Online Social Network Sites and the Concept of Social Capital

1. Introduction During the past decade usage of online social network sites has grown dramatically, now rivaling search engines as the most visited Internet sites (Experian Hitwise, 2010). With the rise of such mega‐sites as Facebook, which by itself now boasts more than 400 million active users around the world (Facebook Press Room, 2010), online social network use has become a fixture in the lives of a large proportion of the world's 1.8 billion Internet users (Internet World Stats, 2010). Growing evidence from analyses of online social network site use suggests that these sites have become important tools for managing relationships with a large and often heterogeneous network of people who provide social support and serve as conduits for useful information and other resources (boyd & Ellison, 2007; Ellison et al., 2007). Such SNS benefits are derived from social relationships and have been broadly conceptualized as social capital outcomes of SNS use (Ellison et al., 2007). Beyond identifying benefits, new research explores the factors that lead to improved outcomes for SNS users (Burke et al., 2010; Ellison et al, 2010). Given the pervasive use of social network sites (SNSs), there is a need for a careful assessment of the ways in which users incorporate these tools into their daily lives and obtain benefits from use. The goals of the paper are therefore to review the broad themes from this body of work, and to examine the underlying mechanisms through which social capital benefits are generated. By exposing such mechanisms, we will be better prepared to educate future users about usage strategies, as well as aid designers who are adding social features to many new forms of online media. The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. First, social network sites are briefly introduced and defined, so as to differentiate them from other forms of online communities. The paper then introduces the notion of social capital and summarizes key findings from research exploring the linkages between social capital and the Internet. We then review the literature investigating the social capital implications of online social network sites. As part of this review, we explore the underlying mechanisms that can explain how social network sites contribute to social capital formation. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research.