Saudi females on Facebook: An ethnographic study

The article reports on an empirical study conducted in 2009 which used ethnographic techniques to collect the data. The study aim was to provide a rich description about the experiences of young Saudi females on Facebook. To report the perceptions of these females in relation to their experiences on Facebook, the author conducted 15 semi-structured interviews. In addition, the author also observed the 'walls' of three of these interviewees to get a feel of what was really going on in Facebook. The study found that these females used Facebook to maintain ties with their friends, old and present; to express their feelings and to share their thoughts through updating their status; and to have fun taking the quizzes. Two interesting themes also transpired from the interviews: one, is that while self-disclosure was very common among these participants, they appeared to be conscious about their privacy; two, to express their political views about their public affairs they joined Facebook groups. In terms of the effects of their Facebook experience on their lives, while some participants said Facebook made them more sociable and more self-confident, others expressed concerns about the time Facebook took away from family and study.