jessica vitak, "when contexts collapse: managing self-presentation across social media"

Technology & relationships: It’s Complicated

Jessica VitakUniversity of Maryland, College of Information Studiesjvitak@umd.eduTwitter: @jvitak 1

Finding my pathHow do we get from Point A

i.e., the

“BIG IDEA”to Point B

MEANINGFUL RESULTS?

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Flickr image courtesy of Raghu Jana

Challenge 1: What is my RQ?

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Privacy

Communication Practices

Audience

Challenge 2: Narrowing Focus

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Facebook

Twitter

IM

Email

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?

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How does context collapse impact use of and outcomes of SNS use?

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Oh hai Goffman…We meet again

Selective Self-Presentation

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Context Collapse:When distinct audiences are brought together in

a central location.

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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.

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This is what happens when my network collides!

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(cue Powerman 5000)

How context collapse may affect our use of technology

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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SIZEIN

TIM

ACY DIVERSITY

AUDIENCE

Privacy Online … (is that an oxymoron?)

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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

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What’s in a disclosure?

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Wheeless & Grotz’ General Disclosiveness Scale (1976):• Amount• Depth• Conscious Intention• Positivity• Honesty

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BondingSocial

Capital

BridgingSocial

Capital

Bridging SC in action!

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Bonding SC in action!

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PRIVACY SETTTINGS

AUDIENCE

+

DISCLOSURES+

SOCIAL CAPITAL

+

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SEM Model

PRIVACY SETTTINGS

AUDIENCE

+

DISCLOSURES+

SOCIAL CAPITAL

+

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PRIVACY CONCERNS

-

SEM Model

PRIVACY SETTTINGS

AUDIENCE

+

DISCLOSURES+

SOCIAL CAPITAL

+

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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

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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.

Thanks!

Jessica VitakUniversity of Maryland iSchool

jvitak@umd.eduTwitter: @jvitak

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