  Facebook, the largest social networking site in the world, has overcome the
structural barriers that historically constrain individuals to reach out to
different others. Through the platform, people from all walks of life and
virtually any location can develop diverse friendships online. However,
friendships on Facebook have been as segregated as friendships in real life.
This research sought to understand why the leading social networking site
intended to 'bring the world closer together' retains segregated friendship. In
doing so, we employed a series of agent-based simulations based on the
Framework for Intergroup Relations and Multiple Affiliations Networks (FIRMAN).
As demonstrated, Facebook has primarily enhanced users' capacity to maintain a
larger number of friendships (tie capacity), while has done little to empower
users' ability to accept diversity and befriend different others (tie
outreachability). Facebook must focus on the latter should they truly wish to
contribute to the development of a more inclusive society. While in this study
we focus on ethnically segregated friendship on Facebook, we argue that the
same explanation may also hold for racially and ideologically segregated
friendships on other bi-directional social networking sites.
