In the uses and gratification theory, first proposed in the 1940s (Herzog, 1944) and then revisited by Katz, Blumler, and Gurevitch in 1974 and by Rosengren, Palmgreen, and Werner in 1985 (see Papacharissi, 2008), it is pointed out that media is consumed in order to satisfy the psychological and social needs of the individual. Uses and gratification theory is based on the functionalist paradigm of social sciences. In a work written in 2006, Agyekwena (see Özad, 2012) draws a parallel between uses and gratification theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. As noted by Özad, there is a considerable body of research on the use of SNS for the purpose of gratifying university students’ need.

What is attachment? According to Maslow (1968), in order to realize self-actualization, when basic physical and safety needs are fulfilled, one needs to satisfy the need for belonging – in other words, one’s attachment needs. Attachment has been defined in a variety of ways, some of which include: “lasting psychological connectedness between human beings” (Bowlby, 1969, p. 194), “an affectional tie that one person or animal forms between himself and another specific one – a tie that binds them together in space and endures over time” (Ainsworth, Bell, & Stayton, 1974, p. 31), and “[a] two-way process that evolves over time. It is sometimes confused with bonding, often portrayed as a somewhat mystical process, that mothers experience shortly after a baby is born. Although some women experience such moments, many more have no such recollection” (Atwool (n.d.), p. 2).

Since the beginning of humanity, people have satisfied their attachment needs by bonding with those in their close circles, such as relatives and people that they personally know. However, with the spread of technology, particularly the Internet and SNS, people are beginning to form relationships with individuals they have never met and maintain relationships with loved ones even from a distance. Individuals must experience sufficient levels of attachment to reach the highest step on Maslow’s (1968) hierarchy of needs.

What are SNS? According to Serrat (2009) “[S]ocial networks are social communities of the web, connected via electronic mail, websites and weblogs, and networking applications such as Twitter, Facebook, Lotus Quickr, or LinkedIn” (p. 1). At the outset of the new millennium, SNS have become indispensable in our lives. SNS allow relationships to be formed not only within our close environment but also with people who are physically at a distance or even with people we have never met in the traditional sense but have met through the use of SNS. Among the SNS, undoubtedly Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace are the most widely used (see, Uygarer, 2011). SNS are particularly popular among young people. For most young people, starting higher education means leaving home and living abroad or independently. Therefore, they will form new relationships and new bonds of attachment. Recently, in addition to traditional relationships, young people have been forming these relationships/attachments through SNS.

In the literature, there is a dearth of research articles related to attachment formed via SNS (Uygarer, 2011). Hence, in the present study we reviewed the literature on SNS and attachment separately. When communicating with others or anticipating communication, feelings of fear or anxiety have been considered one of the major obstacles in the educational process (Gümü & Geçer, 2008).

Bretherton (1992) stated that attachment theory started via the observations of Bowlby (1969), which were focused on infants and children and aimed at understanding the relationship between childhood and children’s later personality development. Çelik (2004) asserted that “the attachment behaviors of the human infant (e.g., proximity seeking, smiling, clinging) are reciprocated by adult attachment behaviors (touching, holding, soothing) and these responses strengthen the attachment behavior of the infant toward that particular adult” (p. 2). Çelik further mentioned that “since everybody needs to establish close relationships in their personal lives, how they attach to others and form interpersonal relationships become very crucial” (p. 1).

According to Wood (2007), four attachment styles exist for children: secure, fearful, dismissive, and anxious/ambivalent. With respect to attachment theory, it has been observed that in the literature both attachment and attachment styles have always been discussed with respect to babies and children whereas adults have been overlooked. With respect to adult attachment, Hamilton (2000) maintains that “it extends our understanding of attachment by exploring continuity beyond childhood in adolescents who have been reared in both conventional and nonconventional family context” (p. 690). Despite the common belief that attachments formed in childhood influence all human life, attachments formed in adulthood are also significant. Hazan and Shaver (1987) point out that there are gender differences in adult attachment. Since males and females cannot maintain their needs in the same way, they behave differently and it has been noted that these differences also depend on cultural values. In urban areas, the behavior of girls and boys differs (Saymaz, 2003) and, therefore, their needs are not maintained in the same ways.

