Social Networking Sites: Mediating the Self and its Communities

What do social networking sites reveal about the relation between the self and the community? We conceptualise social networking sites as technologies of the self and the community enabling individuals to self‐present and also objectifying the community's evaluation of individuals (through ‘structures of recognition’ such as page views, friends and lovehearts). We analyse the way in which 37 Scottish adolescents used the social networking site Bebo in nonprescribed and creative ways. First, they challenged the single authorship of profiles by co‐creating multi‐authored profiles. Second, they used creative language to obscure meaning from the preying eyes of parents, teachers and potential employers. We conclude by discussing the simplistic assumptions that Bebo makes about the relation between the self and the community. In contrast, newer social networking sites such as Facebook and Google+ are increasingly enabling people to present different facets of themselves to different communities. How people use social networking sites, and how these sites are developing to attract more users, reveals how the multiplicity of human identity is related to the multiple communities that people participate in. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Growing Up as a Creative Musician: The Role of Psychosocial Dispositions and Environment

This study tried to identify the psychosocial dispositions and environment conducive to the development of a creative musician. A sample of 14 established musicians (vocalists and instrumentalists) belonging to Hindustani music tradition was selected from three major cities of Uttar Pradesh and were interviewed in-depth. They were interviewed about their early childhood, training in music and growing up as a musician. A thematic analysis yielded three major psychosocial themes pertaining to nurturance of creativity—developmental dispositions, preferred settings for music practice (Riāz) and performance, and relationship with Guru. Many participants showed proclivity to be creative musician, but all needed to have intrinsic motivation, nurturing social environment, and proper setting for riāz. They also reported that learning under a worthy guru was important for their creativity to blossom. Implications of these findings for training of the music students in an institutional set up were discussed.     

Social Networking Web Sites in Job Search and Employee Recruitment

The use of professionally and nonprofessionally oriented social networking Web sites (SNWs), such as LinkedIn and Facebook, has become widespread from both sides of the Atlantic. The current paper presents and discusses the results of two surveys conducted in Greece exploring the role of SNWs among employees–job seekers and recruiters–human resource professionals. The first study explores how SNWs are used during job search activities and the second how recruiters use them in the attraction recruitment and screening process. Special note is given in the relationship between SNWs and the more established Internet job boards. Our results showed that job seekers still seem to use job boards more extensively than SNWs. It is interesting to note that the association between LinkedIn usage and its effectiveness, on the one hand, and time spent on SNWs and LinkedIn effectiveness, on the other, is stronger for ‘passive’ candidates, demonstrating the important role of SNWs for attracting ‘passive’ candidates. HR professionals are more engaged in LinkedIn than Facebook and were considering the former as more effective than the latter in the recruitment process. The current study sheds more light in the use of SNWs, being one of the first studies conducted in a non‐English speaking country.     

Growing Up with an Anxious Sibling: Psychosocial Correlates and Predictors of Sibling Relationship Quality

Relationships between young people with anxiety and their non-affected siblings are important for both individuals in the dyad, and for family dynamics throughout the lifespan; however, these relationships are not well understood. This study examined the experience of growing up with an anxious sibling from the sibling without anxiety’s point of view. We measured psychosocial factors associated with sibling relationship quality in 64 young adults with an anxious sibling. Overall, participants with anxious siblings were resilient, reporting comparable sibling relationship quality, anxiety symptoms, and psychological functioning relative to peers without anxious siblings. The contributions of caregiver burden and attributions about the causes of the sibling’s anxiety-related behavior accounted for significant variance in both sibling relationship warmth/closeness and conflict, with responsibility attributions emerging as an individual predictor of conflict. Clinical and research implications for understanding sibling relationships in the context of anxiety, and for the role of attributions in family relationships are considered.     

Profiling: The Efficacy of Using Social Networking Sites for Job Screening

Social networking sites (SNS) are a rich source of extractive information about job applicants. Human resources (HR) professionals now use SNS to gather additional information about job applicants; consequently, job applicants begin interviewing even before the actual interview. The authors examine SNS in the context of hiring decisions, using uncertainty reduction theory as a framework of analysis to explain how individuals obtain and process information about interpersonal relationships to reduce uncertainty before a face‐to‐face meeting. The authors recommend mandatory training for HR professionals, recruiters, and applicants in the strategic use and placement of SNS profiles in the public domain.     

Impact of Social Networking Sites on Children in Military Families

Youth in military families experience a relatively unique set of stressors that can put them at risk for numerous psychological and behavior problems. Thus, there is a need to identify potential mechanisms by which children can gain resiliency against these stressors. One potential mechanism that has yet to be empirically studied with military youth is social networking sites (SNSs). SNSs have gained significant popularity among society, especially youth. Given the significance of these communication tools in youths’ lives, it is important to analyze how SNS use may affect military youth and their ability to cope with common military life stressors. The current review examines the potential positive and negative consequences associated with SNS use in coping with three common stressors of youth in military families: parent deployment, frequent relocation, and having a family member with a psychological or physical disability. By drawing from SNS and military literature, we predict that SNS use can be a positive tool for helping children in military families to cope with stressors. However, certain SNS behaviors can potentially result in more negative outcomes. Recommendations for future research are also discussed.     

