Redes sociais: um estudo de caso sobre os usuários do Facebook

Abstract

This study aims at showing how social networks influence today's society. Starting from an understanding of the concept of cyberspace, the vehicle through which information is shared and enabling the existence of the Internet. First, some social networks such as Blogs and LinkedIn are presented. After this presentation, Facebook, the subject of this case study, you will be given greater detail. The research aims at investigating the meaning, perception and the motivations that Facebook users have in their relations with the network, as well as looking at the impact that interactions via Facebook cause in the daily life of personal and professional users. How some companies explore social networks will also be analysed. This is a qualitative descriptive study. It consists of a sample of 6 people and 3 companies, whose profile has been put into this social network. Both groups were selected by the technique of snowball. The results explain the ways people have interacted with Facebook from the purposes for which the network was designed (meet friends, have fun and obtain information). It is shown that, although companies are increasingly looking forward to exposing your products on Facebook, exploiting the fact that the network is a free resource and seen by millions of people around the world and the growing use of social media in their business, these tools are still tentatively explored. The conclusion brings a brief analysis of how social networks have grown and changed the life of today's society, under the binomial: fast / permanent interaction.