Facebook and Social Capital

According to Ellison, Steinfield, and Lampie, college students are likely to gain bridging social capital, bonding social capital and maintained social capital from Facebook. Bridging social capital shows the way the students are desegregated into the college environment and their willingness to assist the college community. The students who shy away from face to face communication can give their responses and share ideas through Facebook. The platform also seemed to be useful in creating and maintaining the bonding social capital among the college students by helping individuals maintain pre-existing friendships and to keep in touch with old friends.
Ellison, Steinfield, and Lampie, also show from their research that college students who are likely to benefit from Facebook are those with low self-esteem and less satisfaction with their life. They appeared to gain more Facebook especially if they used it intensely. This is because they would link up and share their experiences with others who might offer help or advice.
According to Marche, Facebook is making us lonely because by using the platform people tend to hold fewer meetings and fewer gatherings, therefore, the bonds between people are less useful since there is a decrease in quality social interactions.
The details a Facebook user puts in his/her profile determines which type of friends he/she will get through the social media. For example, place of work, former school, will increase the bonding and bridging social capital since most workmates and former schoolmates will get you from the details you present in your profile.

Facebook and other social media have enhanced my ability to maintain social capital through keeping in touch with friends and getting new sources of useful information. It has also created a platform for sharing ideas and thought and discussing matters affecting the society.