scholarly journals "Nearer to Being Characters in a Book": How Older People Make Sense of Online Communities and Social Networking Sites

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dave Harley ◽  
Kate Howland ◽  
Eric Harris ◽  
Cara Redlich
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Social Networking Sites

The Breastfeeding Controversy and Facebook

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 16-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasmin Ibrahim
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Social Values ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Private Spaces

Facebook’s decision to invoke its obscenity clause to bar users from posting pictures of breastfeeding ignited a controversy. Members protested against the ban both offline and online. The controversy raised various issues between our lived offline experiences and the rules of engagement in social networking sites. Image economies on the Internet present new problems and challenges. Although they are crucial in the construction of profiles and identities in social networking sites and may therefore function as a referent of social values and norms, there may be disparities in the ways they are gazed at and interpreted as published content online. This paper examines the salient issues which emerged in the breastfeeding controversy with relevance to the image economy in social networking sites. In particular, it discusses the politicisation of the image, users’ notions and construction of public and private spaces in social networking sites, and the use of the image as symbol of dissent and activism in such online communities.

‘My children tell me it’s so simple’: A mixed-methods approach to understand older non-users’ perceptions of Social Networking Sites

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marika Lüders ◽  
Petter Bae Brandtzæg
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Older People ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Mixed Methods Design ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Privacy And Security ◽  
Culture Gap ◽  
Group Interviews

While there has been a great deal of research on younger people using Social Networking Sites (SNSs), there has been less work on older people and non-users. We present a mixed-methods design with a technology-acceptance survey and focus-group interviews to study older Norwegian non-users’ perceptions of SNSs. Our study reveals that most non-users in our sample deliberately do not use SNSs. They perceive SNS communication as cold and narcissistic and view the usefulness of SNSs to be low. This finding indicates a generational culture gap in how young versus older people experience SNSs. Privacy and security concerns are also prevalent. Non-users, expressing an interest in SNSs, believe SNSs could increase contact with family and friends, but perceive lack of competence to be a barrier.

scholarly journals Detection of Hidden Communities in Twitter Discussions of Varying Volumes

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 295
Author(s):  
Ivan Blekanov ◽  
Svetlana S. Bodrunova ◽  
Askar Akhmetov
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Social Implications ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Overlapping Communities ◽  
User Grouping ◽  
User Communities ◽  
Scholarly Attention ◽  
Large User

The community-based structure of communication on social networking sites has long been a focus of scholarly attention. However, the problem of discovery and description of hidden communities, including defining the proper level of user aggregation, remains an important problem not yet resolved. Studies of online communities have clear social implications, as they allow for assessment of preference-based user grouping and the detection of socially hazardous groups. The aim of this study is to comparatively assess the algorithms that effectively analyze large user networks and extract hidden user communities from them. The results we have obtained show the most suitable algorithms for Twitter datasets of different volumes (dozen thousands, hundred thousands, and millions of tweets). We show that the Infomap and Leiden algorithms provide for the best results overall, and we advise testing a combination of these algorithms for detecting discursive communities based on user traits or views. We also show that the generalized K-means algorithm does not apply to big datasets, while a range of other algorithms tend to prioritize the detection of just one big community instead of many that would mirror the reality better. For isolating overlapping communities, the GANXiS algorithm should be used, while OSLOM is not advised.

Reconnecting with the past: a framework to better serve the information needs of older people on social networking sites

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 154-165
Author(s):  
Faouzi Kamoun ◽  
Sofien Gharbi ◽  
Ali Amine Ghazeli
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Recommender System ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Design Science ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Google Maps ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Grounded in the socio-emotional selectivity theory, the purpose of this paper is to develop a people recommender and social matching system that better serves the information needs of older people on social networking sites or services (SNSs). Design/methodology/approach The paper uses systems development as a design science research methodology to construct a conceptual framework and then design and prototype a recommender system. Findings The research demonstrates that it is possible to exploit Google Maps-based interfaces, coupled with historical geo-temporal information, to develop a recommender system on SNSs that can empower older adults to reconnect with past acquaintances. Research limitations/implications The proposed system is an advanced prototype that has been tested using simulated data sets as opposed to real-life data involving actual end-users through field studies. Practical implications When examined through the lenses of socio-emotional and neighborhood theories, this research opens new opportunities to develop supportive social networks for older people. Social implications The paper promotes a better social engagement and contributes to the mental and physical health of older people, which can act as a shield against loneliness, anxiety and depression. Originality/value The paper uses Google Maps interfaces and the concept of geo-temporal proximity indices to build an “elder-friendly” recommender system that can assist older people to reconnect with past friends, neighbors and colleagues.

