My best day : presentation of self and social manipulation in Facebook and IM

By 2006, Facebook was the seventh most popular site on the Web, and registering on Facebook had become de rigueur on most American campuses. Facebook fills a variety of functions, including presentation of self to “friends” (through photos and text profiles) and the ability to control communicative access. Instant messaging, which is also highly popular with the same cohort, affords similar opportunities for self-presentation and manipulating social contact through profiles, away messages, buddy lists, and blocking. Drawing upon a study of Facebook usage and research on AIM away messages, this paper compares the evolving relationship between these two platforms.