THE LIQUIDITY OF DIGITALLY MEDIATED SOCIAL TIES

CORNELIA REYES ACOSTALONDON S CHOOL OF ECONOMICS

S UNBELT XXXV

JUNE 2 8 20 15

A BIT OF CONTEXT

- Data emerging from qualitative social network research with creative professionals

- Relevance of digitally mediated social ties in view of social capital resources

- Overriding question: How do individuals perceive of digitally mediated social ties?

- Aim: Characterize these ties based on their perceived qualities.

SOCIAL TIES AS WE KNOW THEM …

• Strong ties: strong bond formed as a result of time, interaction and affection (Krackhardt, 1992)

• Weak ties: less clearly defined, understood by exhibiting a weaker expression of strong tie characteristics

• Latent ties: inactivated ties, characterized by their potentiality (e.g. Haythornthwaite 1992, Ellison et al., 2011)

WHAT I HAVE FOUND OUT ABOUT SOCIAL TIES …• Digitally mediated forms of social interaction challenge

existing definitions Digitally mediated social ties often do not tie in with current appreciation of social ties!

• Social network research and SNA in particular operate within a relatively rigid frame of definitions of social ties.

• Researchers are primarily drawing on the Strong tie/Weak tie dichotomy to characterize social connections in a social network.

AFFORDANCES OF SOCIAL TIES HELPED TO CLARIFY THE FRICTION

Obtain Insider information

AFFORDANCES OF SOCIAL TIES HELPED TO CLARIFY THE FRICTION

Obtain Insider informationSTRONG TIE

AFFORDANCES OF SOCIAL TIES HELPED TO CLARIFY THE FRICTION

Obtain Insider informationSTRONG TIE (Trust)

AFFORDANCES OF SOCIAL TIES HELPED TO CLARIFY THE FRICTION

Obtain Insider informationSTRONG TIE (Trust) = TIME +

AFFORDANCES OF SOCIAL TIES HELPED TO CLARIFY THE FRICTION

Obtain Insider informationSTRONG TIE (Trust) = TIME + AFFECTION +

AFFORDANCES OF SOCIAL TIES HELPED TO CLARIFY THE FRICTION

Obtain Insider informationSTRONG TIE (Trust) = TIME + AFFECTION + INTERACTION

EXAMPLE: TRACING CHARACTERISTICS OF DIGITALLY MEDIATED SOCIAL TIESA story of using Twitter and the attainment of insider information …

“If you want to get in touch with people then Twitter is a good way because … it’s more likely that they’re going to respond if you have specifics on what they’re going to be doing and you’ve done your research”

Lilie, photographer

EXAMPLE: TWITTER AS A SHORTCUT TO ESTABLISH TRUST?

“So you could choose to, I don't know, if you're planning to Tweet them and you wanted to be, like, strategic about it, you could choose, three days before, to Tweet a lot of things you know they'd be interested in, and then to Tweet them. So then they might think; well, they're in the know about this subject.”

Lilie, photography student

“TWITTER” TIE = SOCIAL TIE?

• Baseline Assumption (Traditional route)

Obtain Insider informationSTRONG TIE (Trust) = TIME + AFFECTION + INTERACTION

• Alternative Assumption (Twitter route)

Obtain Insider information

“TWITTER” TIE = SOCIAL TIE?

• Baseline Assumption (Traditional route)

Obtain Insider informationSTRONG TIE (Trust) = TIME + AFFECTION + INTERACTION

• Alternative Assumption (Twitter route)

Obtain Insider information? TIE

“TWITTER” TIE = SOCIAL TIE?

• Baseline Assumption (Traditional route)

Obtain Insider informationSTRONG TIE (Trust) = TIME + AFFECTION + INTERACTION

• Alternative Assumption (Twitter route)

Obtain Insider information? TIE (Trust)

“TWITTER” TIE = SOCIAL TIE?

• Baseline Assumption (Traditional route)

Obtain Insider informationSTRONG TIE (Trust) = TIME + AFFECTION + INTERACTION

• Alternative Assumption (Twitter route)

Obtain Insider information? TIE (Trust) = TIME +

“TWITTER” TIE = SOCIAL TIE?

• Baseline Assumption (Traditional route)

Obtain Insider informationSTRONG TIE (Trust) = TIME + AFFECTION + INTERACTION

• Alternative Assumption (Twitter route)

Obtain Insider information? TIE (Trust) = TIME +

“TWITTER” TIE = SOCIAL TIE?

• Baseline Assumption (Traditional route)

Obtain Insider informationSTRONG TIE (Trust) = TIME + AFFECTION + INTERACTION

• Alternative Assumption (Twitter route)

Obtain Insider information? TIE (Trust) = TIME + AFFECTION +

“TWITTER” TIE = SOCIAL TIE?

• Baseline Assumption (Traditional route)

Obtain Insider informationSTRONG TIE (Trust) = TIME + AFFECTION + INTERACTION

• Alternative Assumption (Twitter route)

Obtain Insider information? TIE (Trust) = TIME + AFFECTION + INTERACTION

“TWITTER” TIE = SOCIAL TIE?

• Baseline Assumption (Traditional route)

Obtain Insider informationSTRONG TIE (Trust) = TIME + AFFECTION + INTERACTION

• Alternative Assumption (Twitter route)

Obtain Insider informationLIQUID TIE (Trust) = TIME + AFFECTION + INTERACTION

AND ONE OTHER THING …

“ … everyone goes by really quickly… and each time, you meet someone new, you’ve got to … you have to delete someone almost, because your mind can’t handle. And you know, if you ask me about this, in say … 2 or 3 months time, it all might look completely different.”

Lilie, photography student

LIQUIDITY AS THE MAIN CHARACTERISTIC

“… fluids do not keep to any shape for a long time and are constantly ready (and prone) to change: that space, after all, they fill but ‘for a moment’.

Bauman, ‘On Being Light and Liquid’

THE LIQUIDITY IN SOCIAL TIES

“In a network, connections are entered on demand, and can be broken at will. […] Connections are ‘virtual relations’. Unlike old-fashioned relationships, […] they seem to be made to the measure of a liquid modern life setting.”

Bauman, ‘Liquid Love’

FOOD FOR THOUGHT … WHAT DO WE MAKE OF THIS?

1. In terms of characterising digitally mediated social ties as liquid ties.

They can emulate affordances of previously defined types of social ties WITHOUT fulfilling their requirements How do they fit in with previous definitions then?

2. The crux of the moving target: Tracing network structures in the digital age?

Which tools are adequate in tracing networks and social relationships effectively?

A BIG THANKS TO YOU! AND IF YOU WANT TO GET IN TOUCH …

@reyes_cornelia