Chajet 1 Peri Chajet Professor Adele Richardson ENC.1102.

409 22 April 2013 I Now Pronounce You Facebook Official; You May Now Change Your Status. Introduction All it takes is an idea to change the world and the creator of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, did just that. A simple idea, formed in a college dorm room at Harvard University, changed the way society functions across the nation and the world. This new technology, referred to as social networking, has forever impacted the way people interact with one another. Facebook and other social networking sites have provided a new method of communication for their users by presenting people with the ability to keep close tabs on friends and acquaintances by viewing pictures, status updates, personal information, and much more -- all with the click of a button (Chen and Marcus 2092; Forest and Wood 295; Fox, Warber, Makstaller 1-23; Manago, Taylor, and Greenfield 378; Papp, Danielewicz and Cayemberg 85-86; Sheldon 1; Tousun 1510 -1517; Trepte and Reinecke 1105). The entire process of forming friendships and staying in contact with people has completely changed. Before the introduction of Facebook, people would have to make a more deliberate effort in order to stay in contact with others. Most people kept phonebooks with hand written contact information, and if they wanted to reach a person, they would physically have to look up their information then write a letter or call them up on the telephone in order to have an actual conversation. Now, with the implementation of Facebook, even the concept of the phone book itself has changed as it has essentially become digital. Now, instead of having to make an

Chajet 2 effort to contact people, a person is presented with a constant stream of updates from every single person within ones network through the newsfeed feature of Facebook. A newsfeed is a page where people can post status updates, pictures and videos, share their current location, birthdays, and even share their current relationship status. In daily life, at times, people tend to not feel connected; however, when using Facebook, people gain the ability to constantly be in touch with friends, family, and acquaintances. By disclosing personal information on Facebook and viewing other peoples posts, Facebook users gain the ability to feel more connected to society as a whole (Chen and Marcus 2092; Forest and Wood 295; Papp, Danielewicz and Cayemberg 85-86; Sheldon, Abad, and Hinsch 7-8; Sheldon 1; Tousun 1510 -1517; Trepte and Reinecke1105). With the constant update of newsfeeds, Facebook users are completely connected to everyone making it virtually impossible to miss even a mere acquaintances important life event. Facebook creates a strong desire for its users to stay informed which creates slightly addictive patterns of usage. Having over one billion active monthly users worldwide, the online world of social networking has grown at exponential rates (Fox, Warber, and Makstaller 2). With this rapid growth, new terminology has surfaced including the phrase, Facebook Official (FBO). This has become commonly recognized throughout the world, and the idea of a relationship needing to be publicized to a persons entire network has begun to change the way relationships are formed and viewed (Fox, Warber, Makstaller 1-23; Papp, Danielewicz and Cayemberg 85-86). Particularly in the younger generations, a mentality has begun to form that nothing is official until it is posted on a social networking site, including relationships. While scrolling through Facebook, one cannot help but look out for the iconic blue heart that signifies the formation of a new relationship, a marriage, or even the end of a relationship (See Appendix

Chajet 3 Image 1). Changing ones relationship status has become a huge deal and one cannot help but wonder, why? While lots of research has begun on self-disclosure and motives behind usage of social networks, there is a lack of research exploring the changes of how romantic relationships are being formed and established via online networks. This research paper sets out to discover the true meaning behind why the process of becoming Facebook Official exists and to see if people have become so dependent on Facebook that they do not consider a relationship to be exclusive or real if it is not posted for the world to see on Facebook. Methods By conducting a survey of 110 participants, the answers to the topics listed above began to surface. While there were 110 people surveyed, ten entries had to be disregarded due to insufficient data. Therefore, all of the results were analyzed based on a total of 100 participants. The survey questions were designed to examine how Facebook users share information on Facebook, why they feel the need to share it, and how long they choose to wait to post important life events to Facebook. The questions also asked the participants about their current relationship statuses and why they choose or dont choose to post their relationship on Facebook. All of the questions were multiple-choice responses except for one, which was a free response question that enabled participants to express any thoughts they had on couples who choose to not post their relationship to Facebook. Along with the survey, I also conducted field research over the span of two months and was able to collect images of people sharing important life events on Facebook, becoming Facebook Official, peoples reactions to the relationship changes, and even examples of people expressing the excitement they receive when receiving instant gratification in the form of Facebook Notifications

