Unsociability as Boundary Regulation on Social Network Sites

This study approaches online social networking from the opposite direction, focusing on unsociability, in an attempt to find out how friendships are negotiated and terminated online. The research data was obtained via an online survey (N=107) targeted to SNS users. The findings show that Facebook is closely connected to offline social life, and the fading of offline relationship was the most common reason for cutting ties on Facebook. Usually, the people who were unfriended represented weak ties. Even though unfriending can be considered as the hardest form of unsociability, it was more commonly used than restricting content from certain people. On Twitter and other SNSs, the relationships were less personal. Therefore, ‘unfollow’, ‘block’ and other unsocial features were used to filter and regulate the content subscribed to. Particularly on Facebook, attention should be paid to developing affordances that would enable the system to better match the dynamic and complex nature of social relationships

“We Were Not Prepared to Tell People Yet”: Confidentiality Breaches and Boundary Turbulence on Facebook

Communication Privacy Management theory provides a framework for investigating confidentiality breaches that occur on Facebook. Open-ended online questionnaires served as mechanism for collecting data about privacy violations and the resulting boundary turbulence. Privacy violations validated three a priori categories (Petronio & Reierson, 2009) of confidentiality breaches (privacy ownership violations, discrepancy breaches of privacy, and pre-emptive privacy control). Findings indicated that the lack of established explicit privacy rules led to privacy violations and boundary turbulence. Results also provided insight regarding motivations of privacy violations, reactions to privacy violations, and the role of privacy rules in the violation

Admixed Portrait: Design to Understand Facebook Portrayals in New Parenthood

We report on a design-led study of the photographic representation of self and family on Facebook during and after becoming parents for the first time. Our experience-centered, research-through-design study engaged eight participants across five UK homes, in a month-long deployment of a prototype technology -- a design research artifact, Admixed Portrait, that served to prompt participant reflection on first-time parenthood. In addition to pre- and post-deployment interviews, participants kept diaries capturing personal reflections during the deployment, on daily social media use and interactions with Admixed. Our qualitative insights on social media representations of transitional experience and identity for new parents, reveal how their online 'photowork' related to self-expression and social functioning. We contribute design considerations for developing tools to support photographic expression in social media use, and methodological insights about design-led inquiry for understanding transitional experiences

Helping Friends Suffering Mental Health Issues: Challenges and Opportunities for Social Support on Social Media from the Peer???s Point of View

Department of Creative Design EngineeringPeople with mental health problems are increasingly using social media to disclose their experiences or to seek help. Recent research has suggested that peer support plays a critical role in achieving better health outcomes for these individuals. However, little is known about the experiences and perceptions of the peers who are expected to provide this support. In this paper, I investigate how student peers recognize, perceive, and support others who describe mental health-related challenges on social media. Online survey (N=227) and interviews (N=20) revealed that a considerable number of people did not proactively support where they could identify others at risk through stigmatized content, unusual online activities, or a gap between online and offline identity. I found that social stigma, fatigue, and susceptibility often hampered social support. I outline the implications of using social media as a supportive platform, and discuss opportunities for using design to enhance the peers??? social support experiences.ope

Seeing the Invisible: Understanding the Implications of Social Media Invisible Responses for Well-Being and Relational Development

Large swathes of current social media scholarship monolithically treats browsing behaviors as passive behaviors, per the passive versus active behaviors approach to social media activities. Such labeling fails to capture the numerous ways that people respond to social media sharing beyond visible clicks on the platform, such as relational distancing or switching channels to respond. Moreover, understanding what people do with information seen on social media platforms and how they respond to such information is integral to theorizing the implications of using these platforms. My dissertation tackles these challenges by first proposing the concept of invisible responses to unify the diverse approaches of responding possible to social media. Specifically, I define invisible responses as reactions to social media sharing by viewers that are invisible along any of the following dimensions: (1) to the original platform, (2) to the sharer, and (3) to the viewer’s imagined audience of third parties. The dissertation presents three empirical studies to investigate the different dimensions of invisible responses. Study 1 examines viewing time and visible clicks while browsing Facebook feeds. While viewing time—a proxy for visual attention—is largely invisible, public feedback of clicks are visible to everyone. Study 1 reveals that the combination of these two types of responses, along with the amount of social content in feeds, can predict important well-being outcome, namely self-esteem. Study 2 explores how people practice self-presentation and relational maintenance in an environment where responses are invisible to third parties. These findings suggest that, given responses that are invisible to third parties, sharers feel lower self-presentational pressure. However, what remains unchanged compared to public feedback is the emphasis on the amount of attention and effort as signaling investment in a relationship. Finally, Study 3 investigates when and why people would make their reception of a social media post invisible or not to the original sharer of the post. Once again, the findings underscore that sending signals of attention and effort is meaningful for relational maintenance. Together, the studies in this dissertation illustrate the importance of invisible responses in understanding well-being and relational outcomes of social media use, as well as opening up future avenues for research. Specifically, responding to the research agenda outlined by the communication visibility theory (Treem, Leonardi, & van den Hooff, 2020), I highlight questions around the management of visibility on social media.PHDInformationUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162891/1/dieptl_1.pd

