Examining college students' uptake of Facebook through the lens of domestication theory

Abstract

Given the prevalence of social network sites (SNS) uptake among college students, and Facebook use in particular, we seek to understand the variety of ways in which Facebook is embedded in the routine, everyday lives of undergraduates. In addition to Facebook use, we aim to shed light on non-use; why do some American undergraduates choose to use Facebook sparingly, or not at all? Our findings indicate that while the majority of students were frequent Facebook users, they sought control over their Facebook use by articulating a moral space of norms governing interactions with parents, friends, and strangers; through selective and temporary de-domestication of the technology; and through non-use.