Abstract
With the use of the Internet, the way people communicate and form relationships have changed. One such change is online friendship – a new form of friendship that occurs among people on social networking sites and utilizes computer-mediated communication (Ang 1891; Helmi et. al). With the lack of face-to-face interaction and the ability to hide one’s identity online, the legitimacy and quality of Internet friendships have been scrutinized. Although a number of studies have been done on the topic of virtual relationships, answers to whether or not online friendships are “real” and can be meaningful vary (Bülow and Felix; Helmi et al). By creating a survey that collects information on people's Internet friendship experiences, this project aims to shed more light on online friendships and the quality of those relationships.
Research Question
Can people make quality friendships online?
Definitions
Friendship
Characterized by voluntary interdependence and interaction between individuals over timeÂ
Involves varying types and degrees of companionship, intimacy, affection, and mutual assistance
Online Friend
A person one met and befriended through online means
Also known as Internet friend or virtual friend
Quality
A distinguishable attribute
The attribute of an elementary sensation that makes it fundamentally unlike any other sensation
Measurements of Quality
To assess the quality of friendships, I used factors from Thien et al.'s "Friendship Quality Scale: Conceptualization, Development and Validation" and Mendelson, M. J. & Aboud, F.'s "McGill Friendship Questionnaires."
Closeness
The level of attachment by friend(s)
Acceptance
The level of a person’s acceptance by friends either socially or emotionally
Safety
The level of confidence or trust relied on friend(s)
Help
Refers to providing guidance, assistance, information, advice, and other forms of tangible aid necessary to meet needs or goals
The mutual help offered by the participant in sustaining a friendship
Intimacy
Refers to sensitivity to other's needs and states, providing an accepting context in which personal thoughts and feelings can be openly and honestly expressed, and openly and honestly disclosing personal information about oneself
Reliable Alliance
Refers to being able to count on the continuing availability and loyalty of the friend
Stimulating Companionship
Refers to doing things together that arouse enjoyment, amusement, and excitement
Survey
To gain a better understanding of online friendships and the quality of those relationships, a 25-question survey was created using Google Form and distributed on Reddit. To participate in the study, respondents must have or had an online friend. To read the full list of questions, click the button below.