Facebook Users Are More “Socially” Aware Than Offline Friends [Social Psych]


Facebook Photo Collage - Friends List

Facebook users are more “socially aware” of their environment, at least that’s what a new survey found for Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project.

The survey phoned 2,225 American adults and found that Facebook users tend to be more trusting of other people, have a larger group of friends and on average they tend to engage in “civic duties” more than their non-connected friends.

Previous studies have concluded that social networking isolates users, while this study stares in the face of those accusations and even challenges them, according to the LATimes the study found the following:

— Someone who logs into Facebook multiple times a day is 43% more likely than other Internet users and more than three times as likely as someone who does not use the Internet to feel that most people can be trusted.

— Someone who uses Facebook several times per day averages 9% more close, core ties in their overall social network compared with other Internet users.

— Someone who visits the site multiple times a day was two and a half times more likely to attend a political rally or meeting, 57% more likely to persuade someone to vote for a candidate and 43% more likely to have said they would vote.

Adding to the social relevance of such sites the study found that 15% of Facebook users update their statuses on a daily basis, while 22% comment on their friends posts and 20% comment on a friend’s photo. Another 26% “like” their friends content and 10% send private messages to at least one person in their Facebook friends list per day.

On the flip side, non-Facebook survey takers had a wide disconnect and rarely communicated with their entire circle of friends with many non-Facebook users having a very small circle of friends.


James Kosur

James Kosur has worked in the new media space for the last 10 years, helping many publications build their audiences to millions of monthly readers. He currently serves as the CEO of Aven Enterprises LLC.

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