How Does Online Social Networking Affect Offline Human Social Interaction?

How Does Online Social Networking Affect Offline Human Social Interaction?
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Abstract
The purpose of the study is to investigate how online social networking affects offline human social interaction in an era where technology influences every aspect of human life. Understanding how online social networks affect offline social interactions will enable people to make informed decisions on how they spend their time while carrying out online activities. The study adopted a qualitative research approach where focus groups were used to test the hypothesis on whether a significant relationship exists between online social networking and an individual’s offline social interaction. Thirty-two participants were selected for the study from a list of applicants from the campus. The results indicated that there exists a significant relationship between online social networking and offline human social interactions.
Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u How Does Online Social Networking Affect Offline Human Social Interaction? PAGEREF _Toc525305747 \h 4Statement of the Problem PAGEREF _Toc525305748 \h 5Objectives of the Study PAGEREF _Toc525305749 \h 6Hypotheses PAGEREF _Toc525305750 \h 6Significance of the Study PAGEREF _Toc525305751 \h 6Literature Review PAGEREF _Toc525305752 \h 7Methods PAGEREF _Toc525305753 \h 9Procedure PAGEREF _Toc525305754 \h 10Participants PAGEREF _Toc525305755 \h 11Ethical Consideration PAGEREF _Toc525305756 \h 11Results PAGEREF _Toc525305757 \h 11Discussion PAGEREF _Toc525305758 \h 12Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc525305759 \h 14References PAGEREF _Toc525305760 \h 16
How Does Online Social Networking Affect Offline Human Social Interaction?
Technology has facilitated online social networking and communication among other things. People are now able to communicate with each other from any part of the globe using online platforms such as Facebook, Google+, and Twitter. This is where the concept of online social networking comes from. According to Pantic (2014), online social networking refers to the interaction of people through online platforms where people share information. Such interactions have been facilitated by technological innovations, and it is important to investigate how such interactions affect the human behavior regarding offline social interactions.
Human social interaction refers to the exchange between groups or individuals. According to Newcomb, Turner, and Converse (2015), the process of human social interaction involves interpersonal communication, where information or energy flows from one individual to another. Human social interaction is important because it provides individuals with the support that influences both their physical and mental health. Human social interaction creates relational intimacy between individuals (Pantic, 2014), and the lack of such intimacy can have dire consequences for the individual. Social interactions also determine how people respond to different social situations because such interactions influence human behavior.
The increased usage of online social networking platforms is evident in the number of new social networking platforms that are being developed. Facebook, for instance, is the largest online social networking platform w...