Chajet 4 The participants consisted of both male and female college students from some of the nations largest universities including the University of Central Florida, the University of Florida, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The link to the survey was posted in closed Facebook groups for different organizations at the three universities. Respondents ages ranged from 18-22 years, and even though the participants were both male and female, there was an overwhelming majority of 82 female participants versus only 18 males. A young age group was critical to this research because the younger generations are the ones who grew up with Facebook as a primary source of communication and interaction. Every person who took the survey did so with no obligation or incentive for completing it. After completing my data collection process, each question and answer was individually analyzed for completion and relevance. Each question was then sorted into three categories: Facebook Usage and Interaction, Personal Relationships on Facebook, and Reactions to becoming Facebook Official. By analyzing these three categories I was able to separate the information, cross analyze the information, and begin to discover patterns within the research. Some bias can be found within the research main motives behind Facebook that women completed a majority of the data collected in the survey. Less than twenty percent of men had input into the results of the research. A survey conducted with mainly men could prove to have different results because men are known to view relationships differently than women. In order to fill the gap in this research, another survey could be conducted in order to analyze how men feel about taking the step of becoming Facebook Official and how much importance they place on it. Another bias is that all of the people surveyed are very involved on campus in organizations such as Greek life, religious groups, and various other clubs. People who are very involved tend to be heavily influenced by the people who surround them, and therefore, their

Chajet 5 opinions and answers to the survey could reflect the groups they are involved in as a whole more than their own personal opinions. The fact that the link to the survey was only found on social networking sites was very helpful to my research because it eliminated non-Facebook users from participating in the research. Anyone who does not know how Facebook works would not have properly been able to complete the survey. Despite the potential forms of bias, all of the data collected was useful and supported the research questions. Results Out of the 100 people surveyed, 36 reported that they were currently in a relationship, 49 were single, and 16 reported that they were non-exclusively dating one or multiple people. 65 people said that if they are currently or were previously in a relationship that they chose to post it on Facebook; however, 17 of the respondents have never been in a relationship and were therefore unable to answer the question. The remaining 16 participants who were in relationships and did not choose to post to Facebook all had four common reasons for not doing so, including: having an unclear relationship, a fear of the relationship ending too quickly, hiding a relationship from parents and other relatives, and a desire to keep ones personal life private. When asked how quickly people changed their relationship on Facebook, 50 percent said that they changed their status within the first week. People have been found to post to Facebook in order to keep their friends and network informed on the things going on in their lives. Fifty-three people who took the survey said that they would not post anything to Facebook if they did not believe others would comment on or like their post. When a post is well liked on Facebook, eighty-nine people felt moderately to extremely satisfied. Posting to Facebook provides people with instant gratification. Presumably due to this, 91% of the people who completed the survey choose to share important life events on

Chajet 6 Facebook within the first week of them occurring and only three people said that they would not post anything to Facebook. Despite the fact that a majority of the people chose to post their relationships to Facebook, 53 participants did not find it strange if a couple was not listed as being in a relationship on Facebook. Forty-six people expressed that they did in fact find it strange. Due to the fact that the results were so close, no direct assumption can be pulled from this data. It was also concluded that people found that changing your relationship status from Single to In a Relationship to be a very significant. Over 50 percent of the people admitted that making a relationship Facebook Official was a big step. Out of the 100 people surveyed, 32 percent of people said that making the step to post your relationship made no difference to them. In the essay question from the survey, people expressed their thoughts on people not posting their relationships on Facebook. Despite their free range to say whatever they wanted to, a majority of the participants believed that people who do not post their relationships to Facebook are hiding something or are cheating within their relationships. Others believed that people wanted to keep the relationship between them and their partner. Multiple people expressed the idea that If it's not on Facebook, it's not official, in regards to a relationship. Discussion Why Bother Posting? Facebook helps keep people connected and provides its users with means for selfexpression and self-disclosure. By providing users with unprecedented access to information about a romantic involvement, including declared relationship status, photographs, social commentary, and even communication between partners (Fox, Warber, and Makstaller), Facebook creates the perfect environment to disclose information. As defined by Pavica

