Thesis

Ambivalences of consuming social technology : understanding how the practice of friendship and construction of the public self have been affected by social technology

Creator
Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2013
Thesis identifier
  • T13546
Qualification Level
Qualification Name
Department, School or Faculty
Abstract
  • Social technology has changed how consumers' socialise, consume and create their public identities. This study aims to understand how the ambivalent qualities of social technology have affected the practice of friendship and the construction of the public self. The consumption of technology has typically been treated as dichotomous with consumers being termed technophobes or technophiles. Current literature has failed to consider the ambivalent consumption of technology, and specifically virtual technology. Furthermore, there has been a distinct lack of research conducted regarding the ambivalent consumption of virtual personal communities, such as Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat. This research advances current understandings of virtual technology consumption and the creation of a globally visible public self. This research is underpinned by poststructuralist philosophy and is informed by postmodern ethnography. In order to capture the entangled qualities of these technology-mediated places a combination of netnography and ethnographic interviewing were used to collect data. Findings revealed consumers hold highly ambivalent feelings towards social technology in terms of the illusionary intimacy it creates as it allows individuals to maintain imagined contact between friends. It also allowed consumers to create bonded selves where friends could be unique together by publicly displaying their close relationship with another member. In terms of constructing the self, findings indicated the pressure to share ones' life has transformed into a form of work or social labour, where consumers must maintain an active profile presence. Furthermore, the cyclical production of social updates have created a social knowledge economy and broadcasting society where consumers addictively supply and demand social updates for public consumption.
Resource Type
DOI
Date Created
  • 2013
Former identifier
  • 1001066

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