Social network sites usage habits of undergraduate students: case study of Facebook

The usage of social network sites is increasing daily. Facebook, which is a popular social network site, is one of the most commonly used social sharing sites today, having millions of users. The aim of this study was to investigate the Facebook usage of students and also to learn which Facebook tools the participants preferred. Eighty six volunteer undergraduate students participated in the present study. The data obtained by the survey was analyzed and commented upon using the SPSS program with the percentage, frequency, and mean statistical analysis techniques. As the results show, students spend a significant amount of their times using the Facebook. Participants use Messages, Chat, Friends, Links, News and Photos tools are the most commonly used tools of Facebook. In addition, Facebook provides individuals with a way of maintaining and strengthening social ties, which can be beneficial in both social and academic settings. Future studies should concentrate on integrating the Facebook into education and teaching, which is important in students' everyday working lives. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.