AR 6: Are you really as cool as you think you are?

What evidence do you have that social networking users have or do not have meta-insight?

For those who don't know meta-insight is the ability to understand that everyone looks at the world in a different way. It is, plainly speaking the ability to know that even if you think of yourself one way there is no guarantee that someone that you meet will see you the same way you see yourself. They wear a different set of world view glasses. In the following argument I will show that most people do have this ability.

When creating a profile for yourself on any social media site you project an image of yourself to the world that inhabits this site. One of the things that you can be assured of is that if the person who is viewing your profile does not know you personally, they will develop a perception of you based solely on the information that you are providing them. This can be very good for instances such as using networking websites (such as LinkedIn) to gain potential employment. In cases such as this it is not only important to build a positive self image, but also to stay as true to yourself as possible; http://proxygsu-geo1.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=85825647&site=eds-live&scope=site, if you were to fail to do so the repercussions could be disastrous. Consider for a moment what would happen if you placed a false positive image of yourself only to be called out on it later. Most people understand that not everyone will think that they are a great person, and so instead of trying to tailor their image to any one person they instead use their own mental view of themselves as the base. By knowingly admitting that people who may know you will see you in whatever light they have already cast you in when creating profiles and such, this shows that people have at least some type of meta-insight.

On another vein people who come across as narcissistic whether on social media sites or in actual day to day life have a surprising amount of meta-insight. While many may find these people arrogant and overbearing, the same number of people believe that the person in question has no idea that this is how people think of them. I would say that the main thoughts that come to mind when thinking of narcissistic people are that they are so full of themselves they don't know that they irritate everyone. In this article: http://proxygsu-geo1.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pdh&AN=2011-10561-001&site=eds-live&scope=site, I have found that not only do narcissistic people know how others view them, they actually share the general populations view. This interesting fact begs the question why then would they act in such a way if they knew and understood that people viewed them in a less than positive light. This apparently has something to do with the fact that their meta-perceptions are less biased than their self-perceptions, but to them the self-perception is all that matters.

While I believe that most people are aware of the way that other's view them there are certain characteristics that people are not aware of. Everyone has a unique identifier that most people attribute to them. This identifier is not always known by the person. I think this would be the only case where someone would be unaware of someones view of them. On Facebook this identifier could be that people describe them as "teeth girl" because of their tendency to post pictures of them with all of their teeth and gums showing. (If you don't believe me think of someone you and a friend know and describe them in an abstract manner using only the thing about them that stands out the most to you. You'll be surprised.) http://proxygsu-geo1.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edselp&AN=S0092656613000536&site=eds-live&scope=site

References
Carlson, E. N., Vazire, S., & Furr, R. M. (2011). Meta-insight: Do people really know how others see them? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(4), 831-846. doi:10.1037/a0024297

Damnianović, V., Matović, V., Kostić, S., & Okanović, M. (2012). The Role of the LinkedIn Social Media in Building the Personal Image. Management (1820-0222), (65), 15-23. doi:10.7595/management.fon.2012.0036

Carlson, E. N., Vazire, S., & Oltmanns, T. F. (2011). You probably think this paper's about you: Narcissists' perceptions of their personality and reputation. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, 101(1), 185-201. doi:10.1037/a0023781

Anne-Marie B., G., Erika N., C., Martin, H., & Daniel, L. (n.d). You spy with your little eye: People are “blind” to some of the ways in which they are consensually seen by others. Journal Of Research In Personality, 47464-471. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2013.04.001

AR4: Is Facebook really that good?

How might social networking cause you to feel worse than direct contact with people? Where might this study be right and how might they have gotten it wrong?

            When you have direct contact with people you feel a sense of belonging. When you only interact with people through social media your feelings of belonging are only an illusion. Without direct contact people eventually start to feel lonely and depressed. I have found through this article: http://proxygsu-geo1.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pdh&AN=2013-00788-001&site=eds-live&scope=site,  that people who display insecure attachment behavior affect a host of other things, extroversion, interpersonal competency, and Facebook use all displaying negative effects in these people. I took this to mean that people who display insecure attachment behavior tend to display less extroversion, less interpersonal competency and less Facebook usage over time. In the study that we talked about in class this seemed to be the overall results.

            The effects found in the article we read do have an opposite side. In this article: http://proxygsu-geo1.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pbh&AN=69897573&site=eds-live&scope=site, it was discovered that some people attain great pleasure from getting on Facebook. These people have shown biological signs that using Facebook can evoke different psychophysiological states characterized by high positive valence and high arousal. This view is opposite of the article in that this article claims that it is actually a positive thing for the youth of today to participate in social media interconnections.

I feel like though this article speaks in opposition with the original article that I would have to agree with the negative aspect of social media use. Too many people use Facebook and other social media sites as an excuse to claim that they are connecting with their peers. In reality this is not only untrue but is an illusion that people are allowing themselves to believe. The lonliness that some people feel while using Facebook is brought on by the life they think that other people are having. When they see their friends posting pictures and having fun, they begin to wonder what they are missing and start to get depressed. As the depression deepens it starts to become a real mental problem and can really start to interfere with people’s lives. This article: http://proxygsu-geo1.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pdh&AN=2013-25137-002&site=eds-live&scope=site, attests to what I have been saying and shows scientific evidence that social networking can cause people to negatively compare themselves with other and places those people at risk for rumination and depressive symptoms.

