Jessica Vitak, "When Contexts Collapse: Managing Self-Presentation Across Social Media"
29
Technology & relationships: It’s Complicated Jessica Vitak University of Maryland, College of Information Studies [email protected] Twitter: @jvitak 1
-
Upload
summersocialwebshop -
Category
Education
-
view
2.857 -
download
1
description
Transcript of Jessica Vitak, "When Contexts Collapse: Managing Self-Presentation Across Social Media"
Technology & relationships: It’s Complicated
Jessica VitakUniversity of Maryland, College of Information [email protected]: @jvitak 1
Finding my pathHow do we get from Point A
i.e., the
“BIG IDEA”to Point B
MEANINGFUL RESULTS?
2
Flickr image courtesy of Raghu Jana
Challenge 1: What is my RQ?
5
Privacy
Communication Practices
Audience
Challenge 2: Narrowing Focus
6
IM
TECHNOLOGY RELATIONSHIPS
• Romantic vs. casual relationships• Geographically close vs. long distance• Network characteristics• Formation vs. maintenance vs. dissolution
Challenge 3: Collecting DataAs we’ve seen, collecting data about technology users can be
HARD.Some of the challenges:• Picking the right method• Reliability of self-reports • Those darn Terms of Service• Differences across populations of users• Researching less popular sites• Ever-evolving site features• How the heck do you get a representative sample? 7
Challenge 4: Analyzing Data
Your RQs/Hypotheses must be testable!
•Questions to ask:• Does my method allow enable me to test my RQs/Hs?• Is it the best method to do so?• Do I know the proper analysis techniques?
IF NOT: •Can I learn them? •Do I want to learn them? •Do I have time to learn them? •Can someone else teach me/run them?
8
How does context collapse impact use of and outcomes of SNS use?
9
Oh hai Goffman…We meet again
Selective Self-Presentation
10
Context Collapse:When distinct audiences are brought together in
a central location.
11
Flickr image courtesy of cayusa
Technology attenuates this process.
This is why it is important to study this phenomenon—technology changes existing structures/processes/outcomes.
12
This is what happens when my network collides!
13
(cue Powerman 5000)
How context collapse may affect our use of technology
14
1) Strength of weak ties: users distribute content (esp. resource requests) to entire network to increase likelihood that someone will see it and respond.
2) Privacy controls: users employ increasingly granular privacy settings to segment network into different audiences.
3) Lowest common denominator: users only distribute content appropriate for all “friends.”
Dissecting the RQ
15
How does context collapse affect use of SNSs & outcomes?• Access to resources—Facebook and social capital
(Ellison et al., 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012; Burke et al., 2010, 2011)
UserSocial
Capital
Dissecting the RQ
16
User Social Capital
Disclosure
How does context collapse affect use of SNSs & outcomes?• Disclosures necessary to accrue social capital
(Ellison et al., 2010; Stutzman et al., 2012)
Dissecting the RQ
17
User
Social Capital
Disclosure
Privacy Concerns
Network
Public Info
How does context collapse affect use of SNSs & outcomes?• Privacy concerns may prevent disclosures
(Stutzman et al., 2011, 2012)
Dissecting the RQ
18
How does context collapse affect use of SNSs & outcomes?• Privacy settings can assuage concerns
(Vitak et al., 2012; Ellison et al., 2011)
User
Social Capital
Disclosure
Privacy Concerns
Network
Public Info
Privacy Settings
Conceptualizing Audience
19
SIZEIN
TIM
ACY DIVERSITY
AUDIENCE
Privacy Online … (is that an oxymoron?)
20
Privacy: “selective control of access to the self,” achieved by regulating social interactions (Altman, 1975)
Privacy Concerns
ID TheftStalkers
Inappropriate Content
Employers
Hacked Account
Private Content
Visibility of Content
Friends Only
Limited Profile
Friend Lists
Privacy Controls
Multiple Accounts
Restricting Searchability
Places / Check-ins
Restricting Tagging
Limit Old
PostsDeleting Account
“refuseniks”
Balancing Privacy & Usability… Is this really possible? (hint: I’m not convinced)
Features to increase site’s usability (and support corporate goals):•Simple design•Minimize “clicks”•Intuitive movement through site•Public sharing
Words that describe site’s privacy features:•Complex•Confusing•Time consuming•Hard to find!•Frustrating
21
What’s in a disclosure?
22
Wheeless & Grotz’ General Disclosiveness Scale (1976):• Amount• Depth• Conscious Intention• Positivity• Honesty
23
BondingSocial
Capital
BridgingSocial
Capital
Bridging SC in action!
24
Bonding SC in action!
25
PRIVACY SETTTINGS
AUDIENCE
+
DISCLOSURES+
SOCIAL CAPITAL
+
26
SEM Model
PRIVACY SETTTINGS
AUDIENCE
+
DISCLOSURES+
SOCIAL CAPITAL
+
27
PRIVACY CONCERNS
-
SEM Model
PRIVACY SETTTINGS
AUDIENCE
+
DISCLOSURES+
SOCIAL CAPITAL
+
28
PRIVACY CONCERNS
+
-
SEM Model
Implications• How network composition impacts:
1) Engagement with site2) Perceived resources available
• It’s not just who you’re connected to, but the characteristics of the content you share that impact your perceptions of access to resources.
• Site features (e.g., Friend Lists) may manage context collapse.
• Implications for design (e.g., better privacy & content distribution controls) 29
Coming Full Circle
30
Big idea about technology & relationships
Deal with various challenges in narrowing focus, conceptualizing & operationalizing variables, collecting & analyzing data.
Develop new questions about your big idea based on your findings & start process anew!
Push boundaries of what is known and accepted.
Side note: Non-significance != bad data. May be just as important.