scholarly journals Social Networking and Transnational Capitalism

2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 689-701 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Kreps
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Social Dynamics ◽  
The Internet ◽  
The Social ◽  
Business As Usual ◽  
Social Behaviours

Social Networking Sites (SNS) have become a key component of users’ experience of the internet.  Whilst much has been made of the social dynamics of online SNS, the influence of the structures and operations of these sites – and the business models behind them - on users is rarely accounted for.  This paper argues that behind the social behaviours supported by SNS, there is a growing shift towards viewing online communities as commodities, and SNS as an extension of mainstream capitalist ideologies fostered by existing patterns of commercialization and consumption. Using the works of Gramsci, Gill and Hardt & Negri to provide a critical grounding, this paper explores the popular SNS site ‘Facebook’ and suggests that SNS may feel to the users to be free, social, personal, but in fact SNS are business as usual.

scholarly journals Social Networking and Transnational Capitalism

2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 689-701
Author(s):  
David Kreps
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Social Dynamics ◽  
The Internet ◽  
The Social ◽  
Business As Usual ◽  
Social Behaviours

Social Networking Sites (SNS) have become a key component of users’ experience of the internet.  Whilst much has been made of the social dynamics of online SNS, the influence of the structures and operations of these sites – and the business models behind them - on users is rarely accounted for.  This paper argues that behind the social behaviours supported by SNS, there is a growing shift towards viewing online communities as commodities, and SNS as an extension of mainstream capitalist ideologies fostered by existing patterns of commercialization and consumption. Using the works of Gramsci, Gill and Hardt & Negri to provide a critical grounding, this paper explores the popular SNS site ‘Facebook’ and suggests that SNS may feel to the users to be free, social, personal, but in fact SNS are business as usual.

scholarly journals Discriminant analysis application to understand the usage of digital channels while buying a car

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rekha Dahiya ◽  
Dimpy Sachar
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Search Engines ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Product Category ◽  
Digital Tv ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Quantitative Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital Channels

PurposeRole of digital channels in car buying has increased manifold and consumers are making significant use of various digital channels throughout the decision-making process. However, there are very less number of studies available if one wishes to understand the specific reason(s) for the use of a particular digital channel of communication. This study deals with the identifications of the reason(s) leading towards the usage of particular digital channel of communication while buying a car.Design/methodology/approachQuantitative methodology was adopted for the study. A total of 10 digital channels namely the websites, social networking sites, YouTube, Smartphones, Online communities, Digital TV, Digital Outdoors, e-mails and others were considered in the study. Data was collected from 603 car buyers from Delhi using digital channels of communication.FindingsThe results of the study revealed that Website and YouTube were used for being compatible. Social networking sites, smartphones, digital outdoors and e-mails were used for being informative. Online communities were used for offering customers and experts' reviews. Digital TV was used for being easy to use.Research limitations/implicationsThe study considers the respondents from Delhi only. A more representative sample covering various parts of the country would offer more relevant results for the marketers as digital divide existing between rural and urban India cannot be simply ignored.Practical implicationsThe study reveals that car buyers are making ample usage of digital channels wherein website is the most used digital channel and smartphones are the most used digital devices used by the car buyers.Social implicationsStudy also reveals that car buyers might use search engines to reach the marketer's website, so effective search engine optimization (SEO) strategies should be adopted. Important keywords used in the search engines should be used in the website as well as in the links.Originality/valueMajority of the available studies use digital as an umbrella term for myriad digital channels. So understanding about the usage of specific channel of communication remains an under-researched area. Such understanding strengths and broadens the existing knowledge about technology mediated consumer behaviour especially in extended problem-solving product category.

The Politics of Image

2012 ◽  
pp. 34-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasmin Ibrahim
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Social Values ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Environment ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Private Spaces

This paper explores the politicization of the image in social media and how image can be attributed different values in the online environment. Facebook’s decision to invoke its obscenity clause to bar users from posting pictures of breastfeeding ignited a controversy. Members protested against the ban both offline and online. The controversy raised various issues between lived offline experiences and the rules of engagement in social networking sites. Image economies on the Internet present new problems and challenges. Whilst they are crucial in the construction of profiles and identities in social networking sites and may therefore function as a referent of social values and norms, there may be disparities in the ways they are gazed at and interpreted as published content online. This paper examines the salient issues which emerged in the breastfeeding controversy with relevance to the image economy in social networking sites. In particular, it discusses the politicisation of the image, users’ notions and construction of public and private spaces in social networking sites, and the use of the image as symbol of dissent and activism in such online communities.

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