References:

Kross   E, Verduyn P, Demiralp E, Park J, Lee DS, et al. (2013) Facebook  Use Predicts Declines in Subjective WellBeing in Young Adults. PLoS ONE 8(8): e69841. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0069841

Feinstein, B. A., Hershenberg, R., Bhatia, V., Latack, J. A., Meuwly, N., & Davila, J. (2013). Negative social comparison on Facebook and depressive symptoms: Rumination as a mechanism. Psychology Of Popular Media Culture, 2(3), 161-170. doi:10.1037/a0033111

Jenkins-Guarnieri, M. A., Wright, S. L., & Johnson, B. D. (2013). The interrelationships among attachment style, personality traits, interpersonal competency, and Facebook use. Psychology Of Popular Media Culture, 2(2), 117-131. doi:10.1037/a0030946

Mauri, M. (2011). Why Is Facebook So Successful? Psychophysiological Measures Describe a Core Flow State While Using Facebook. Cyberpsychology, Behavior & Social Networking, 14(12), 723-731.

AR3: How to be ethical on the Internet

Question: How can psychologist (and the general public) ethically use social networking to deal with interpersonal issues? What are some potential hazards?

            In this day and age most of society is involved with some social networking site. Be it Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. most of society uses one. One of the main uses for these social networking sites is not to make connections with people but to vent. Many people post things about how they are feeling at that moment, who they are in a fight with, and other such personal information. While this is essentially the purpose of these sites at times this can cause an ethical issue. With so much information being put online nothing is private any longer. Lannin (2013) states that for many, being on a social network is like being part of a very small community (no matter how large the network itself is), everyone knows everything about everyone.  Many people don’t think that Internet has to adhere to the rules of the outside world, they think that they are immune. In this article: http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=0452d2d5-79ee-4a49-bb68-9a013519bd60%40sessionmgr15&vid=3&hid=17, we find that the Internet does have its own set of laws. It also has its own set of enforcers, as seen by the Yahoo! Case. After reading this article another question came to my mind: If the Internet has its own set of laws do the laws of the outside world actually apply?

            For psychologists this brings in the topic of ethics. Is it ethical to look into patients social life via their social networking updates without their consent or knowledge? Thinking about life outside of the Internet it is completely unethical to delve into the lives of your patients unless that information in important, like you think they may hurt themselves or someone else, or it is information that is already provided to you. In this article: http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=3b62353b-fbac-44ac-84a3-2432d0dbceab%40sessionmgr10&vid=3&hid=17, there is an argument that “basic principles of ethical conduct should not change just because the venue for the behavior in question is now virtual reality.” I would agree with this and state that no matter how someone is getting psychological help the way that they are helped should be conducted in an ethical manner no matter how they are helped. Unfortunately, there are studies that show that ethical behavior is slightly different while using the Internet than it would be in a face to face situation. While the shift is slight, to me it is no less concerning.

The use of technology in the field however is not a new thing, http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=3b62353b-fbac-44ac-84a3-2432d0dbceab%40sessionmgr10&vid=7&hid=8, however, the methods that are being used to interact with clients have advanced along with technology. Some problems with this are: “Questions about validity, efficacy, and safety of different Internet-mediated techniques for psychological assessment and therapy remain largely unanswered as the field rapidly evolves. Constant innovation in tele-health continues to outpace the development of specific guidelines for delivery of services.” Because the technological advances are happening faster that the APA and other such psychological groups can make guidelines for using these new innovations mistakes in ethical activities are being made. The privacy of patients is being put into question, as well as the accidental slip of information. Cyberspace is a very non-discriminating area in which any information that is passed through it is available to anyone who wants to get their hands on it. This is essence means that any information provided to a patient from a psychologist, or any information passed through emails from psychologist to psychologist has the potential of being seen by someone other than the intended person. This opens up everyone who uses Internet psychotherapy to a possible breach of confidentiality. While using new technology is an almost inevitable step, caution should still be used. While in the cyber realm it is very easy to lose sight of what is ethically and morally right.

References:

Cohen-Almagor, R. (2012). Freedom of Expression, Internet Responsibility, and Business Ethics: The Yahoo! Saga and Its Implications. Journal Of Business Ethics, 106(3), 353-365. doi:10.1007/s10551-011-1001-z

Fisher, C. B., & Fried, A. L. (2003). Internet-mediated psychological services and the American Psychological Association Ethics Code. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training,40(1-2), 103-111. doi:10.1037/0033-3204.40.1-2.103

Lannin, D. G., & Scott, N. A. (2013). Social networking ethics: Developing best practices for the new small world. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice,       44(3), 135-141. doi:10.1037/a0031794

Williamson, S., Clow, K. E., Walker, B. C., & Ellis, T. (2011). Ethical Issues in the Age of the Internet: A Study of Students' Perceptions Using the Multidimensional Ethics Scale. Journal Of Internet Commerce, 10(2), 128-143. doi:10.1080/15332861.2011.571992

AR2: To Facebook or Not to Facebook...Is that a Question?

