Thesis Title: Subtitle

Introduction

There are various arguments that the increased mediation of friendship as symbolised by Facebook cheapens and undermines the possibility for real connection, and thus friendship (e.g. Rosen 2007; Turkle 2011). In these arguments, Facebook is considered to be a technological breakthrough. It constitutes a form of mediation not previously experienced that is inherently more disruptive and distorting than other forms of mediated communication. In this chapter I argue that Facebook, while new in many ways, is not inherently more disruptive to friendship than other forms of mediation that have preceded it and should be understood as part of a continuum of changes that have shaped the expression of friendship.

Facebook uses the word ‘friend’ as a catchall for all connections contained on Facebook, thus it has entered every day expression to describe people as a ‘friend on Facebook’ This term distinguishes the connection from other types of friendship. Colloquially describing someone as a ‘friend on Facebook’, generally refers to acquaintances of all types. This chapter address the ways friendship and Facebook co-exist. In doing so, it situates friendships as part of broader socio-historical processes. In order to contextualise this discussion, I begin with an extended review of the literature on friendship, both historical and sociological. Unpacking the link between friendship as a voluntary, affective social relationship and the technologies that sustain it (Facebook in this instance) allows us to theorise the link between the rapid technological change that is characteristic of later modernity and the social relationship that inhabits this context. To address this central thesis, the ideas that participants articulate about friendship will be contrasted and

compared to historical and contemporary understandings of friendship and its function as a social relationship.

As stated above, I begin by offering a working definition of friendship. I then examines friendship over time, with emphasis on the socio-historical context in which friendship was conceptualised. Following this, I briefly discuss some of the current debates and sociological research surrounding friendship. In summary, this chapter focuses on connecting participants’ understanding of friendship and their use of Facebook to broader discourses about friendship in order to highlight continuities and breaks in this discourse. The chapter begins by presenting participants’ understanding of friendship. Participants’ emphasis on affective and enduring definitions of friendships highlights the disjuncture between these definitions and oft-cited concerns regarding contemporary social bonds. I will then discuss how participants’ perceive Facebook’s impacting their friendships.

Finally, despite the positive functions Facebook serves, it can also highlight gaps and silences in relationships that would not otherwise be visible.