Social+Anxiety+and+Social+Networking

Social bonding is a vital part of being human. The Internet and the many advances in technology have forever changed the way we interact with each other and the world around us. The amount of time and speed at which we communicate with others, the size of one’s “social network”, and the way in which we communicate, have all changed due to social networks. An entire generation, and even a one or two their senior, would probably agree that socializing now includes an online component.

However, despite the all of these technological advances, for many people social interactions are extremely difficult and can result in severe anxiety. For most people, there can be many benefits to using social networking sites (SNS). The main function of a social network is to connect users with other users. So, it may seem possible that SNS might serve a role in easing the process for people who struggle with real-life relationships to initiate and establish social interactions with others (Forest & Wood, 2012). Individuals who suffer from social anxiety may have a lot to gain from SNS, but not a whole lot is really known about how it might affect them.

On the other hand, it’s not unreasonable to assume that they could face a number of challenges using SNS. People who are socially anxious tend to avoid social situations even though they may long for the company of others. One study found a link between time spent online and the strength of personal relationships, but this may work as a disadvantage to socially anxious individuals for whom face-to-face relationships are a challenge to form in the first place (Jacobsen & Forste, 2011). SNS might be challenging for people with social anxiety because SNS may inadvertently better lend themselves to individuals with close friendships in the real world over those who do not really have them to start with (Ellison et al., 2007). Furthermore, the development of online “friends” does not necessarily equate to the kind of relationships that psychologists would consider social bonding.

A person with social anxiety may be able to overcome these obstacles. They may need to use SNS in a way somewhat different from a typical user. Perhaps someone suffering from this condition may choose to befriend their family and close friends first. They don’t need to strive to immediately attain 600 friends. They could simply use SNS to build on the relationships they already have, and perhaps over time gradually reach out to more people.

References

Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C. & Lampe, C. (2007). The benefits of Facebook “friends”: Social capital and college students’ use of online social network sites. //Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12//, 1143–1168.

Forest, A. L. & Wood, J.V. (2011). When social networking is not working: Individuals with low self-esteem recognize but do not reap the benefits of self-disclosure on Facebook. //Psychological Science, 23//, 295–302.

Jacobsen, W. C., & Forste, R. (2011). The wired generation: Academic and social outcomes of electronic media use among university students. //Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking//, 275–280.