What are problems related to conducting research on Facebook use? And more importantly, "How is  Facebook affecting relationships among groups and individuals?"
 
   Some of the problems with using Facebook as a way to conduct research are that some social researches will end up "profiling" their subjects. Many people do not put their information on Facebook with the knowledge that it may be used as material for social researchers.(http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/34088_Chapter4.pdf) In the long run this can create major ethical issues since it bring up the questions of whether this type of research is a breach of privacy, and whether there is any informed consent.
      There are three different ways that Facebook is affecting the interactions between groups and individuals. The three ways are: company and customer, faculty and student, and employer and potential employees. There is also a very broad overview of the affects of Facebook on the individual in that as more and more of one person's different social spheres start to merge on Facebook the person in question learns to self-censor themselves. What I mean is that the person will either monitor what they say and post, or utilize the privacy settings that Facebook provides for each post. These privacy settings include excluding certain people or groups from being able to see particular posts.
      In regards to companies and their consumers using Facebook is a way of interacting in a mutually beneficial relationship. Through Facebook companies can let their consumers have a voice. Customers can comment on what the company is doing well, what they think that they should change, and it also works as a word-of-mouth service for the company as most people will like what their friends like.
     The interaction between faculty and student is not like the previous relationship. The main concern was that many people felt that faculty conversing with their students would be seen as "creepy" for lack of a better term. This problem was averted however when research showed that most students didn't even think to add their teachers to their Facebook friends list.
    The interaction between employer and employee is relatively new. With the access to so much information via the internet now many employers are looking up information about their potential employees before they are even interviewed. Because of the way that Facebook works this could lead to discrimination lawsuits. This would be due to the fact that employers now have access to details about their potential employees that they don't need to have before hiring them (marital status, age, etc.).

References:

Wilson, R. E., Gosling, S. D., & Graham,  L. T. (2012). A review of  Facebook research in the social sciences. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(3), 203-220. doi:10.1177/1745691612442904

How Do New Technologies in Social Research Impact the Practice of Ethical Research?. (n.d.). The Ethics of Social Research. Retrieved September 10, 2013, from www.sagepub.com/upm-data/34088_Chapter4.pdf

AR1: When Old and Young collide

How does the increase in use of social networking, especially among older adults, impact their daily interpersonal interactions and how might this have both positive and negative outcomes?

Though the article that we read was mostly filled with statistical information there were still some aspects that should be thought about. As shown in one of the charts the amount of older adults who have started using social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, have increased from years previous. In an article I read the older generation feels like if they can use Facebook, twitter, or even LinkedIn with efficiency then that is like a gold star. (http://www.cnbc.com/id/100537483) It shows that they are keeping up with the times and are not getting stuck in the past as the world moves on without them. By using the internet more now that before the older generation is becoming more connected to the younger generation, those who used to be the primary users of social media. Another study says that not only are older folk becoming more active on social media sites but that women, Hispanics, and seniors are the main groups who have started to frequently use these sites. In one study it was found that older women were more likely to use Facebook, men were more likely to use Twitter along with those making more than $75,000. (http://daily-download.com/older-generation-flocks-social-media/) I found that to be very interesting. 
We talked about the different social media outlets that are being used by the older generation in class. We talked about the pros and cons of having older adults on sites mostly populated by mid teen to late twenty year old. One of the pros would be that it is easier to keep in contact with family and friends if you are all using the same social media. The con of that could be that adults our age (college students) may not want their parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles seeing all that they get up to. Many fights break out simply because the older generation has learned how to use different social media.  Another con of having older adults using social media is that they don't understand how people talk. In an outside article that I read this point was brought up. It is not helpful to them to join into the world of social media if they don't know enough of the lingo to have a conversation without committing a social hiccup. (Such as thinking that LOL means lots of love and not laugh out loud). (http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/elderly-people-social-media-article-1.1418755). 

References

Brenner, J. & Smith, A. 72%  of Online Adults are Social Networking Site Users. Pew Internet & American Life Project, Aug 5, 2013, http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/social-networking-sites.aspx, accessed Aug 18, 2013

Murphy, L. (2013, August 6). Pew Research Center Shows Social Media Use on Rise with Seniors, Hispanics. Daily Download. Retrieved August 28, 2013, from http://daily-download.com/older-generation-flocks-social-media 

Thompson, C. (2013, March 10). Old School, Meet New School: Seniors Tackle Social Networks. Stock Market News, Business News, Financial, Earnings, World Markets - CNBC. Retrieved August 28, 2013, from http://www.cnbc.com/id/100537483

More elderly people using social media, but many don't know what they're doing - NY Daily 

News. (2013, August 6). Daily News America - Breaking national news, video, and photos - Homepage - NY Daily News. Retrieved August 28, 2013, from http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/elderly-people-social-media-article-1.1418755