The popularity of social networking sites such as MySpace, Friendster and Multiply hit the Internet community by storm. These

social networking sites are now one of the most favorite sites among online users. The number of social networking sites joining the top 20 list by Alexa is apparently increasing. 
                                                            

One very nice feature of these sites is that it connects you to your network of friends. The question is, do these social networking sites help promote close intimacy among members and create a what we call “close friendship”?

According to the study of a British researcher, social networking sites are unlikely to promote close friendship. One of the reasons is that people still feel that they still need a face-to-face contact with the person in order to gain trust and confidence.This finding is based from the research of Dr. Will Reader of the Sheffield Hallam University in Northern England. He also noted thatalthough the number of people having friends on these sites is getting bigger and bigger. The real number of friends that can be considered close is approximately the same as in the face-to-face real world contact.