LGBTQ+ College Students\u27 Perceptions of Social Presence and Self-Disclosure in Online Learning: A Single-Case Study

Social interaction among learners plays a significant role in online learning environments (Garrison, 2006; Kreijns et al., 2014; Mykota, 2017). The construct of social presence in online courses is important because it influences interaction and connectedness among learners and its effects on their learning outcomes and emotional well-being. Social presence at its essence refers to how an individual is perceived as a real person in an online environment (Gunawardena & Zittle, 1997). Online students must decide what aspects of their social identities they share in their interactions with their peers and instructors. Furthermore, LGBTQ+ students must negotiate what aspects of their sexual orientations or gender identities they wish to self-disclose while taking online classes. In the past, research has explored how LGBTQ+ individuals use social media and online resources to negotiate their online social identities. Members of the LGBTQ+ community have used online platforms to explore their identity, facilitate the coming out process, and as a means of social support with other members of the community and its allies. However, LGBTQ+ perspectives regarding online social presence and self-disclosure in online learning environments are unknown. The purpose of this single qualitative case study was to explore LGBTQ+ college students\u27 perceptions of social presence and its indicators, affective expression, open communication, and group cohesion in online courses related to their decisions surrounding self-disclosure. Data collection occurred through recorded participant interviews on Zoom. The interviews used semi-structured, open-ended questions created by the researcher. Interview recordings were transcribed and analyzed to uncover LGBTQ+ participants\u27 perceptions of social presence and the factors that influenced their decisions related to self-disclosure. Their responses were coded and categorized using the Community of Inquiry (CoI) and social identity theory (SIT) as theoretical frameworks. The study\u27s findings showed that the lack of collaborative and interactive activities in online classes that promote social presence left participants uncertain about how they perceived their classmates and how they may have been perceived by them. Participants described their experiences in online classes as lacking a sense of belonging and authentic connection. Furthermore, participants were reluctant to share personal information in the initially limited exchanges with their classmates. Participants\u27 decisions to self-disclose information related to their gender identity and sexual orientation were based on factors like privacy, perceived social and political climate, and openness in professional and personal lives. Participants suggested that creating safe online spaces may reduce barriers to self-disclosure through instructors identifying as allies, sharing pronouns, and displaying symbols associated with support of the LGBTQ+ community. Further research is warranted for LGBTQ+ students\u27 perceptions of social presence in online classrooms where their identities have been affirmed through institutional and environmental support

Unge gutters tanker om maskulinitet og mannsroller: Hvordan det er å være ung gutt i dagens samfunn

