Abstract:
Background: As a method of socializing, Facebook was opened to be used by the general
public and now Facebook users are increasing all over the world including Sri Lanka.
However, the danger of using Facebook may be an issue particularly for adolescents.
Eventhough it has some negative effects, usage of Facebook has become one of the most
common practices among young generation.
Objectives: The main objective of this study was to explore the adolescents’ perspective on
their Facebook usage.The specific objectives were to identify the supportive factors
available in the environment for adolescents to use Facebook, to determine the adolescents’
perceived advantages and disadvantages of using Facebook and to identify the barriers
experienced by adolescents to use Facebook.
Methodology: A qualitative descriptive study design was used with purposive sampling
technique to select 16 adolescents who are currently using Facebook from Theldeniya
National School, Kandy, Sri Lanka. The data collection tool was semi-structured interview
and data was analyzed by using content analysis method.
Results and conclusions: Peer involvement such as peer pressure, peer acceptance, seeking
standards and sense of group membership and high availability of resources such as mobile
phones, desktops and laptops were identified as supportive factors for adolescents to use
Facebook. Adolscent’s perceived advantages of using Facebook were keep in touch with
friends, get to know each other, communication and sharing information, enhance the
motivation in academic performances and self enhancement. Wasting time and negligence
of compulsory works due to addictive behaviour for online games and sleeping disturbances
such as awakening, tiredeness, less sleep and irregular sleep were identified as main
disadvantages of overusage of Facebook among adolescents. Parental displeasure towards
patterns of habitual, compulsive and addictive usage of Facebook was identified as a barrier
experienced by adolescents’ to use Facebook. Although Facebook seemed to entertain
adolscents, addictive usage was found to be problematic towards maintaing day to day life.