In the contemporary world, social-networking is probably the most-commonly used Internet application. Therefore, analyzing the state of social-networking and the affects it is having on people is critical to understanding their perceptions and behaviors on the web. It is interesting to see the facts and figures that are emerging from developing countries with regards to this topic as it gives us a glimpse of how widespread social-networking has become and how it is making our world smaller and faster. However, the question is – is it making us smarter? Or even social? According to an article in DanceWith Shadows.com, in July 2010, Facebook announced that its user-base in India had crossed 12 million. To put this in perspective, the number of Internet users in India stood at about 81 million at the end of 2009. Even though the percentage penetration of Facebook across the total population is just about 1%, which is less than most other countries, Internet penetration as a whole stood at about 7% in 2009. It is evident that the site has gained a lot of momentum in India, especially in urban areas. According to a report by Facebook India, Indian users alone upload more than 53 million photos in a month and mobile usage has increased nine-fold in 2010.
So what is it used for? Adults use it primarily for connecting with old friends and classmates, while teens use it mostly for posting details about their everyday life. At one point, Orkut used to be the most popular social-networking site. But Facebook has beaten it hollow. In order to better understand social-networking attitudes, I conducted a survey of 18 college students (all under 20 years of age) residing in various Indian cities. Here are some of the questions I asked and the responses I got (in tabulated form):
As a proportion of the total time you spend on the Internet, how much time to you spend on social-networking sites?
I spend no time on social-networking sites I spend a quarter of the time on social-networking sites I spend half the time on social-networking sites I spend three-quarters of the time on social-networking sites I spend all my time on the Internet on social-networking sites | 2 6 3 6 1 | 11% 33% 17% 33% 6% |
What is the primary social-networking site you use?
Facebook Orkut MySpace Twitter Hi5 Other | 16 1 0 0 0 1 | 89% 6% 0% 0% 0% 5% |
What do mainly use a social-networking site for? Check all that apply.
Casual conversations with friends Making friends with strangers Reuniting with old friends Reporting events in the news Looking for relationships Business/Marketing/Networking Entertainment/Sharing Photos and Videos Other | 15 0 13 0 0 2 8 0 | 88% 0% 76% 0% 0% 2% 8% 0% |
Do you own a cell phone? If so, what type?
I don’t own a phone I own a standard cell phone I own a smart phone (iPhone, Blackberry, Android, etc.) | 2 12 4 | 11% 67% 22% |
Do you access social-networking sites through your phone and to what extent?
No I only access social-networking sites through my phone I usually access social-networking through my phone I occasionally access social-networking sites through my phone Even though I can, I prefer not to access social-networking sites through my phone | 12 0 0 3 3 | 67% 0% 0% 17% 17% |
Do you feel uncomfortable when you get friend requests from strangers?
Never had the experience Yes No | 0 8 9 | 0% 44% 56% |
What would be your response to the situation above?
I’d accept their request I’d reject their request I’d ignore their request I’d block them | 1 8 7 1 | 6% 44% 39% 11% |
Who do you think make up the majority of stalkers on social-networking sites?
Family/Friends Complete strangers | 10 7 | 56% 39% |
Privacy Settings - Do you think they are effective?
I’ve not put any privacy settings I’m satisfied with my privacy settings I’m not satisfied with my privacy settings | 1 14 2 | 6% 78% 11% |
Do you think you spend too little/too much time on social-networking sites?
Too little Too much Just enough | 2 4 11 | 11% 22% 67% |
What do you gain from social-networking? Check all that apply.
I can just be myself online It helps me relieve stress I like interacting with several people simultaneously I like learning more about other people It’s a waste of my time, but I just like staying connected Other | 5 4 9 4 6 2 | 29% 24% 53% 24% 35% 13% |
What are some of the conclusions we can draw from the results? Students in India are using social-networking sites mainly for communicating with their peers and for entertainment. Clearly, using such sites as tools to report news events or network on a professional level does not seem to be their primary use amongst this group. They agree that social-networking is good for getting connected with friends and having access to many people simultaneously, but a lot feel it is a waste of their time. Most students do not access social-networking sites from their phone, which is expected as the majority own feature phones and not smart phones. As far as privacy goes, most students are satisfied with their privacy settings and don’t feel threatened by getting friend requests from strangers. However, instead of blocking such people, most people only reject their requests. Overall, students are satisfied with the amount of time they spend on such sites.
This post is exclusively about my experiences in "Information 3.0: Exploring Technological Tools," an I-series course offered at the University of Maryland, College Park, that I took during this past Fall semester. The only way to describe it is "unlike any other." It's a course that teaches you how to examine the advantages and disadvantages of using various Internet and mobile applications, learn about people’s general attitudes and behaviors with regard to this type of media, and answer some tough questions on the future of technology and the spread of information. Moreover, it helps you get a grasp of some of the functions of technological tools that currently exist as well as predict at least some of the near endless possibilities that advancement in this field will bring. 
Our classroom discussions this semester have spanned a wide variety of topics including online privacy and security, netiquette, searching vs. surfing, Internet and cell phone dependence, mobile applications, blogging, photojournalism, social-networking, education and gaming. Some of the most interesting aspects of this class were that we were allowed to use laptops for every class and we got an iPod Touch towards the end of the semester on which we took a couple of interviews using a recording app. Overall, I recommend every student to take this class so that you can find out for yourself what it means to be technologically literate!