错失恐惧与社交网站成瘾：有调节的中介模型

为探讨错失恐惧、自我损耗及关系型自我构念对社交网站成瘾的影响及作用机制,本研究基于有限自制力模型,采用问卷法调查了526名微信朋友圈或QQ空间的大学生用户。结果发现：（1）在控制性别的条件下,错失恐惧能显著正向预测社交网站成瘾;（2）错失恐惧还通过自我损耗的中介作用间接预测社交网站成瘾;（3）关系型自我构念调节错失恐惧通过自我损耗预测社交网站成瘾的前半路径。具体来说,相比于低关系型自我构念个体,高关系型自我构念个体的错失恐惧更多地通过自我损耗影响其社交网站成瘾。     

错失恐惧对大学生社交网络成瘾的影响:社交网络整合性使用与社交网络支持的中介作用

错失恐惧是社交网络成瘾的风险因素，但其中的作用机制并不清楚。本研究采用错失恐惧问卷、社交网络整合性使用量表、社交网络支持量表和中文社交网络成瘾量表，调查了重庆市三所高校的493名大一至大三的学生，探讨错失恐惧影响社交网络成瘾的机制。结果发现：（1）错失恐惧显著预测社交网络成瘾，错失恐惧水平越高，个体社交网络成瘾水平越高。（2）社交网络整合性使用在错失恐惧和社交网络成瘾之间起独立中介作用。（3）社交网络支持在错失恐惧和社交网络成瘾之间起独立中介作用。（4）社交网络整合性使用和社交网络支持在错失恐惧和社交网络成瘾之间起链式中介作用。研究结果表明，满足大学生基本心理需要、降低社交网络使用程度、提升现实社会支持可以有效预防社交网络成瘾。     

Supportive Non-Parental Adults and Adolescent Psychosocial Functioning: Using Social Support as a Theoretical Framework

Supportive Non-Parental Adults (SNPAs), or non-parental adults who provide social support to youth, are present in the lives of many adolescents; yet to date, a guiding framework for organizing the existing literature on the provision of support provided by multiple types of SNPAS, such as teachers, natural mentors, and extended family members, as well as to inform future research efforts, is lacking. The aim of the current paper is to utilize the well-established lens of social support to integrate, across this broad range of literatures, recent findings regarding associations between SNPAs and four indices of adolescent psychosocial adjustment: academic functioning, self-esteem, and behavioral and emotional problems. Beyond offering an integrative framework for understanding the link between SNPAs and adolescent functioning, the issues reviewed here have potentially far-reaching consequences for adolescents and their families, as well as the professionals working with adolescents and their families in the health care, school, and community settings.     

社交网站中的自我呈现与青少年网络利他行为:网络社交效能和希望的作用

为考察社交网站中的积极自我呈现、真实自我呈现对青少年网络利他行为的影响以及网络社交效能和希望在其中的中介作用，采用社交网站中的积极自我呈现和真实自我呈现问卷、网络利他行为量表、网络社交效能问卷和希望量表对安徽、福建、河南、湖南、山西、天津、云南等省份八所中学的805名初中二年级学生（男生427名，女生378名；被试平均年龄为13.38岁，SD=0.63）进行问卷调查。研究显示：（1）社交网站中的积极自我呈现和真实自我呈现均能正向预测青少年网络利他行为；（2）网络社交效能在积极自我呈现与青少年的网络利他行为之间起中介作用，也在真实自我呈现与青少年的网络利他行为之间起中介作用；（3）希望在真实自我呈现与青少年的网络利他行为之间起中介作用。     

不同社交网站使用与大学生抑郁的关系:链式中介模型

为探讨不同社交网站使用（微信和微博）和大学生抑郁的关系以及上行社会比较和妒忌在其中的链式中介作用,采用问卷法对481名大学生进行施测。结果发现：（1）微信对大学生抑郁的总效应不显著,而微博对大学生抑郁的总效应显著,即微博使用越多,抑郁越多;（2）微信使用既可以直接负向预测抑郁,也可以通过上行社会比较和妒忌的链式中介作用间接地正向预测抑郁;而微博使用不能直接预测抑郁,其效应完全由上行社会比较和妒忌所链式中介。研究提示,微信使用和微博使用与大学生抑郁的关系及其机制是不同的,微信比微博有更复杂的作用机制和多种效应。     

