In this week's class were are discussing "Gatekeeping and Social Networks." We had several articles to read all of which were quite interesting, but I will focus on one in particular in this post. The article is "Grooming, Gossip, Facebook, and MySpace: What can we learn about these sites from
those who won’t assimilate?" by Zeynep Tufekci. You can view the article by clicking here. I will most likely post more after we have our class discussion, but I found this article interesting first of all because of the attempt to quantify this information. It seems difficult to devise the survey questions for this, but as far as I can tell the method used for data collection seems sounds.
I am most interested in the notion of "social grooming" that was discussed in the article. This is a new term for me, but it makes sense. The author refers to Robin Dunbar's ideas on the subject which stated that "gossip,people-curiosity and small talk, all of which are seemingly non-functional and are often popularly understood as mere distraction or deviation, are in essence the human version of social grooming in primates: an activity that is essential to forging bonds, affirming relationships, displaying bonds,and asserting and learning about hierarchies and alliances." Based on the conclusions drawn by the author of this article those nonusers of Social Networking Sites (SNS) are not as interested in social grooming even though it is an important piece of the establishing bonds. On the flip side just because the nonusers of SNS are not participating in this behavior it does not mean they are antisocial or have less friends. The survey shows that users and nonusers reported similar numbers of close and somewhat close friends.
In trying to find predictors as to who is more likely to be a SNS user gender was a factor as women are more likely to use SNS. The only other predictive factor related to this social grooming aspect. Those who use the internet for expressive purposes like reading blogs, creating web content, etc. are more likely to be SNS users. These activities have a link to social grooming something that non SNS users do not readily identify with. Instrumental use of the internet, meaning using it for activities such as research or banking, is not a predictive factor for SNS use. Both users and nonusers are likely to engage in this behavior.
So according to the results of this study it is not that these nonusers are uncomfortable with technology or are antisocial. On the contrary the nonusers seek authentic or genuine interaction be it in real life or online. It is the "social browsing" they do not understand which is what they believe is the purpose of SNS. I would compare this to people watching. The nonusers would not understand the act of observation without interaction.
More to come after our discussion in class.
those who won’t assimilate?" by Zeynep Tufekci. You can view the article by clicking here. I will most likely post more after we have our class discussion, but I found this article interesting first of all because of the attempt to quantify this information. It seems difficult to devise the survey questions for this, but as far as I can tell the method used for data collection seems sounds.
I am most interested in the notion of "social grooming" that was discussed in the article. This is a new term for me, but it makes sense. The author refers to Robin Dunbar's ideas on the subject which stated that "gossip,people-curiosity and small talk, all of which are seemingly non-functional and are often popularly understood as mere distraction or deviation, are in essence the human version of social grooming in primates: an activity that is essential to forging bonds, affirming relationships, displaying bonds,and asserting and learning about hierarchies and alliances." Based on the conclusions drawn by the author of this article those nonusers of Social Networking Sites (SNS) are not as interested in social grooming even though it is an important piece of the establishing bonds. On the flip side just because the nonusers of SNS are not participating in this behavior it does not mean they are antisocial or have less friends. The survey shows that users and nonusers reported similar numbers of close and somewhat close friends.
In trying to find predictors as to who is more likely to be a SNS user gender was a factor as women are more likely to use SNS. The only other predictive factor related to this social grooming aspect. Those who use the internet for expressive purposes like reading blogs, creating web content, etc. are more likely to be SNS users. These activities have a link to social grooming something that non SNS users do not readily identify with. Instrumental use of the internet, meaning using it for activities such as research or banking, is not a predictive factor for SNS use. Both users and nonusers are likely to engage in this behavior.
So according to the results of this study it is not that these nonusers are uncomfortable with technology or are antisocial. On the contrary the nonusers seek authentic or genuine interaction be it in real life or online. It is the "social browsing" they do not understand which is what they believe is the purpose of SNS. I would compare this to people watching. The nonusers would not understand the act of observation without interaction.
More to come after our discussion in class.
In addition to nonusers just not understanding the appeal of online interactions with others, it is possible that they are more fulfilled in their offline relationships and therefore don't feel the need to look elsewhere for social connections. Research shows that those who turn to online communities for socialization often come from uncommunicative families, are judged as outcasts or have difficulty making friends, or show signs of depression. (See http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13691180701657998).
ReplyDeleteThough gossiping and keeping in touch with offline relationships is often a primary reason for connecting on social networks, these marginalized individuals may look online, not for people they know, but for new communities with which they more closely identify.
Like you, I had never heard of the term "social grooming." To me, the most interesting point raised by the author is the importance of gossiping in the development of relationships. To include gossip, which is typically viewed as a counter-constructive, seemed contrary to the terms people-curiosity and small talk. Since the author claimed each as important in the development of social bonds between individuals, it made me wonder how gossiping helps in the establishment of strong positive relationships, either online or off. I am probably placing too much weight on one word, but it proved to be a stumbling block for me as I read the article. The analysis of the social impact of gossip could, by itself, provide enough material for another full article.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. Gossip carries such a negative connotation. Perhaps small talk would be a better behavior to look at. If you think about it rarely do you ever jump into a deep conversation especially with strangers or acquaintances. Small talk paves the way and helps to establish common ground.
DeleteI have problems with the article itself. As I said in class, I am not a participant in Social Media, but that being I said, I otherwise fit the role, I am a woman and I am nosy. I am not only a people watcher but I am a notorious eavesdropper and if I do not like someone i.e. my neighbors whose dogs bark all night, I will try to find all about them on the Internet, and it is because of the way I am that I don't want a strong online presence- then they could do the same to me.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I am like you in many ways, but I do have an online presence, but I think it is difficult to find information on me. I actually had a contest among my friends (many of whom are librarians) to use the different search engines to find whatever they could about me. I wanted to see if they found anything that I had not. There were only a couple of things found that I did not find myself. Almost everything that can be found about me via an online search is related to my professional life.
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