Social capital from networking websites is a reality today

Ever thought of ‘social capital’ as a benefit from social media chat and networking websites?
Researchers, lately, are attributing a host of positive attributes to chatting sites, among them building a social capital.

Social capital refers to resources such as job leads, making contacts, developing communication and emotional support, meeting and networking with new people.

The most popular Social Networking Website (SNW), Facebook, is attributed with ‘bridging’ social capital that refers to building loose and weak ties with new people, in contrast to ‘bonding’ social capital exhibited among close friends.

Of the many reasons why people now ‘hangout’ on social networking websites is the social support they get. It is a way to address loneliness. When people abstain from using these sites, there is a natural tendency to overcompensate and spend more time when allowed to do so again.

SNWs provide a sense of self-esteem and self-boost. People derive psychological benefits, when they receive ‘likes’ on statuses, comments or uploaded pictures. Looking at pictures of an old vacation, people’s flattering comments on them and musings of happy memories provide a sense of feel-good that makes one visit and re-visit these sites.

People can also fulfil various needs on social networking websites. Several webpages pay attention to exercise routines, help create a healthy competition and build an online community that supports and encourages its members.

There is an added advantage of relevant information and professional chats, which provide a different edge to these sites.

Of course, not all attributes are positive in nature. Not all who visit Facebook go for an ego massage. There is a group of users that visit the website every now and then, update their status and pictures frequently and add unknown people to their friend list. These people are satisfying their urge of narcissistic personalities.

SNWs, when they were conceptualised, may not have considered social capital as an advantage, but their huge success stories have become case studies for psychology and communication researchers. Any product, which acquires such phenomenal success, is bound to fulfil fundamental needs or map basic human behaviour.

Social networking websites, as the indicators suggest, are not only here to stay, but also will assume larger proportions. They will keep growing, since their value lies in fulfilling essential and deep-seated human needs.

shroffmp@gmail.com