title: Friending Adolescents on Social Networking Websites: A Feasible Research Tool.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Social networking sites (SNSs) are increasingly used for research. This paper reports on two studies examining the feasibility of friending adolescents on SNSs for research purposes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study 1 took place on www.MySpace.com where public profiles belonging to 18-year-old adolescents received a friend request from an unknown physician. Study 2 took place on www.Facebook.com where college freshmen from two US universities, enrolled in an ongoing research study, received a friend request from a known researcher's profile. Acceptance and retention rates of friend requests were calculated for both studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Study 1: 127 participants received a friend request; participants were 18 years-old, 62.2% male and 51.8% Caucasian. 49.6% accepted the friend request. After 9 months, 76% maintained the online friendship, 12.7% defriended the study profile and 11% deactivated their profile.Study2: 338 participants received a friend request; participants were 18 years-old, 56.5% female and 75.1% Caucasian. 99.7% accepted the friend request. Over 12 months, 3.3% defriended the study profile and 4.1% deactivated their profile. These actions were often temporary; the overall 12-month friendship retention rate was 96.1%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Friending adolescents on SNSs is feasible and friending adolescents from a familiar profile may be more effective for maintaining online friendship with research participants over time.
authors.affiliation: Seattle Children's Research Institute, Center for Child Health Behavior and Development, 2001 8 Avenue, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98121.
authors.forename: Libby N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Brockman
authors.affiliation: Seattle Children's Research Institute, Center for Child Health Behavior and Development, 2001 8 Avenue, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98121.
authors.forename: Dimitri A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Christakis
authors.affiliation: Seattle Children's Research Institute, Center for Child Health Behavior and Development, 2001 8 Avenue, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98121.
authors.forename: Megan A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Moreno
keywords: Adolescent; Internet; friending; online friend; research methods; social media; social networking website