Media Credit: Courtesy of Brice Russ


For senior Brice Russ, studying Facebook profiles is schoolwork, not just procrastination.

Russ, of Kernersville, is one of a growing group of academics using the social networking site to research sociology, psychology and communications.

Facebook profiles reveal varying amounts of personal information and show to whom people communicate and how often - information of interest to many researchers.

Russ' senior honors thesis in linguistics is a study of the communication patterns on Facebook walls.

Based on his research, Russ said he doesn't think Facebook messaging and wall postings will be replacing instant messaging and e-mail anytime soon.

Instead, Facebook is a middle ground between the two, "less formal than e-mail but more formal than IM," he said.

For example, a student might write, "Let's get lunch together soon!" on the wall of a friend he or she hasn't seen recently - a message not suited for e-mail but also not immediate enough for an instant message.

Started by three Harvard University sophomores in 2004 as a directory to connect the higher education world, Facebook now reports 61 million users worldwide.

In its early days, a Facebook profile was just a photo and personal information. Now, about 14,000 applications, such as "Where I've Been," and "Who Were You In a Past Life?" are available to add to profiles.

"Academics are drawn to it because it has become a phenomenon," said S. Shyam Sundar, founder of the Media Effects Research Laboratory at Pennsylvania State University. "Everyone wants to know how that will change the nature of human interaction and communication."

Sundar also said information exchanged online can affect interpersonal relationships.

"Facebook users are constantly making judgments about others in their network just as they would in real life, but without the awkwardness of asking personal questions," he said. "You can get deeply personal information from a friend's Facebook profile that you would probably never think to ask in person."

Employers, too, are looking for people with advanced knowledge of social networks like Facebook.

The School of Information at the University of Michigan added a concentration in social computing last year, studying the interaction of people, information and technology, said Judy Lawson, director of admissions and student affairs.

Many graduates work for Google, Amazon, eBay or other companies in positions such as online marketing or community organizing.

"We are seeing employers really excited about this growing program," Lawson said.