Postponed access: the file will be accessible after 2019-05-31Denne studien undersøker hvordan unge gutter i to ulike utdanningssituasjoner gir mening til maskulinitet og mannsroller, og diskuterer hvordan det er å være gutt i dagens samfunn. I media er det rettet stort fokus på jenter og det presset de utsettes for, enten det er kroppspress eller prestasjonspress, der gutter er en mindre representert gruppe. Dette er bakgrunnen for at studien ble gjennomført. Gutter opplever gjerne det samme presset som jenter gjør, men på noe ulik måte. Formålet med studien er å bidra med et nyansert bilde av hvordan det er å være ung gutt i dagens samfunn, og dette kan arte seg forskjellig hos ulike grupper gutter. Den overordnede problemstillingen i oppgaven er: Hva tenker unge gutter om maskulinitet og mannsroller, og hva tenker de er mannsidealet? For å besvare denne problemstillingen har jeg gjennomført fire fokusgruppeintervjuer med gutter på studiespesialiserende og yrkesfaglig utdanning. Det å sammenligne studiespesialiserende og yrkesfaglige gutter ble gjort på bakgrunn av tanker om generelle forskjeller innad i studieretningene som kjønnsbalanse, hvilket arbeidsmarked de skal ut i, og at det er ulikheter dem i mellom når det kommer til sosial bakgrunn. Målet med studien har ikke vært teoritesting, men teorigenerering der dataanalysen er inspirert av grounded theory som tilnærming. Datamaterialet vil tolkes gjennom en tematisk analyse, hvor en får innblikk i hva informantene sier om og gir mening til oppgavens temaer. Det å vokse opp i dagens samfunn er ulikt fra hvordan det var å vokse opp for bare noen tiår siden. Sosiale medier bidrar til å skape felles idealer i samfunnet. Dette er noe som kommer til uttrykk i fokusgruppeintervjuene. Det er påfallende hvor like tanker de to gruppene har om de forskjellige temaene tatt opp i oppgaven, og informantene er sterkt influert av inntrykk de får gjennom sosiale medier. Til tross for dette er det flere forskjeller i hvordan de gir mening til temaene. Maskulinitet og mannsroller utspiller seg ulikt med tanke på hva informantene tenker om begrepene, og hva de ser for seg når de skal beskrive idealmannen. Studien viser at utdanningssituasjonen til de to gruppene spiller en sentral rolle i hvordan de gir mening til temaene, der det kom frem ulike krav til det å være mann i dagens samfunn. Kropp er et av gutters mest sentrale virkemiddel i uttrykking av maskulinitet og mannsroller. I de yrkesfaglige gruppene ble muskler ilagt mest vekt, og for dem, ble muskler sett på som et symbol på maskulinitet. I de studiespesialiserende gruppene er muskler mindre viktig, og en sunn kropp var et kroppsideal for dem. De tenkte at gutter ikke brydde seg nok, og at humor rundt kroppen, påførte gutter mindre følelse av press til å oppnå samfunnets kroppsideal. Skillelinjene mellom femininitet og maskulinitet synes å bli mindre i dagens samfunn, og alle gruppene tenkte at en gutt kan kombinere feminine og maskuline trekk. Til tross for dette finnes det indikasjoner på at guttene ønsker å oppfattes som maskuline heller enn feminine, og ønsket om å være mann fremkommer som et ideal. Hvordan en er mann, var det imidlertid litt forskjellige tanker rundt. De yrkesfaglige gruppene la stor vekt på tøffhet, barskhet, ureddhet og fysisk styrke, mens i de studiespesialiserende gruppene var ikke dette like fremtredende. De tenkte at ens samfunnsposisjon sier mer om den mannen en er. De verdsetter lederrollen som den fremste bæreren av maskulinitet, og mente at menn skulle velge mer prestisjefulle yrker, og utøve makt og dominans over andre mennesker. Det så de på som et klart tegn på maskulinitet, eller det å være en ekte mann. Oppgavens siste analysekapittel tar for seg menn i samfunnet, der fokuset ligger på sosiale medier og yrkeslivet. Sosiale medier er i følge informantene nesten hele grunnen til at det eksisterer kroppspress blant gutter. Det har vært hevdet at kjendiser kan bidra til uoppnåelige kroppsbilder, men en sammenligning med kjendiser er ikke noe informantene tenkte at gutter gjør. Den sosiale sammenligningen skjer mellom venner og bekjente, der det foreligger like egenskaper som gjør det meningsfullt å sammenligne. Det finnes indikasjoner på at gutter spesielt, er preget av prestasjonspress, der mannsrollen skal presteres. Er en venn flinkere innen et felt som er ansett som mannlig, vil det være konkurranse om å slå denne vennen. Det å være ypperst i noe som mann, er viktig, så lenge feltet ikke ansees som kvinnelig. Dette gikk igjen i begge gruppene. Når informantene diskuterte hvilke forskjeller de tror det er mellom yrkesfaglige og studiespesialiserende grupper, kom også forskjellene tidligere i oppgaven, tydeligere frem. For de yrkesfaglige gruppene vil muskler spille en rolle i deres arbeidshverdag, og derfor blir også muskler en stor del av hvordan de ser på det å være en mann. For de studiespesialiserende guttene er karakterer det som ansees som viktigst for dem, og kroppen har mindre å si for deres fremtid. De ser for seg en fremtid med yrker hvor makt og dominans er fremtredende. Studien bidrar til å se nærmere på hvordan gutter har det i dagens samfunn, og hvordan normer for maskulinitet og mannsroller er med på å prege hvordan de fremstiller seg selv. Guttene har selv uttalt at maskulinitet og mannsroller ikke er spesielt viktig for deres hverdag, men ut ifra svarene jeg har fått, er det mye som tyder på at dette fungerer som en underliggende faktor i hvordan de lever sine liv.SOS360MASV-SO

The Experience of the Self in Cyberspace: An Experiential Perspective on Social Networking Sites

