WHAT IS AN ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORK?
So exactly how do we define an online social network, and how is it any different from, say, an offline social network? Sociologists, who frequently criticize modern society for having destroyed traditional communities, unfortunately have not given US very good definitions of social networks and community. One study examined 94 different sociological definitions of community and found four areas of agreement. Social net¬works involve (a) a group of people, (b) shared social interaction, (c) common ties among members, and (d) people who share an area for some period of time (Hillery, 1955). This will be our working definition of a social network. Social networks do not necessarily have shared goals, purposes, or intentions. Indeed, social networks can be places where people just “hang out," share space, and communicate.