4.1.1 The Different Roles of Social Networks
The participants were asked about which roles social networks can fulfill. Their views
on the versatility of social networks determine how they use them, which is an element on
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their behavioral pattern. There was a general agreement between the participants that social
networks could fulfill many roles. The first idea was entertainment and personal development.
But some cited roles were: entertainment, communication, academic purposes and career
networking. The purpose is also platform dependent, as many different social networks can or
cannot be used for certain roles. One interesting issue brought up by respondents was that
people are now starting to realize or they will realize the various and more serious roles social
networks can fulfill in time, as their potential for it has not being tapped in full measure.