“I’d say (social media’s effects are) positive,” said Sheehan, a chemistry sophomore. “We can message funny pictures to each other, put funny pictures on each other’s wall (and) we can both find out what our friends are up to and get together that way.”

Social media, in its many forms, is affecting people of all ages, both negatively and positively. MSU researchers are examining how social media can benefit relationships of all kinds, and researchers across the nation are conducting similar studies, including how social media can damage relationships and individuals’ abilities to learn.

Logging on
Social media can provide insight into friends’ and co-workers’ lives, and allow for an easy discovery of common interests that might ease professional relationships, said to Nicole Ellison, an MSU Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies and Media associate professor. But it also could cause some problems.

“On the other hand, it may be more comfortable for people (to) keep their personal and professional lives separated,” she said.

Sheehan and his girlfriend immediately changed their Facebook relationship status after they started dating more than a year and a half ago, but both have privacy settings only allowing friends to access their page.

Whether allowing the public to view your relationship status online is beneficial or not is a mystery to the scientific community at the moment, said Rey Junco, a faculty associate at Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society.

“Before (social media) … only your closer and stronger ties knew you (and a significant other) were partnered up,” said Junco. “Now, people who you don’t know very well know about your relationship status and (other) things that go on.”

Although Junco said he doesn’t know whether publicizing this information is negative or positive, he said it’s a completely different level of attention than previous generations have faced and should be used with caution as well as common sense.

Habits to avoid
To measure the benefits and consequences of certain social media habits, Junco developed a method of quantifying evidence into an “engagement scale.”

“Using this, I look at how much time (students) spent in campus activities,” he said. “(I also look at) how students interact with their campus environment and how they feel about how people treat them on campus.”

Junco said his research clearly shows how students’ social media use affects their academics in different ways at different stages of college.

“Playing games and ‘Facebook stalking’ negatively affect engagement score and negatively affect campus involvement and other activities,” he said.

Ellison’s research mainly focuses on Facebook and how it makes people feel as if they have more access to exclusive networks and resources.

“We, as humans, tend to want to emphasize our positive attributes,” Ellison said. “When we are engaging in communication online, we tend to do the same thing and maybe downplay things we aren’t as proud of.”

Although Ellison’s research looks at more social aspects than Junco’s statistical approach, she said it’s evident different people use different strategies to compare themselves to each other.
“Sometimes they won’t friend professional colleagues or refrain from posting certain things,” she said.

Journalism junior Josh Drzewicki said he likes to keep his Facebook open to the public, and considers consequences of everything he posts.

“I like to keep my professional contacts separate (from my personal ones) because I know my professionalism on Facebook is broadcast to the world.”

These habits depend on whether a person is introverted or more outgoing, according to Junco.
“It’s very clear that there are some ways that social media can be used that relate to other variables such as personality, motivation, etc.,” he said.

Junco said almost all students use it in ways that are generally beneficial, rather than posts that harm them.

“It’s just another part of life.” he said. “Like asking, ‘Do I have any recommendations for students who are driving cars?’”

He said he only recommends the extreme — the way “don’t drink and drive” is comparable to “don’t post inappropriate things online.”

Benefits
Drzewicki said he and his girlfriend, interdisciplinary studies in social science senior Kathryn Watson, have had their social media tension, but overall benefit from the new technology.

“We’re not all over Facebook being annoying to each other and obnoxious to each other,” Drzewicki said. “Like on others’ pages, I’m not plastering myself and my relationship everywhere.”

Watson said she only logs onto Facebook to check her marching band-related page.

“I feel like social media impacts relationships negatively because (the other person) always contacts you,” Watson said. “I kind of feel like relationships become superficial after too much of that.”

Having meaningful conversations with each other online is one of numerous social media activities yielding “real-world” benefits, according to Junco.

“If you’re looking at student engagement, commenting on content on Facebook or creating or RSVP-ing to events, we can positively predict student engagement on a college campus,” he said.

Taking advantage
Whether social media is beneficial or harmful entirely depends on how it’s used, Junco said.
“It’s not the time they spend on it, but what they do on social media,” he said. “People generally use social media in ways that aren’t very concerning.”

Josh said the extent of his social media usage is talking to friends and especially his girlfriend.

“I think when social media is used correctly, it can be a help for people in the real world and even in relationships,” he said. “Kate’s from New York, so over some

breaks I won’t see her for … a month, so it’s nice to go on Facebook or Skype and chat with her while she’s so far away.”

Hella said it can be easy to become overwhelmed with social media while attending college.

“Couples who use social media a lot ­— I think it puts a weird strain on their relationship,” Hella said. “They get caught up in communicating, and it takes away from the meaning.”

Although the majority of college students use social media in beneficial ways, there are still those who use it until it affects abilities to study or learn, Junco said.

“I don’t know that I have a ‘should be doing,’ other than being very aware of what you’re doing (online) and who you’re sharing things with,” Junco said. “But also be wary and think critically.”