Brandy Maldonado

College students use social media for relationship maintenance: I used three methods when conducting research. I compiled survey data from eighty-two participants, conducted two focus group sessions consisting of eight people total and interviewed four people. I chose these required methods for convenience.  I created my survey on a google document and distributed it to my friends in college through the social media platform Facebook, I emailed it to my peers from previous college courses and I posted it to reddit in the SJSU subreddit.  I conducted one focus group session consisting of four co-workers on our lunch break and conducted another with four of my peers in my 116P course in a comm center break out room. I interviewed three people who gave me their email in my survey stating they were interested in participating in an interview over skype and interviewed the fourth person in their home.

                My research question is: What types of social capital networks (bridging, bonding, linking) do students gravitate towards in using social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat)? My data shows that students use social media, primarily Facebook to keep in touch with friends by responding (commenting or liking) to their submissions.

                My research hypothesis is: Students primarily use social media to further strengthen bonds with those whom they are already closest.  My data supports the claim that college students use social media to strengthen bonds with those they already know, such as friends and family.

Overall my survey helped me get participants for my interviews, my coworkers and group from my 116P course were extremely helpful.  My data shows that majority of participants use the social media platform Facebook to comment and like submissions of their friends. My data also supports my initial claim that students use social media to maintain relationships already formed.