Date of Award
5-2016
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Legacy Department
Communication, Technology, and Society
Committee Member
Joseph Mazer, Committee Chair
Committee Member
Andrew Pyle
Committee Member
Erin Ash
Abstract
This study examines the relationship between the use of the smartphone application Yik Yak, psychological well-being, and the formation of social capital. Yik Yak is a social media smartphone application that affords users pseudo-anonymity to create and view discussion threads within a five mile radius. Pearson correlations conducted on results from a survey of undergraduate students (N = 255) revealed a significant relationship between Yak intensity scores, a measure that combines the variables of frequency and duration, and bridging social capital, which are resources based on group membership, relationships, networks of influence, and support derived from engaging with weak ties and diverse people. Although the correlations between Yik Yak and bonding social capital and the measures of well-being were not significant, future research on the application can focus on measures encapsulating the perceived anonymity and self-presentation associated with the app.
Recommended Citation
Clark, Cathlin V., "The Anonymous Network: Perceptions of Social Capital and Well-being Among College Students on Yik Yak" (2016). All Theses. 2320.
https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/2320