Facebook “friends”: Effects of social networking site intensity, social capital affinity, and flow on reported knowledge-gain

Abstract

Using a subset of data from a survey of a representative sample of U.S. Internet users, 236 participants responded to questions regarding social networking site intensity, their experience of flow (concentrated engagement in/enjoyment of an activity), social capital affinity (sympathy marked by community of interest, and likeness based on weak ties) and perceived focused and incidental-knowledge gains from social networking sites. Social networking site intensity strongly predicted flow and social capital affinity, but the latter appeared to be a stronger predictor of perceived focused and incidental-knowledge gains from social networking sites.