Chajet 7 Sheldon, Self-disclosure is the process of revealing personal information about oneself verbally (Sheldon). Some people find self-disclosure to be a difficult task due to the fear of rejection; however, social networking has proved that the Internets anonymity and reduced cues might stimulate online self-disclosure because there is no fear of being ridiculed or rejected (Sheldon). Along with the anonymity that Facebook provides to its users, it also allows people to receive instant gratification. Over 80 percent of the participants in the research conducted felt some form of satisfaction when their post on Facebook was well liked. Social Networking feeds a persons desire to share information. Posts with high interaction encourage users to continue sharing more information, and creates a method of communication for those who tend to be more introverted. The creation of communication for introverts holds the ability to enrich the interpersonal lives of people who struggle to make social connections, (Forest and Wood 295) which in turn makes them feel more connected to society. Due to this new form of communication that Facebook creates, individuals have begun to subconsciously choose the information they post online based on whether or not they believe their network will respond in a positive way. Over half of the people surveyed claim that they would not post anything to Facebook unless they were under the impression that people would like or comment on the post. Whether one chooses to admit it or not, the red notification bubble that pops up when interaction occurs on a Facebook post leaves the recipient with a sense of accomplishment and excitement (See Appendix Image 2). Previous research finds that, larger networks and larger estimated audiences for status updates predicted both life satisfaction and perceived social support (Manago, Taylor, and Greenfield 378). The more knowledge that others have about specific occasions in a persons life the more realistic these particular events or actions become. An example of this can be found when a new

Chajet 8 mother posts the height, weight, and status of her newborn baby a mere two hours after giving birth (See Appendix Image 3). The mother knows that her baby is alive and well, however the second she shares it with those people in her social network, she receives feedback and is reminded constantly by those people in the network of the reality of the child. The constant feedback provides people with instant gratification as a reward for sharing information online. This reward influences people to constantly update their Facebook statuses in order to continually receive the feelings of acceptance and excitement. In simpler terms the more information people share, the more feedback they receive, and the more realistic these occasions become. The Next Big Step: Becoming Facebook Official The second a relationship is posted online, every person in ones network knows about it, and there is no doubt in anyones mind that the couple is exclusive. In one study it was found that college students consider FBO to be indicative of an increased level of commitment in relationships (Fox, Warber, and Makstaller 1). This directly correlated to the results found in my research where 54 percent of the people surveyed believed that becoming Facebook Official was considered a big deal within a relationship. When a couple becomes Facebook Official, it eliminates the confusion that can occur in the beginning stages of the relationship about whether the couple is exclusive or not. Being listed as In a Relationship on Facebook is basically an advertisement informing everyone that you and your partner are both no longer available. Sixtyfive percent of the people surveyed made the decision to post their relationship status to Facebook within the first month of being together, and five percent of people posted within the first 3 months in order to show off their relationship. Other research has found that publicly posting information reduces uncertainty within social circles (Fox, Warber, and Makstaller 1),

Chajet 9 and while a majority of people seek the instant gratification as a reward from posting relationships to Facebook, some post in order to seek the reassurance that the relationship is, in fact, official. Posting to Facebook is slowly becoming a major step in the formation of a relationship. If its not on Facebook, its not official. Due to the fact that the main motives behind Facebook usage are relationship maintenance or social contact, (Sheldon) people expect to have immediate access to all of their friends personal information at the click of a button. Many users find it strange if a relationship is not posted to Facebook. It is expected to be able to click on a persons profile and instantly have access to all of their information including relationships, hometowns, birthdays, schools attended, and other basic information. However, when a person chooses to deviate from the norm of what is expected to appear on a Facebook profile, people begin to ask questions. Some people report that they become annoyed when information is not posted because they all already know you're together. Not posting to Facebook can instill doubt within a relationship in both the couple and other people in their network. One participant reported that if you don't post your relationship on Facebook, it feels like you're trying to hide it, which makes me think that the person isn't proud of their relationship. These various responses depict the concept that people do not acknowledge a relationship as being real until it is online. In one particular case study, a couple had been dating exclusively for two months. Everyone knew they were official and exclusively dating; however, it was not posted on Facebook for personal reasons. One day a mutual friend of the couple found it strange that they did not share their relationship on Facebook and publicly posted telling them to make their relationship Facebook Official (See Appendix Image 4). Minutes later the couple officially

