Publication Date

2015

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Reyman, Jessica, 1977-

Degree Name

M.A. (Master of Arts)

Legacy Department

Department of English

LCSH

Facebook (Electronic resource); Technical communication; Rhetoric; Multimedia communications; Web studies; Middle-aged persons--Social networks; Communication--Social aspects; Information technology--Social aspects

Abstract

This study looked at Facebook use by older adults to determine why and how they use the website and what characteristics of network literacy they exhibit in doing so. To conduct my research I interviewed eight older adults in a sample of convenience drawn from my own social network and transcribed the interviews. I performed open coding of the data, in an iterative process, allowing patterns, codes, and themes to emerge from the data. Based on the results of my study, I argue that older adults are motivated to use Facebook by the social connections it affords them and the way it enhances and improves communication with friends and family members. I also argue that they are successful at adapting the tool to meet most of their needs, and their use of Facebook demonstrates many, although not all, of the characteristics of network literacy.

Comments

Advisors: Jessica Reyman.||Committee members: Philip Eubanks; Bradley Peters.

Extent

62 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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