Relationships, measured in the strength of a tie between people, can be characterized according to interactions, and are dependent on what, why, and how we communicate, and the frequency of communication activities. Given the rise in new technologies, and dependencies on these to support day-to-day life, communications are changing in each aspect; we can therefore assume that our relationships are similarly changing.

In their work, Burke and Kraut consider the occurrence and impact of this in relation to people “growing closer on Facebook.” The how is therefore a particularly interesting metric in this respect, and the investigation examines how the way we communicate using Facebook affects relationship strength. Strength in this work is dependent on interaction with Facebook’s built-in features, such as its “like” option, wall posts, and status or photograph comments. Research for the paper is based on data collected both from Facebook servers and survey participants.

Disappointingly, a number of the conclusions drawn are predictable. The authors conclude that Facebook improves tie strength in both kin and non-kin relationships. In non-kin relationships, the how of Facebook is particularly important: “one click” actions are inadequate and may negatively impact relationships, while tie strength increases through “directed” one-to-one communication and, to a reduced degree, passive consumption of wall content. Facebook does not improve tie strength between next of kin, but can change perceptions between family members. While the data and analysis in this work therefore verify the impact we might imagine of Facebook, little new insight is provided.