balloons socialmediaandsocialpeopleweb
TRANSCRIPT
Balloons, Social Media + Social People
Zizi Papacharissi, PhDProfessor and Head, Communication
University of Illinois-Chicago
The beginning . . .DARPA launches the Internet
DARPA celebrates the 40 years of Internet in November 2009
The Experiment 10 Balloons Continental US Real time Grand scale Online network
Experiment Team building Mobilization
The Balloons
The Balloonistas
Students, bloggers, professors, facebook moms, people w/ nothing better to do, teenagers, professionals, technology geeks, EVERYONE in teams
The Top Balloonistas
Used:
Social networking
Web site
Variety of technologies
$$$$$
Online Social Networks,Social Network Sites,Social Media
Social networks have always been a part of everyday life and communication
Facebook etc technically not “networks” Platforms
Social network sites are Web sites that Allow members to construct a public or semi-public profile To connect with others And view and traverse connections between themselves
and others
Research on Social Network Sites (SNSs)
Multi-mediated self presentation
Public display of social connections
Electronically mediated social circles and status
Privacy and publicity of comm/multiple audiences
Social connections, local and remote
Strong and weak ties; social capital
The social become more social; less social have functional alternative
The premiseMore or less social people?
A networked self
More or less social media?A
ll media are social
More or less social places?S
ocial affordances of online spaces
Research Findings3 studies
Facebook use and social capital (Papacharissi & Mendelson, 2009, Media Perspectives for 21st Century, Papathanassopoulos-Ed.)
Look at us study – Visual Rhetoric of Facebook photo galleries (Mendelson & Papacharissi, 2009, Networked Self, Papacharissi- Ed.)
Architecture of online places and affordances of online social networks (Papacharissi, 2009, New Media & Society)
Study 1:Uses of Facebook and Social Capital
A different kind of sociability
The social couch potato Active? No. Passive? No.
Flexibility, mobility, and convergence of social behaviors (social multitasking)
Public Privacy of social ties Recognition of privacy risk; inability to react Reflexive understanding of privacy
Study 2 - Look at Us: Visual Rhetoric of Facebook photo galleries
Elements examined (Chalfen – kodak culture) Participants/Topics/Setting/Form/Code (aesthetics)
Participants/Topics/Setting Friends, physically close, mostly same sex groups,
even at parties, more women Popular events: Parties. Trips w/ Friends. Dances
and proms. School year holidays. Sporting events. Graduation (culture of documented/able festivity)
Mundane – hanging out Self portraits, numerous versions of (exhibitionism,
overt narcissism, celebrity culture)
Results – BehaviorOvert and exhibitionist articulations of play and
affection
Awareness of, interaction w/ camera
Smiling
Play: extreme expressiveness; broad gestures, open-mouths, tongue out; overt drinking Embarrassing shots remain up
Physical contact: hugging, arm-in-arm, heads together, cheek kissing
Results – AestheticsFocus on the self, self @ center (narcissism)
Centered, straight on
Medium to close distance, limited background
Self-shot
Posed
Bad composition ok
What’s not there?Family (Parents)
Small children
Landscapes
Animals
Older People
Sites/travel (w/out friends)
Overt sexual behavior
Results – Organization Mostly chronological – no structured narrative
Albums are collective – based on tags (Facebook architecture)
Deviations Based on posts by numerous people, can be out of
time order “Nostalgic” images – members of group in high
school or even younger
Results – Comments Reinforces closeness & in-group membership
Nicknames, inside jokes, statements of affection, compliments, changing looks
References to what happened: “OMG THIS IS SO SWEET! i remember this! We were
interviewedddddd!” References to longing
“aww I miss this” or “I miss you guys” References to group inclusion
“can someone please explain why no one tagged me in this!!!!”
“….it still means ur a.. needs to get the hellzz down there woman”
Comments tied to pictures & those tags, not to individuals
Conclusions
Visual self-presentation Photography integral to identity formation
Demonstration of group cohesiveness and independence from family
Events and relationships made real through use of camera
Majority of images demonstrate Awareness of camera Behaviors produced specifically for the camera Photos used as conversational pieces, contextual elements of
photos de-emphasized Images directed for closed group, reinforce group membership
and cohesion
Study 3: Architecture of SNSs
The architecture of online networks
Balance of public and private
Study 3: Architecture of SNSs
The architecture of online networks
Balance of public and private
Self-presentation in spaces publicly private and privately public
Study 3: Architecture of SNSs
The architecture of online networks
Balance of public and private
Self-presentation in spaces publicly private and privately public
Intricate performances of taste and class
Tight and loose structures
