Social Media & Narcissism: The Recap

“You’re expected to have a Facebook now,” Michigan State University student Robin Coan said.

“I stare at it a lot. I don’t update it ever,” said MSU student Jacob Meier about his Facebook page.

A recent study suggests Facebook usage does not make undergraduate students more narcissistic.

Active Twitter users are more likely to have narcissistic qualities than active Facebook users, but Twitter usage will not necessarily make undergraduates more narcissistic either, the study found.

“It is (narcissists’) motivation for social media usage that differs from non-narcissists,” said Professor Shaun Davenport, one of the researchers, via email.

Professor John Heinrichs, a technology and social media expert at Wayne State University, said he thinks social media “allows students to share ideas and continue discussions beyond the classroom.”

In the study’s sample of over 500 college students, almost 98 percent said they had a Facebook account, and over 42 percent said they had a Twitter account, according to survey data.

In its sample of 669 other adults, survey data reported over 93 percent had a Facebook, and over half had a Twitter.

To hear what MSU students thought about these findings, click here or refer to this previous blog post.

Social Media & Narcissism

Twitter and Facebook usage does not make college undergraduates more narcissistic, a recent study suggests.

Many Michigan State University students found the study’s conclusions to be reasonable and accurate.

Ricky Avery, a biosystems engineering senior, said he does not have a Facebook or a Twitter account.

However, he said he does not think these sites make users narcissistic. People can use Twitter or Facebook to stay in contact with one another, share ideas, and communicate more easily.

Patrick Sheridan, a biosystems engineering senior at MSU, said social media sites are today’s equivalent of landline telephones.

“A few years ago, my apartment and the dorms would’ve had landlines, and we would’ve been calling people all the time,” Sheridan said.

Robin Coan, a criminal justice junior, said Facebook “has very functional purposes.”

Coan said she uses her account to stay connected with groups and clubs. She is part of a Facebook group for criminal justice students at MSU, and another group for the university’s ballroom dance team.

To watch film interviews on social media and narcissism, click on the video above. For more on this topic via Twitter, click here or search #SocMediaMSU.

ROTC Relationships Recap

Male military members are more likely to marry young and less likely to divorce, according to a recent study.

The military’s overall divorce rate remains under 4 percent, the study said.

“Marriages that get dull often don't survive,” said Michael Matthews, a psychology professor at the U.S. Military Academy, via email.

“So to the extent that the couples perceive the military life as one of opportunity versus one of continued threat, this can maintain energy in relationships,” Matthews said.

Some Michigan State University students think military members marry young because their jobs require them to be forward-thinking.

“ROTC students are much more future-oriented and long-term focused,” MSU student Mark Howell said.

Howell said he knows many engaged or married ROTC students. He is a student in the MSU Air Force ROTC Program who married his wife Christina in March.

Jana Sedlacek is dating an army ROTC student. “I 100 percent feel that we’re planning our future sooner,” she said.

Sedlacek is a first year student at the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine.

To see Howell and Sedlacek’s film interviews, click here. For more on this story via Twitter, click here or search #MSUMilRelationships.

ROTC Relationships Preview: Thomas & Jana

Military personnel are more likely to marry at a young age and less likely to divorce than civilians of the same race and education level, a recent study suggests.

According to some Michigan State University students, even dating is different when a student on a military track is involved, because it requires a higher level of commitment.

Jana Sedlacek is a first year student at the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine. She has been dating Thomas Vanstee, a junior undergraduate student who is in the MSU Army ROTC Program, for over two years.

“I 100 percent feel that we’re planning our future sooner,” Sedlacek said. This is because her boyfriend’s military career goals require him to make serious relationship decisions earlier than other students.

Sedlacek said she thinks Vanstee’s military career “is going to evolve sacrifices on both our parts.”

For tweets on Sedlacek, ROTC student relationships, and military marriages, click here or search #MSUMilRelationships on Twitter.

Film interviews with MSU students on dating and ROTC can be found here.

Jana Sedlacek poses for a picture with Thomas Vanstee at the 2013 Lansing Marathon.
Photo provided by Sedlacek and used with permission. 

Playtime with Peaches: The Recap

Michigan State University student Monica Randall and her friend Mark Mansdoerfer played with Randall's pet rat Peaches for over half an hour this evening. They took Peaches out of her cage for exercise.

Peaches nibbled on treats, approached her exercise wheel with confusion, and explored crawl spaces behind the couch. The rat was energetic and moved at a fast pace. 

Peaches crawled quickly up Randall's shoulder and down her owner's back before jumping onto a couch, demonstrating speed and agility.

Mansdoerfer said he is not afraid of rats. He watched Peaches explore and petted her when she wasn't moving too quickly.

A tweet stream of the event can be read here.

Peaches the Rat

Michigan State University senior Monica Randall is having her friend Mark Mansdoerfer over to meet her new pet rat Peaches.

Randall said she adopted Peaches yesterday, after wanting a pet rat for a long time. Until recently, she has had no place to house such an animal. Her mother would not let a rat stay at Randall's home residence.

"Peaches is a hooded fancy rat with a lot of personality," Randall said. She thinks Mansdoerfer will like Peaches "because he is an animal lover. And what's there not to love?"

Mansdoerfer is paying Peaches a visit later this evening, most likely between 7 and 8 p.m.

Follow live tweeting of the encounter here.