The growth of social networking sites (SNSs) has led to significant alterations in the dynamics of our interpersonal relationships as well as how we present and experience ourselves (Alloway, Runac, Quershi, & Kemp, 2014). These transformations have important implications for researchers and practitioners in the field of counselling psychology. SNSs have become an integral aspect of many people’s lives and have grown faster and changed more than any other Internet activity over the last decade (Lup, Trub, & Rosenthal, 2015). The primary aim of this study was to explore the experience of the self on SNSs with a focus on understanding online interpersonal interactions and how participants experience their relationship to social media (SM) from an experiential perspective. Eight participants were recruited for this study between the ages of 20 – 41. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in order to explore participants’ experiences on these platforms. An experiential inductive thematic analysis was utilised to analyse participants’ accounts. The epistemological position adopted was phenomenology and the ontological position was critical realism. Analysis generated five themes and seven sub-themes representing patterned meaning throughout their accounts with a central theme ‘double- edged sword’. The themes were the following: ‘active versus passive use’ (sub-themes: ‘numbing versus stimulating - positive versus negative stimulation’, ‘recognition – social comparison’, ‘perception of oversharing’), ‘perception of control versus loss of control’ (sub-theme: ‘more control in the presentation of the self’, ‘addictive’), ‘virtual versus physical presence’ (sub-theme: ‘virtual versus sensory connectedness’), ‘bridge versus loss of connection’ (sub-theme: ‘surface-level platform’). Findings indicated that participants’ experience of and their relationship to SNSs can be described as a ‘double-edged sword’. Although they experienced positive aspects to SM, including positive ways of connecting to others, all their narratives of their lived experiences included negative consequences of engaging in the use of SM. The findings of the study offer some important insights into the role of SM within these participants’ lives, providing a potential guideline for other therapists and researchers to build upon. The results bring to light the vast complexity of individual and relational experiences that are taking place on SNSs and thus, highlight the potential value in exploring the experiences of clients’ who utilise these sites within a therapeutic setting (Gowen, Deschaine, Gruttadara, & Markey, 2012)

Talking about abortion online: A qualitative exploration of how and why women use the Internet to seek social support around abortion

Background: Despite its frequent occurrence, abortion remains stigmatised. Abortions are often concealed from social network members, which may as a result limit access to social support during what is - for some - a difficult experience. Online spaces have previously been shown to be valuable resources for seeking healthcare-related information, and also for support in managing stigmatising experiences. While there has been previous academic exploration of the content within online abortion accounts themselves, little is known about why women engage with and share abortion-related content online, how they access and navigate these online spaces, and how these experiences may shape their understanding of their abortion, which my research sought to address. Using key sociological concepts of stigma, social support, and personal disclosure (henceforth referred to in this thesis as ‘sharing’), the research presented in this thesis sought to explore how these concepts relate to each other to inform the motivations of women to go online seeking abortion-related content and their experiences therein. Methods: To answer the research questions posed in this thesis, which sought detailed accounts of how and why women used online spaces in relation to abortion accounts online, qualitative methodologies informed by feminist research practice were used. Twenty-three women living in Scotland (aged 20- 54) were recruited in the summer of 2020 through social media and online advertisements, and participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews online or by telephone. Of the sample, all participants reported reading and exploring others’ abortion-related content online, with ten women reporting that in addition to this activity they too shared their own abortion experience online. Interviews focused on use of online spaces containing abortion-related content and their experiences of their abortion(s) more broadly. The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings: My analysis suggests that stigma and social support were significant factors in the decision to use online spaces to explore abortion-related content, and the supportive and stigmatising experiences that they reported online substantially shaped their perception of their own abortion(s) and abortion more broadly. The avoidance of stigmatising interactions with in-person social network members, and the possibility of accessing otherwise unavailable social support, were primary drivers for participants to view, interact with, and share abortionrelated content. Finding what they viewed as relevant and supportive online content was not straightforward, with the onus of finding this content constituting an additional burden at what was already a potentially challenging time. Participants had to navigate towards online spaces within which they felt comfortable engaging, considering ‘affordances’ of anonymity, visibility, and control. Online support was perceived to be available via both one-way and twoway pathways, with participants valuing the availability of abortion accounts in these online spaces and the opportunity to interact further with that content, should they wish to do so. Concurrently, abortion stigma was prevalent online, significantly shaping participants’ experiences, their willingness to engage or share further, and their thoughts about their abortion more broadly. Conclusions: This thesis frames stigma and social support as interconnected factors impacting women’s experiences of exploring abortion-related content online. My findings suggest that online spaces can be both an opportunity to have supportive engagement with others who have had an abortion experience, addressing a perceived gap from in-person resources, and concurrently expose women to abortion stigma and harassment, which in many cases is what they sought to avoid in the first place. Signposting towards well-moderated and trusted online resources would be beneficial in limiting exposure to anti-abortion sentiment online while allowing women to access spaces in which to read and interact with others’ abortion accounts