Ideal Connections on Social Media

Image from: https://peterkarlladage.wordpress.com/2012/11/01/we-are-all-connected/
SOCIAL CONNECTIONS
Social connection is vital to human existence (Brody, 2017). It provides people with the ability to compare themselves to others to discover who they are and how they fit in society (Brody, 2017). According to the researcher, Brene’ Brown, human beings are hardwired to connect with one another (Schawbel, 2017). Social connections add purpose and meaning to life. It is crucial to human mental and physical well-being (Schawbel, 2017). Friendships and love relationships are forged on commonalities in background, core beliefs and goals. Social interaction helps to satisfy the need for acceptance and belonging (Schawbel, 2017). Physically, social connection can strengthen the immune system, motivate faster healing from some diseases, and contribute to people living longer lives (Schawbel, 2017). Emotionally, it is associated with high self-esteem, resilience, and empathy (Schawbel, 2017). It is in our human DNA to connect with each other in order to feel like part of the collective society (Brody, 2017).
THE BENEFITS OF HOMOPHILY IN SOCIAL MEDIA
Homophily means love of the same (Clark, 2017). It refers to people’s desire to stay connected with those that share their same ideology, values, and beliefs (Clark, 2017). People gravitate to people that reflect their same age, religion, occupation, politics, socio- economic status and ethnic origin (Clark, 2017). By connecting with like-minded peers, individuals are able to gain more knowledge in subject areas that already peak their interests (Clark, 2017). This is also true on social networks (Clark, 2017). Social networks, like Facebook, have created platforms designed to promote social connection with other congruent users (Clark, 2017). One study found that frequent Facebook use was positively related to people feeling more socially supported and increased social capital (OpenStax, n.d.). Self-esteem is built when people’s own attributes are reflected back to them in others (Clark, 2017). Social networks have expanded the ability to communicate and express feelings and opinions to an audience (Openstax, n.d.) As a result, users tend to interact and follow people that share their viewpoints and agree with their opinions (Openstax, n.d.). Homophily in social media has allowed people to create their ideal social environment, where their opinions are reinforced by others. They also have access to other knowledgeable people that can add insight and provide resources to support those ideas. For example, users interested in losing weight can join group pages on Facebook, where they interact with other users trying to lose weight as well. They can exchange healthy recipes and fun exercise ideas. They can also share stories and post photos for encouragement and support. By connecting with other users that share the same ideas and goals, people are able to create safe, encouraging virtual communities that can promote physical and virtual well-being.
CONTRIBUTIONS OF PLATFORM ALGORITHMS IN HOMOPHILY
Social media companies have created algorithms that help to promote small virtual communities to cater to individual interests (Local, 2016). Due to the size of Facebook’s database of 2.23 billion users, it would be impossible to provide universal access to everyone (Statista, 2018). Most people find it impossible to connect with everyone on their own friend list. Facebook’s algorithm is configured to provide users access to information and people that they engage with the most of show interest in (Agrawal, 2016). It’s algorithm tracks how often the user interacts with certain posts and identifies keywords in the content to associate with the user’s profile (Agrawal, 2016). Using that data, the algorithm designs the viewing content of each user (Local, 2016). As the user’s interests change, so does their newsfeed and users they can see (Agrawal, 2016). Facebook also encourages users to broaden their connects by suggesting friendships with others that fit in a similar algorithm configuration (Local, 2016).
REFERENCES
Agrawal, A. (2016). What Do Social Media Algorithms Mean For You? Retrieved August 31, 2018, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/ajagrawal/2016/04/20/what-do-social-media-algorithms-mean-for-you/#22010d3aa515
Brody, J. E. (2017, June 12). Social Interaction Is Critical for Mental and Physical Health. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/12/well/live/having-friends-is-good-for-you.html
Clark, J. L., Algoe, S. B., & Green, M. C. (2017). Social Network Sites and Well-Being: The Role of Social Connection. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 27(1), 32–37. doi:10.1177/0963721417730833
Local, L. (2016). Social Media Algorithms and What They Mean for You. Retrieved August 31, 2018, from https://www.socialmediatoday.com/social-networks/social-media-algorithms-and-what-they-mean-you
OpenStax (n.d.) Why socialization matters. Introduction to Sociology. Retrieved from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/sociology/chapter/why-socialization-matters/
Schawbel, D. (2017, September 12). Brené Brown: Why Human Connection Will Bring Us Closer Together. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2017/09/12/brene-brown-why-human-connection-will-bring-us-closer-together/#1313f3542f06