不同社交网站使用与大学生抑郁的关系:链式中介模型

为探讨不同社交网站使用（微信和微博）和大学生抑郁的关系以及上行社会比较和妒忌在其中的链式中介作用,采用问卷法对481名大学生进行施测。结果发现：（1）微信对大学生抑郁的总效应不显著,而微博对大学生抑郁的总效应显著,即微博使用越多,抑郁越多;（2）微信使用既可以直接负向预测抑郁,也可以通过上行社会比较和妒忌的链式中介作用间接地正向预测抑郁;而微博使用不能直接预测抑郁,其效应完全由上行社会比较和妒忌所链式中介。研究提示,微信使用和微博使用与大学生抑郁的关系及其机制是不同的,微信比微博有更复杂的作用机制和多种效应。     

社交网站使用与妒忌:向上社会比较的中介作用及自尊的调节作用

采用方便抽样法对630名具有社交网站使用经验的大学生进行问卷调查,探讨社交网站使用对妒忌的影响,以及向上社会比较、自尊在其中的作用机制。结果表明:(1)社交网站使用显著正向预测妒忌;(2)向上社会比较在社交网站使用与妒忌之间起部分中介作用;(3)该中介效应受到自尊的调节。具体来说,相对于高自尊大学生,低自尊大学生的向上社会比较产生更多妒忌。     

Memento Auschwitz: Growing Up in Post-War Germany

In this article, I provide some biographical data that is emblematic of the ways in which growing up in Germany shaped my sense of what it means for me to be a German. By explaining the notions of collectivity, Hour Zero, Betroffenheit, and Wiedergutmachung, I identify the leading, albeit in hindsight contradictory, notions that organized my experience under the overarching memento of my life: memento Auschwitz.     

College Students' Responses to Suicidal Content on Social Networking Sites: An Examination Using a Simulated Facebook Newsfeed

Although Facebook has a peer‐initiated suicide prevention protocol, little is known about users' abilities to notice, recognize, and appropriately interpret suicidal content or about their willingness to intervene. In this study, 468 college students were randomly assigned to interact with a simulated Facebook newsfeed containing content reflecting various suicide risk levels. A larger proportion of those exposed to content reflecting moderate and severe suicide risk noticed, recognized, appropriately interpreted, and endorsed taking action to intervene, as compared to those exposed to content representing no or low risk. Overall, results indicate that college students are responsive to suicidal content on Facebook.     

The Writing on the (Facebook) Wall: The Use of Social Networking Sites in Hiring Decisions

The popular media has reported an increase in the use of social networking sites (SNSs) such as Facebook by hiring managers and human resource professionals attempting to find more detailed information about job applicants. Within the peer-reviewed literature, cursory empirical evidence exists indicating that others’ judgments of characteristics or attributes of an individual based on information obtained from SNSs may be accurate. Although this predictor method provides a potentially promising source of applicant information on predictor constructs of interest, it is also fraught with potential limitations and legal challenges. The level of publicly available data obtainable by employers is highly unstandardized across applicants, as some applicants will choose not to use SNSs at all while those choosing to use SNSs customize the degree to which information they share is made public to those outside of their network. It is also unclear how decision makers are currently utilizing the available information. Potential discrimination may result through employer’s access to publicly available pictures, videos, biographical information, or other shared information that often allows easy identification of applicant membership to a protected class. For the practice to progress in a positive direction, evidence for the validity and job-relevance of information obtained from SNSs needs to be established. Organizational researchers and practitioners also need to promote awareness and attempt to create safeguards against the potential negative outcomes related to misuse of SNSs by employers.     

Growing Up in Conflict: The Personal and the Political

This article is an autobiographical account of conflicts, both personal and political, that I experienced growing up in South Africa in a context of racism and civil conflict. It speaks to how these conflicts shaped my work as an analyst and as a person. In regard to specific issues that were fore-fronted, these included an interest in the ugly emotions, trauma and dissociation in both victims and perpetrators, the application of psychoanalysis in war zones, the issue of voice, the effects of emigration and the diaspora, the centrality of context, and the dynamics of racism.     

Impressions on Social Networking Sites: Examining the Influence of Frequency of Status Updates and Likes on Judgments of Observers

This study explores how the number of status updates and markers of approval on social networking site profiles affect observers’ impressions of a profile owner’s personality and character. Using signaling theory and Brunswik’s lens model, the broader aim of this study was to examine whether the presentation of content on profiles affects inference making of the profile owner’s character. An experimental design was employed among college students to test whether the frequency of status updates and “Likes” on those updates affect initial impressions of a profile owner’s psychological state and social skills deficits and in turn later appraisals of attractiveness and credibility. The findings indicated that fewer status updates on a profile led to judgments of the profile owner as more depressed and socially unskilled than owners who post status updates more frequently. Impressions concerning depression and social skills deficits biased later judgments of the owner’s attractiveness but not credibility.