety of distractions, such as uploading pictures, viewing profiles, videos, and photos of friends, chatting with friends, and playing, which lead to procrastination and injures the learning process. The present study was conducted in order to examine the influence of Facebook on the students' learning process in undergraduate demanding faculties, such as engineering. In particular, it was aimed at identifying various costs and benefits associated with the students' use of Facebook and investigating the impact of the colleges/schools' Facebook pages on the students' use of Facebook for learning purposes.