Chajet 10 changed their status and people commented on the post saying things like finally, or Ive been waiting for this to happen forever. All of these people completely disregarded their relationship as being exclusive and official until it was posted on a social network. This is not the only example of this occurring. Another couple had been dating for a month prior to changing their relationship status and when they finally did, people responded with the same kind of attitude as previously noted (See Appendix Image 5). While there are still people who choose not to post relationships to Facebook in order to maintain their privacy and keep their personal lives to themselves, all of the these examples highlight the idea that society is beginning to not believe that relationships are real until they are posted on Facebook. Conclusion The research conducted in the survey exemplifies the general trend of people becoming dependent on Facebook as a main form of communication and information retrieval. As society continues to become more and more dependent on social networking sites, the process of becoming Facebook Official will become a bigger step in a couples romantic history. As found in my research, a majority of people already view this process as an official step in a relationship and consider it strange when a relationship is not posted on Facebook. The reasoning behind people choosing to post statuses and other updates will remain constant, and the more people increase their reliance Facebook as a main form of communication, the more people will seek the instant gratification that is provided as a reward by posting to social networks. Future studies can expand on this topic by exploring in further detail how relationships are formed via social networking sites along with research examining the process of becoming Facebook Official. This research helps bring light to the populations growing desire for instant gratification through social networking sites. It is becoming clear that being in the moment and experiencing

Chajet 11 events on your own, or sharing them with the people closest to you, is no longer enough. The online world of Facebook not only enables people to share everything with everyone, from family to mere acquaintances, but also in some ways has come to demand it. With social networking being such a huge part of todays society, the research helps us understand why and how younger generations that have grown up with Facebook as a main form of communication function. Forming relationships have been a part of life since the beginning of time, and in a world where nothing is real until it is Facebook Official, it is necessary to understand why this concept exists.

Chajet 12 Works Cited Chen, Baiyun, and Justin Marcus. Students Self-Presentation On Facebook: An Examination of Personality and Self-Construal Factors. Computer in Human Behavior 28.6 (2012): 2091-2099. FRANCIS. Web. 25 Feb. 2013. Forest, Amanda L., and Joanne V. Wood. When Social Networking Is Not Working Individuals With Low Self-Esteem Recognize But Do Not Reap The Benefits of SelfDisclosure on Facebook. Psychological Science 23.3 (2012): 295-302. MEDLINE. Web. 22 Feb. 2013. Fox, Jesse, Katie M. Warber, and Dana C. Makstaller. The Role of Facebook In Romantic Relationship Development: An Exploration of Knapps Relational Stage Model. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 24.1 (2013): 1-25. Communication &Mass Media Complete. Web. 25 Feb. 2013. Manago, Adrian M., Tamara Taylor, and Patricia M. Greenfield. Me and My 400 Friends: The Anatomy of College Students' Facebook Networks, Their Communication Patterns, and Well-Being. Developmental Psychology 48.2 (2012): 369-380. FRANCIS. Web. 18 Feb. 2013. Papp, Lauren, Jennifer Danielewicz, and Crystal Cayemberg. "Are We Facebook Official? Implications of Dating Partners' Facebook Use and Profiles For Intimate Relationship Satisfaction. Cyberpsychology, Behavior And Social Networking 15.2 (2012): 85-90. Business Source Premier. Web. 20 Feb. 2013. Sheldon, Kennon M., Neetu Abad, and Christian Hinsch. A Two-Process View of Facebook Use and Relatedness Need-Satisfaction: Disconnection Drives Use, and

Chajet 13 Connection Rewards It. Psychology of Popular Media Culture 1.S (2011): 2-15. PsycARTICLES. Web. 20 Feb. 2013. Sheldon, Pavica. "I'll Poke You. You'll Poke Me! Self-Disclosure, Social Attraction, Predictability and Trust As Important Predictors of Facebook Relationships. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace 3.2.1 (2009): FRANCIS. Web. 23 Feb. 2013. Tosun, Leman P. Motives For Facebook Use and Expressing True Self On The Internet. Computer In Human Behavior 28.4 (2012): 1510-1517. FRANCIS. Web. 25 Feb. 2013. Trepte, Sabine, and Leonard Reinecke. The Reciprocal Effects Of Social Network Site Use And The Disposition For Self-Disclosure: A Longitudinal Study. Computers in Human Behavior 29.3 (2013): 1102-1112. Academic Search Premier. Web. 25 Feb. 2013.

Chajet 14 Appendix

Image 1: The start of a Facebook Relationship

Image 2: Feeling of Excitement from Notifications on Facebook

Image 3: Sharing of Information on Facebook

Chajet 15 Image 4: Example of the term FBO

Image 5: Becoming FBO two months into a relationship