Rubbish on Facebook may be more worthwhile than we think

WASHINGTON - Superficial contacts on Facebook, seemingly needless comments, and boring status updates may be more valuable than we think.

A new report from the National IT User Centre has predicted that social media will ultimately lead to more individual entrepreneurs.

Many people are critical of those who collect hundreds of so-called friends on Facebook. Often the majority of these “friends” are old classmates, acquaintances of acquaintances, and the like, relationships that are fundamentally weak.

The report compiled by Hakan Selg of the Uppsala University, has revealed that these contacts in fact constitute highly useful networks, networks that make use of the ostensibly meaningless comments and updates.

“The portrait, comments, and updates provide constant reminders of the existence of ‘friends.’ The content is not all that important, but the effect is that we perceive our Facebook friends as closer than other acquaintances who are not on Facebook,” said Selg.

The report has also highlighted that the use of social media runs counter to a major trend in our information society. It has developed primarily in the private sphere. This gives the advantage to private individuals with contact nets and user experience that companies and authorities want to get at.

Through the use of social media individuals are also less dependent on major actors, as they can use networks on their own to get tips about jobs, housing, or, as business people, help with practical problems and new contacts.

They also provide opportunities for individuals without large economic resources to reach out to more people, to publish something free of charge, and establish foundations for their own activities.

“A realistic effect of social media is that many costs of running operations will decline in the long run. This will probably enable more people to start their own businesses in the future, thus successively altering working life,” added Selg. (ANI)