Ledbetter et al. (2011) found in their study that “the interaction effect between self-disclosure and social connection directly predict[ed] Facebook communication and indirectly predict[ed] relational closeness” (p. 27). Boyd (2008) shares the view that almost all friends have reasons to enhance their friendship ties. Attachment is also significant in adulthood as everyone needs to be loved and to feel a sense of belonging to someone or something. These desires do not diminish and continue to motivate individuals to reach for success in the areas of career and in life.

Eldeleklioğlu (2008) found that loneliness decreases with increased social skills and social support from friends while, unfortunately, social support taken from family is not considered sufficient. In order to develop social skills, a social education program that leads teenagers to achieve suitable skills should be provided, whereby they would be helped to establish healthier and more effective relationships with their families and friends in order to decrease loneliness. In addition, these will help the teenagers benefit more fully from social support sources.

In this study our aim was to explore real life friendships in comparison to friendships formed through SNS with regards to fulfilling the attachment needs of students attending the English Preparatory School at Eastern Mediterranean University.

A quantitative research methodology was chosen for the present study. It was designed as a case study of English Preparatory School students at the Eastern Mediterranean University during the 2011 academic year. Of the 600 total students enrolled in the course, 100 (n = 77 female, 23 male) were selected using random sampling to participate in the study. Out of the 100 students, 17 participants were aged between 16 and 18 years, 55 between 19 and 21 years, and 28 between 22 and 24 years. There were 22 participants were from North Cyprus, 56 from Turkey, and 22 from other countries including Iran, Nigeria, Jordan, and Azerbaijan.

An in-house questionnaire was developed by the researchers. In addition to three demographic questions used to determine gender, age, and nationality, 64 items were prepared for inclusion in the questionnaire, and rated using 5-point Likert scales. The reliability of the instrument was assessed. To ascertain the critical value of agreements for propositions, the score range was divided according to the scale division of Balcı (2004): 1.00–1.79 = strongly disagree; 1.80–2.59 = disagree; 2.60–3.39 = undecided; 3.40–4.19 = agree; 4.20–5.00 = strongly agree. With respect to Cronbach’s alpha value, George and Mallery (2001) suggest that α > .7 is acceptable and α > .8 is good. Taking this into consideration, the Cronbach’s alpha value of the measuring instrument (.75) is between acceptable and good.

Data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 11.5. In order to test whether or not there were any statistically significant differences between genders, an independent samples t test was run. The presence or absence of statistically significant differences among the participants according to age group and nationality was assessed using one-way analyses of variance (ANOVA).

Communicating with others is a vital human need and is particularly significant in forming bonds of attachment. It starts at birth, with connections formed within the family, and later extends to school and other social circles in which a person becomes involved. Commencing with higher education means becoming part of a new environment where new relationships will be formed. This period is considered significant since students enter a new social milieu – university – and some students leave home for the first time and, thus, have to reconsider their attachment needs. As soon as the basic physical human needs (food, sex, and shelter) are satisfied, the need for belonging must be satisfied in order to open the way for the needs higher on Maslow’s (1968) hierarchy such as self-esteem and self-actualization. SNS offer an alternative for meeting the need of attachment, whereby SNS are used in order to gratify the need for belonging. Consequently, in the present study we set out to compare communication in real life with communication through SNS of the English Preparatory School students studying at Eastern Mediterranean University, in order to compare the attitudes of the students in forming attachment by these means. The results reveal that in general the participants are undecided about the statements that point to satisfying their attachment needs in their real lives and in the relationships formed on SNS. t test results indicate that female students are better than are males in establishing friendships and, thus, attachment on SNS. According to one-way ANOVA results, there is a statistically significant difference in the means of length of attachment formed on SNS between different age groups. In this study, we explored the importance of attachment needs and considered the role of new technological developments (such as SNS) in order to highlight the role of technology in the lives of humans. According to our results, people make use of SNS in order to fulfill one basic human need; that of belonging. This enables them to reach the objectives higher on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs such as self-esteem and self- actualization.

