A Research Framework on Social Networking Sites Usage: Critical Review and Theoretical Extension

Abstract The new high-choice media environment has raised concerns that users of social networking sites primarily select political information that supports their political opinions and avoid information that challenges them. This behaviour is reinforced by personalisation algorithms that create filter bubbles and both narrow the available content and exclude challenging information over time. These concerns have, however, been contested. This article challenges the underlying theoretical assumptions about filter bubbles, and compares filter bubbles to what we already know about selective exposure and human psychology. The article lists nine counterarguments to the filter bubble thesis. In short, I argue that the assumptions of filter bubbles contradict many of the previous findings of selective exposure research. More specifically, when discussing filter bubbles there is a risk of confusing two arguments: one strong – but also trivial – that is about technology (e.g., personalisation leads to different information), and one weak and speculative – but also the most interesting – that is about society (e.g., personalisation increases political polarisation in society).

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Friend or faculty: Social networking sites, dual relationships, and context collapse in higher education

First Monday ◽

10.5210/fm.v20i3.5387 ◽

2015 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Cassidy Sugimoto ◽

Carolyn Hank ◽

Timothy Bowman ◽

Jeffrey Pomerantz

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Decision Making ◽

Social Networking ◽

Critical Review ◽

Social Networking Sites ◽

Policy Development ◽

Codes Of Conduct ◽

Dual Relationships ◽

Left Behind ◽

Faculty And Administrators

Students and faculty have always interacted informally, on campus and off. Social networking sites (SNSs), like Facebook, introduce another space in which they interact, contributing to a blurring of boundaries between professional and personal personas. Communications on SNSs may be seen as simply an extension of on- and off-campus lives, and hence fall under the same policies governing institutional codes of conduct. The medium however, allowing for the capture and broadcast of events in academic and everyday lives, merits special considerations for contemporary faculty and administrators. The objective of this critical review is synthesize literature discussing dual relationships, context collapse, and digital persistence to contextualize and inform policy development regarding the use of SNSs in higher education. The review will contribute to discussions and decision-making on what should be done in response to these ubiquitous and novel channels for communication, connection and disclosure, and promote awareness of the implications for the connections fostered and the digital traces left behind in networked social spaces.

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