Social Networking

Expanding your social network beyond your familiar circle of friends can have surprising benefit. It's those weak ties that bring fresh ideas and unexpected opportunities: maybe a job or an apartment or a mate. The Internet is providing new tools for cultivating and capitalizing on those networks; someone you never meet in person could change your life.

Online Social Networks

The Psychology of Social Networking

How many true friends can one really have?

by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Ph.D. in Mr. Personality

The New Rules of Social Networking

It pays to be friendly, but not too friendly.

by Ferris Jabr

Facebook Friends: Too Many, Too Few?

What's the optimal number of Facebook friends?

by Matthew Hutson in Brainstorm

Why LinkedIn Works

Thanks to networks liked LinkedIn, people hunt for people, not jobs.

by Pamela Rutledge, Ph.D., M.B.A. in Positively Media

Facebook – a whole new world of wasting time

If you're serious about procrastination - Facebook!

by Timothy A. Pychyl, Ph.D. in Don't Delay

Friendships: The Next Big Business Strategy?

The value of burgeoning social networks.

by Ray B. Williams in Wired for Success

See Also

Offline Social Networks

Social Networking

It's not about the virtual. It's about real contact.

by Laura Stephens in So You Want to Be a Shrink?

The Laws of Urban Energy

Why living in a city actually makes you smarter.

by Anya Kamenetz

What 100,000 People Really Think of You

What if 100,000 people had an opinion of you? You'd have to meet in person.

by Paul Dobransky, M.D. in The Urban Scientist

Give Away Your Network

Share your social network.

by Ray B. Williams in Wired for Success

Beware: Happiness is Contagious

Why you can judge people by their friends after all.

by Dan Ariely in Predictably Irrational

The Water Cooler Effect

Fewer memos, more coffee breaks?

by Prof. Alex "Sandy" Pentland in Reality Mining

Rumors and Gossip

The 8½ Laws of Rumor Spread

Why some ideas spread and others don't.

by Taylor Clark

Gossip's Dirty Little Secret

Why does it have such a bad reputation?

by Jennifer Drapkin

To Rumor Is Human

Why rumors are a regular feature of our social landscape.

by Nicholas DiFonzo in Around the Watercooler

The Fine Art of Gossip

Making gossip your ally.

by PT Staff

Hollywood Gossip Monger

He's an online sniper targeting Hollywood reputations.

by Matthew Hutson

Darling, Do You Think that We Should Gossip?

Gossip displays your interest in other people.

by Aaron Ben-Zeév, Ph.D. in In the Name of Love

Internet Dating

I Am Awesome for Unspecified Reasons!

What makes for a successful online dating profile?

by Matthew Hutson in Brainstorm

Online Dating Not Just a Trend

Your computer as effective matchmaker.

by Hara Estroff Marano

The Copycat Unconscious

Cyberdaters can be so lazy!

by Matthew Hutson in Brainstorm

Is Chatting Cheating?

Chatting is sometimes cheating

by Aaron Ben-Zeév, Ph.D. in In the Name of Love

See Also

Online Social Media

The Decline and Fall of the Private Self

No more secrets. What does self-disclosure do to your psyche?

by Carlin Flora

Some Musings about the Millennials: The Conflation of Public and Private Identity?

The notion that privacy is a "right" is likely lost on the Millennial.

by Janelle L. Wilson, Ph.D. in Stories of the Self

Can Social Media Help Prevent Suicide?

What is the intersection between social media and suicide prevention?

by Elana Premack Sandler, L.C.S.W., M.P.H. in Promoting Hope, Preventing Suicide

Are computers and the Internet making people a little bit autistic?

Is technology making today's kids a bit autistic?

by John Elder Robison in My Life With Asperger's

For the Love of Blogging

Here are 8 things I love about blogging, and 3 I don't

by Bella DePaulo, Ph.D. in Living Single

See Also

The Latest on Social Networking

Can this recession propel you into a passion-based career? by Katharine Brooks, Ed.D.
If you’re reading this online…you’re probably depressed by Jared DeFife, Ph.D.
New opportunities for women to forge real friendships online by Irene S. Levine, Ph.D.
When is it too much information...or not enough? by Christine Louise Hohlbaum
How many true friends can one really have? by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Ph.D.
Are you involved with an under-functioning person? by Ann Smith
Five things to remember about social media. by Pamela Rutledge, Ph.D., M.B.A.
Does social media help or hinder productivity? by Ray B. Williams
Imaginary friends allow a kid to take control of her life. by Ethan Gilsdorf
Are you digitally addicted? by Christine Louise Hohlbaum

Social Networking Blogs

  • Ran Zilca

    Confessions of a Techie

    How to navigate the tech maze and maintain sanity.
    By Ran Zilca
  • Melinda Blau

    Consequential Strangers

    The Power of People Who Don't Seem To Matter...But Really Do
    By Melinda Blau
  • Kenneth J. Gergen PhD

    iSelf

    Living in the changing world of communication technology.
    By Kenneth J. Gergen, Ph.D.

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