Social Networking Site Usage, Intensity and Online Social Capital

A Comparative Study of LinkedIn and Facebook Users with Implications on Technology-Assisted Learning

Abstract

The social networking plays an important role on the internet in all spheres of activities including technology-assisted learning (TAL). Further the role of online social capital built upon social networking sites (SNS) adds significant value to the TAL. This study aims to compare the users’ profile, behavior and online social capital in two contrasting SNS, namely LinkedIn and Facebook. It also discusses possible implications of online social capital on TAL.  A total number of 329 valid responses were received from LinkedIn and Facebook users. The results based on statistical analysis show that on demographic factor, age is significantly different in the two SNS platforms. In terms of experience, network size and daily usage, no significant difference was observed. The comparison of the intensity of SNS usage and online-bonding social capital show that they differ significantly LinkedIn and Facebook. However, for online-bridging social capital, no significant difference was observed.  The results throw new insights and extend the SNS research by adding an important comparative study. It also has significant implications for educational institutions, businesses and SNS.