In conclusion, our findings in this study indicate that the English Preparatory School students make extensive use the SNS in order to satisfy their need for attachment. In relation to age and gender, we found statistically significant differences between the attachments formed in real life and those formed through SNS. Therefore, we determined that the use of SNS plays a significant role in satisfying the need for attachment among young people who are at the outset of their higher education.

Ainsworth, M. D. S., Bell, S. M., & Stayton, D. J. (1974). Infant-mother attachment and social development: Socialization as a product of reciprocal responsiveness to signals. In J. M. Richards (Ed.), The integration of a child into a social world (pp. 9-135). London, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Atwool, N. (n.d.). Attachment issues: Community and family studies. Retrieved from http://www.hrs.org.nz/fostercare/Files/AttachmentIssues.pdf

Balcı, A. (2004). Sosyal bilimlerde araştırma yöntem, teknik ve ilkeler, pegema yayıncılık: Ankara [Methods, techniques and principles in social science research]. Ankara: Pegma.

Boyd, D. (2008). Why youth (heart) social network sites: The role of networked publics in teenage social life. In D. Buckingham (Ed.), Youth, identity, and digital media (pp. 119-142). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Loss. New York: Basic Books.

Bretherton, I. (1992). The origins of attachment theory: John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth. Retrieved from http://www.psychology.sunysb.edu/attachment/online/inge_origins.pdf

Çelik, Ş. (2004). The effects of an attachment-oriented-psycho-educational-group training on improving the preoccupied attachment styles of university students [In Turkish]. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey.

Eldeleklioğlu, J. (2008). Gender, romantic relationships, Internet use, perceived social support and social skills as the predictors of loneliness [In Turkish]. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 33, 127-140.

George, M., & Mallery, P. (2001). SPSS for Windows step by step: A simple guide and reference. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Gümüş, A. E., & Geçer, A. K. (2008) Developing a scale for communication apprehension with lecturers [In Turkish]. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 31, 55-74.

Hamilton, C. E. (2000). Continuity and discontinuity of attachment from infancy through adolescence. Child Development, 71, 690-694. http://doi.org/fhr46q

Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 511-524. http://doi.org/gnn

Herzog, H. (1940). Professor Quiz: A gratification study. In P. F. Lazarsfeld (Ed.), Radio and the Printed Page (pp. 64-93). New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce.

Katz, E., Blumler, J. G., & Gurevitch, M. C. (1974). Uses and gratifications research. The Public Opinion Quarterly, 37, 509-523.

Ledbetter, A., Mazer, J., DeGroot, J., Meyer, K., Mao, Y., & Swafford, B. (2011). Attitudes toward online social connection and self-disclosure as predictors of Facebook communication and relational closeness. Communication Research, 38, 27-53. http://doi.org/fcb8mz

Maslow, A. H. (1968). Toward a psychology of being. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

Özad, B. (2012). Tertiary students’ attitudes towards using SNS. International Conference on Communication, Media, Technology and Design. Paper presented at the International Conference on Communication, Media, Technology and Design, Istanbul, Turkey, 9-11 May.

Papacharissi, Z. (2008). Uses and gratifications. In D. Stacks & M. Salwen (Eds.), An Integrated Approach to Communication Theory and Research (pp. 137-151). New York: Routledge.

Saymaz, I. (2003). Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Kişilerarası İlişkileri ve Bağlanma Stilleri Arasındaki İlişkinin İncelenmesi [Interpersonal relationship and attachment styles of university students]. Unpublished master’s thesis, Social Science Institution, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.

