p with about the project
"What's up with Facebook?" is the term project by Meagan Hanes for a course at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, entitled Technology and Culture. In this class, we take a look at various ways technology has and is affecting the way we live; we've discussed social networking and citizen journalism, amongst many other things.
The purpose of this project is to take a look at Facebook and the way it is affecting us. With the number of people subscribed to Facebook, it is probably safe to say that someone you know, if not yourself, uses Facebook. What does Facebook mean to you? Is it another tool, like email, that you use to communicate with friends, or do you see it as being more of a fun activity-filled homepage? Has using Facebook caused you to communicate using other tools (email, phone calls, in person talking) more, less, or the same amount with those you know?
Research methods include an online survey of Facebook users, as well as analyzing various news articles regarding Facebook. I will also relate my own personal experiences and experiences of those around me as anecdotal evidence.
Some questions I hope to answer include:
- Who uses Facebook? Do people in different generations use it different?
- To what extent is Facebook replacing face-to-face or phone conversations?
- What exactly do people use Facebook for? What is the most valuable thing people perceive Facebook as doing?
- Has Facebook affected anyone in a negative way? If so, how and why?
The results of the survey will be analyzed and published during mid December. If you would like to be reminded when the results are made available, you can add your email address in the view the report page.
If you wish to fill in the survey, please visit the take the survey page.