Does being on Facebook make me (feel) accepted in the classroom? The relationships between early adolescents' Facebook usage, classroom peer acceptance and self-concept

• Published in: Computers in human behavior 2016-09, Vol.62, p.375-384
• Main Authors: Košir, Katja, Horvat, Marina, Aram, Urška, Jurinec, Nina, Tement, Sara
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acceptance; Acceptance tests; Adolescents; Classrooms; Commonality; Early adolescents; Facebook usage; Human behavior; Males; Self-concept; Social acceptance; Social networks
• ISSN: 0747-5632; 1873-7692
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2016.04.013

The present study aimed to explore the relationships between classroom peer relations, self-concept, and the use of social networking sites in early adolescents. The differences between Facebook users and non-users in their (teacher-assessed and sociometric) classroom peer acceptance and the peer relations, academic and global self-concept were investigated. In addition, the incremental predictive power of students' Facebook usage indicators for their peer relations self-concept beyond their actual classroom acceptance was tested, as well as the moderating role of early adolescents' gender classroom peer acceptance in the relation between Facebook usage and peer relations self-concept. 404 early adolescents (47.3% males; 82.9% Facebook users) participated in the study. No differences were found between users and non-users in their social preference, teacher-assessed peer acceptance, and academic and general self-concept. However, Facebook users reported significantly higher peer relations self-concept. No significant differences were found between Facebook users classified in different sociometric groups. Measures of Facebook usage explained incremental variance in peer-relation self-concept beyond classroom peer acceptance measures. In addition, a significant interaction effect between emotional connectedness to Facebook and gender was found; being highly emotionally connected to Facebook was beneficial only for girls’ peer relations self-concept. These results shed light on commonalities and differences in Facebook and classroom connectedness. •The relation between peer relations and the use of social networking sites was examined.•No differences between Facebook users and non-users were found in their peer relations.•Facebook users reported significantly higher peer relations self-concept.•Facebook usage predicted peer relations self-concept after controlling for classroom peer acceptance.•Gender worked as a moderator in the relation between emotional connectedness to Facebook and peer relations self-concept.