Serrat, O. (2009). Social network analysis. Retrieved from http://www.adb.org/Documents/Information/Knowledge-Solutions/Social-Network-Analysis.pdf

Uygarer, G. (2011). Role of SNS on tertiary students’ interpersonal communication skills and attachment needs. Unpublished master’s thesis, Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Eastern Mediterranean University, Famagusta, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Wood, J. T. (2007). Interpersonal communication: Everyday encounters. Boston, MA: Wadsworth.

Ainsworth, M. D. S., Bell, S. M., & Stayton, D. J. (1974). Infant-mother attachment and social development: Socialization as a product of reciprocal responsiveness to signals. In J. M. Richards (Ed.), The integration of a child into a social world (pp. 9-135). London, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Atwool, N. (n.d.). Attachment issues: Community and family studies. Retrieved from http://www.hrs.org.nz/fostercare/Files/AttachmentIssues.pdf

Balcı, A. (2004). Sosyal bilimlerde araştırma yöntem, teknik ve ilkeler, pegema yayıncılık: Ankara [Methods, techniques and principles in social science research]. Ankara: Pegma.

Boyd, D. (2008). Why youth (heart) social network sites: The role of networked publics in teenage social life. In D. Buckingham (Ed.), Youth, identity, and digital media (pp. 119-142). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Loss. New York: Basic Books.

Bretherton, I. (1992). The origins of attachment theory: John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth. Retrieved from http://www.psychology.sunysb.edu/attachment/online/inge_origins.pdf

Çelik, Ş. (2004). The effects of an attachment-oriented-psycho-educational-group training on improving the preoccupied attachment styles of university students [In Turkish]. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey.

Eldeleklioğlu, J. (2008). Gender, romantic relationships, Internet use, perceived social support and social skills as the predictors of loneliness [In Turkish]. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 33, 127-140.

George, M., & Mallery, P. (2001). SPSS for Windows step by step: A simple guide and reference. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Gümüş, A. E., & Geçer, A. K. (2008) Developing a scale for communication apprehension with lecturers [In Turkish]. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 31, 55-74.

Hamilton, C. E. (2000). Continuity and discontinuity of attachment from infancy through adolescence. Child Development, 71, 690-694. http://doi.org/fhr46q

Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 511-524. http://doi.org/gnn

Herzog, H. (1940). Professor Quiz: A gratification study. In P. F. Lazarsfeld (Ed.), Radio and the Printed Page (pp. 64-93). New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce.

Katz, E., Blumler, J. G., & Gurevitch, M. C. (1974). Uses and gratifications research. The Public Opinion Quarterly, 37, 509-523.

Ledbetter, A., Mazer, J., DeGroot, J., Meyer, K., Mao, Y., & Swafford, B. (2011). Attitudes toward online social connection and self-disclosure as predictors of Facebook communication and relational closeness. Communication Research, 38, 27-53. http://doi.org/fcb8mz

Maslow, A. H. (1968). Toward a psychology of being. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

Özad, B. (2012). Tertiary students’ attitudes towards using SNS. International Conference on Communication, Media, Technology and Design. Paper presented at the International Conference on Communication, Media, Technology and Design, Istanbul, Turkey, 9-11 May.

Papacharissi, Z. (2008). Uses and gratifications. In D. Stacks & M. Salwen (Eds.), An Integrated Approach to Communication Theory and Research (pp. 137-151). New York: Routledge.

Saymaz, I. (2003). Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Kişilerarası İlişkileri ve Bağlanma Stilleri Arasındaki İlişkinin İncelenmesi [Interpersonal relationship and attachment styles of university students]. Unpublished master’s thesis, Social Science Institution, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.

Serrat, O. (2009). Social network analysis. Retrieved from http://www.adb.org/Documents/Information/Knowledge-Solutions/Social-Network-Analysis.pdf

Uygarer, G. (2011). Role of SNS on tertiary students’ interpersonal communication skills and attachment needs. Unpublished master’s thesis, Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Eastern Mediterranean University, Famagusta, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Wood, J. T. (2007). Interpersonal communication: Everyday encounters. Boston, MA: Wadsworth.