Introverts unite! Just kidding…
Everyone wants to belong and feel accepted, but not everyone is outgoing. Some people prefer to stay to themselves even with a desire for social interaction. Via social media people like myself (introverts) are allowed paralinguistic digital affordances or cues that signify social interaction. This is social support by way of likes and up shares (Wohn, Carr, & Hayes (2016). This allows people to find their tribe and connect with likeminded people.
Homophily is the association of people with similar views. Think about your Facebook friends, no doubt many of them think the same way you do on at least one subject. This can have a positive effect on introverts who often feel alone but unable to interact with others.
Algorithms help people who think the same on an issue find one another, it may direct one to the other in the friend suggestions.
Wohn Donghee Yvette, Carr Caleb T., and Hayes Rebecca A..Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.Sep 2016.ahead of printhttp://doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.1089/cyber.2016.0162
