Relationship Maintenance in Social Media: A Study of Facebook and LINE

This study explored how people utilize different social networking sites to maintain relationships with close friends. An online survey was administered to explore the user behavior, purposes of using two sites and if relationship maintenance strategies differ between Facebook and LINE. The survey results showed that user behavior, purposes of using two sites and relationship maintenance strategies vary between the Facebook and LINE. In general, more relational maintenance strategies were used on LINE. The main purpose of using LINE is maintaining friendships. The frequently used functions include sending stickers and messages on LINE. On Facebook, more surveillance strategies were used and the purposes of using Facebook are sharing news with friends and tracking people. The frequently used functions include liking and using Facebook wall. That is to say, media characteristics affect user behavior, purposes of using social networking sites and relationship maintenance strategies. In addition, the way of using social networking sites differ by friendship types. For instance, surveillance was not used in close friendship. Between Facebook and LINE, there were sex differences in user behavior and in purposes of using the social networking sites. Though women used more strategies to maintain relationships than men did on LINE, there were no sex differences in relationship maintenance strategies on Facebook. Future studies can explore if user behavior and relationship maintenance strategies vary by friendship types and the gender of friends