1. Facebook, Friends and Faith -Trusting online friends
Anusuah.R,
Research Scholar, Department of Communication.
Dr.G.Balasubramania Raja,
Associate Professor, Department of Communication, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University

2. Mediated Communication
CMC
Communication
Impression creation
Develop and maintain relationships
Adapting to the restrictions of the medium.
Hyperpersonal

3. Relationships in CMC Unacquainted individuals Anonymity
Consequential strangers
social anxiety

4. Uncertainty reduction theory
Social penetration Theory
Reduce uncertainty , develop a relationship
Non-intimate relationships to intimate, disclosing personal information
passive, active and interactive
reward/ cost assessment
gain knowledge, create understanding
sharing parts of oneself to or with another

5. URT & SPT Deal with the relationship between individuals
Professional and/or social relationships
Systematic practice to explore the other individual

6. Trust
Self disclosure
relationship development
Intimacy
Layers of Self

7. Research question
RQ1: Does gender plays a major role in accepting/sending friend requests among Facebook users.
RQ2: Are there any gender differences in initiating conversation with online friends.
RQ3: what are the factors play a role in trusting an online friend

8. Participants and Procedure
Focus group Discussion
36- Participants
Three groups
Online Friends
Facebook usage M= 3.41 hours

9. Facebook intensity
Statements
Facebook is part of my everyday activity
I am proud to tell people I'm on Facebook
Facebook has become part of my daily routine
I feel out of touch when I haven't logged onto Facebook for a while
I feel I am part of the Facebook community
I would be sorry if Facebook shut down
I consider Facebook as a significant part of my life
I feel Facebook as an appropriate place to display information

10. Display Preference Posts by Me Photos and Videos of Me
Personal Information- Education and Work
Posts by Friends (in my Timeline)
Comments on My Posts
Friends List
Birthday
Religious and Political Views
Family and Relationship

11. Discussed themes
Adding/requesting complete stranger in their friends list.
Initiating the conversation
How do they trust their online friends.

12. Results and discussions
Adding/requesting - friends list.
Profile pictures- impression creation
ASL
Mutual Friends

13. Knowing a stranger
Information from profile bio, pictures, mutual friends.
Reducing Uncertainty- Passive methods
Onion Analogy

14. Initiating conversation
Men
Women
Opposite gender
Elder women, same age group
Same age group
Emotional
Intellectual
Conversation lasts 2-3 mins
Conversation lasts more than 10 mins
Conversing more than 3 times in a day
Not very often (hardly one time in a day)
Few weeks ( days)
Few days (7- 10 days)

15. Trust in online relationships
Rewards and Costs
Psychological satisfaction
Enabling other forms of Communication
Exchanging Mobile numbers ID
Inviting for F2F meeting
Gender difference
Collectivism

16. Further Research
Self Disclosure
Online to Face-to-Face relationships