Facebook Use and Social Capital

Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society http://bst.sagepub.com/ Facebook Use and Social Capital: To Bond, To Bridge, or to Escape
Min-Woo Kwon, Jonathan D 'Angelo and Douglas M. McLeod
Bulletin of Science Technology & Society 2013 33: 35 originally published online 14 August 2013
DOI: 10.1177/0270467613496767
The online version of this article can be found at: http://bst.sagepub.com/content/33/1-2/35 Published by: http://www.sagepublications.com On behalf of:
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research-article2013

BSTXXX10.1177/0270467613496767Bulletin of Science, Technology & SocietyKwon et al.

Article

Facebook Use and Social Capital: To
Bond, To Bridge, or to Escape

Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society
33(1-2) 35­–43
© The Author(s) 2013
Reprints and permissions: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0270467613496767 bst.sagepub.com Min-Woo Kwon1, Jonathan D’Angelo1, and Douglas M. McLeod1

Abstract
This study employs the uses and gratification approach to investigate how different forms of Facebook use are linked to bridging social capital and bonding social capital. A survey of 152 college students was conducted to address research questions and to test hypotheses. Factor analysis identified six unique uses and gratifications: (a) information seeking, (b) entertainment, (c) communication, (d) social relations, (e) escape,

Citations: http://bst.sagepub.com/content/33/1-2/35.refs.html >> Version of Record - Dec 6, 2013 OnlineFirst Version of Record - Aug 14, 2013 What is This? Downloaded from bst.sagepub.com at EASTERN UNIV on March 31, 2014 496767 Internet primarily for entertainment and information, in recent years they have used it for more interpersonal communication (Gross, 2004; Lenhart, Madden, & Hitlin, 2005; Valkenburg & Peter, 2007). One clear indication of this is the tremendous popularity of social network sites (SNSs) Internet users (e.g., Ellison, Steinfield, & Lampe, 2007; Steinfield, Ellison, & Lampe, 2008; Valkenburg, Peter, & Schouten, 2006). With respect to the social outcomes of SNSs on their users, one of the frequently explored outcomes bridging social capital and bonding social capital (e.g., Ellison et al., 2007; Liu, Shi, Liu, & Sheng, 2013) and that intensity of Facebook use strongly predicts bridging social capital in a longitudinal analysis (Steinfield et al., 2008). of media use (Katz, Haas, & Gurevitch, 1973; for a recent review, see Rubin, 2009) theory (Katz, 1959), U&G has always provided media effect researchers with a useful theoretical approach, especially in the initial introduction stage of each communication medium (Ruggiero, 2000) Min-Woo Kwon, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 5115 Vilas Hall, 821 University Avenue,