Social Grooming

In Judith Donath'sSignals in Social Supernets, the author compares the use of Social Network Sites to the way that apes groom each other to establish social bonds.

In the wild, apes groom each other, picking through fur to remove parasitic bugs. This behavior helps with hygiene and is relaxing and pleasant for the recipient. Perhaps most importantly, it establishes social bonds [1].

In, Robin Dunbar (1996) argued eloquently that in human societies, language, especially gossip, has taken over the social function of grooming. Instead of removing lice from each other's hair, people check in with friends and colleagues, ask how they are doing, and exchange a few words about common acquaintances, the news, or the local sports team (Dunbar, 1996, 2004). Language is much more efficient than physical grooming, for one can talk to several people at once [1].

[1] "Signals in Social Supernets." Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. Web. 27 Oct. 2009. &lt;http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/donath.html&gt;