learning in, with and for the social web
DESCRIPTION
Lecture at the Goethe-Institute New York and the MobilityShifts conference, 13th October 2011TRANSCRIPT
Learning in, with and for the Social Web
Dr. Jan-Hinrik Schmidt
Senior Researcherfor digital interactive media
and political communication
New York, 13th October 2011
Social Web
Agenda
• Starting with… the Digital Natives
• Social Web… key practices
• Social Web… changing public sphere
• Social Web… some consequences
• Outlook
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Social Web
What if there were no Internet?
[Statements from focus group discussions in Hamburg and Lingen]
• „I think I‘d be ok. But if you know that it existed and then it is turned off – I think I‘ll go nuts. [- Why? -] I would miss Youtube-Videos and stuff, they are funny. Or chatting.“ [14 years, female]
• „I use the Internet for communication a lot – Messenger almost 24 hours a day, and SchülerVZ is highly frequented of course. But I also use it to get the information I need.“ [17 years, male]
• „You can do without the Internet, you can always do things outside the Internet. Playstation for example, or Nintendo DS, there is a lot to do. You don‘t always have to rush online, otherwise you‘re an Internet-Freak.“ [13 years, female]
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Social Web
Digital Natives?
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Social Web
Research at the Hans-Bredow-Institute
“Das neue Netz” “EU Kids Online““Heranwachsen mit dem Social Web”
Monography on web 2.0 and its consequences
Internet and everyday life of 12
to 24 yrs old in Germany
Pan-European study (9 to 16 yrs old and
their parents)
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Social Web
Quelle: EU Kids Online (www.eukidsonline.net)
Some data on internet use in Europe
Total Female Male Low SES
Medium SES
High SES
9-10 yrs 11-12 yrs
13-14 yrs
15-16 yrs
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
57 58 56 55 58 60
24
48
72
81
% of 9 to 16 year old Internet users who have profile on a SNS
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Social Web
Agenda
• Starting with… the Digital Natives
• Social Web… key practices
• Social Web… changing public sphere
• Social Web… some consequences
• Outlook
Page 7 of 26
Social Web
Three practices
The Internet, esp. the social web, lowers barriers for …– Identity Management (Presenting individual interests,
opinions, experiences, skills, etc., etc.)
– Relationship Management (Maintaining existing and building new relationships)
– Information Management (co-creating, filtering and re-distributing relevant information / knowledge / content)
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Social Web
Social Web in context
Social Web is framed by more general social trends
„networked individuality“ „information society / overflow“
Thus, by using the Social Web one also engages in more general social practices
Activity Example Social practice Key question
Identity management
Blogging about a concert
Constructing the Self Who am I?
Relationship management
Sending or confirming a facebook contact
Being Social What is my position in society?
Information management
Sharing a video on YouTube
Knowing about the world
What is relevant to me?
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Social Web
Internet – a distinct world?• Myth #1: „The Internet is a „cyberspace“ where people leave their bodies behind
and create new identities.“
But: How is identity represented on the Social Web?Page 10 of 26
Social Web
Representing Identity
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Social Web
Articulated social networks
• Myth #2: „There are no real friendships on the internet, only ephemeral communication with strangers.“
• 12 to 24 year-old users of Social Network Sites [in DE; 2008] had …
• … on average: 130 friends• … of which they had personally met:
most: 85 percent
less than half: 5 percent• … of which they consider close friends:
most: 15 percent
less than half: 62 percent The social web affords maintaining social connections
grounded in „real life“ – the distinction between „virtual and real“ becomes obsolete
Data source: Schmidt/Paus-Hasebrink/Hasebrink 2009 Page 12 of 26
Social Web
Agenda
• Starting with… the Digital Natives
• Social Web… key practices
• Social Web… changing public sphere
• Social Web… some consequences
• Outlook
Page 13 of 26
Social Web
Convergence of conversations and publications (I)
Social Web brings about a new type of personal public sphere, where people…
• (a) select information according to criteria of personal relevance,
[instead of journalistic news factors or general relevance]
• (b) address an (intended) audience of their social network,
[instead of the disperse, unknown and unconnected audience of mass media]
• (c) and communicate in the mode of „conversation“.
[instead of the mode of „publishing“]
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• Social Web is further blurring the separation between „senders“ and „receivers“ which is central to mass communication
Networked public spheres consist of „microcontent“ which might originate from all different sources, but is „de-bundled“ and filtered through social connections
„Re-bundled“ content comes not as issues, editions or linear programmes, but as constant flow of information in „streams“ and „feeds“
Convergence of conversations and publications (II)
Social Web Page 15 of 26
Social Web
Convergence of conversations and publications (III)
+1, Fav-Stern, Retweet
• Myth #3: „Professional journalism will be replaced by Blogs, Facebook and Twitter.“
• Rather than being replaced, journalism looses its monopoly on selecting, filtering, bundling and distributing information to society, …
a) … because non-journalistic users provide information („user-generated content“)
b) … because users act as filters and multiplicators of information within their social networks
The convergence of conversation and publication will shape the way we communicate and inform ourselves – individually and as societies Page 16 of 26
Social Web
Agenda
• Starting with… the Digital Natives
• Social Web… key practices
• Social Web… changing public sphere
• Social Web… some consequences
• Outlook
Page 17 of 26
Social Web
Responsibilities
Contrary to the „digital native“ narrative, a responsible and reflected use does not come automatically with age (or youth…)
Rather, adolescents and adults alike have to be empowered to…
1. e.g. keep control over personal information and privacy
2. e.g. use online tools in order to engage in social affairs and debates
3. e.g. participate in decisions regarding the shape of the social web itself
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„Attention parents!Dangerous area for
kids“
Social Web
(1) Architecture and Audience
a) Intended audience: Whom do I have in mind when using a particular online service or plaform?b) Addressed audience: Whom do I address particular information in a particular situation?
c) Empirical audience: Who is de facto noticing information or communication? d) Potential audience: Who might be able to eventually access the information or communication?
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Four characteristics of communicative architecture in networked publics(1) make control over information complicated
persistence replicability scalability searchability
(1) boyd 2008
Social Web
(1) On dutch windows
http://www.colinupton.com/illus/images/cyberillo1.jpg
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Social Web
(2) Layered participation
• Social Web affords different modes of political participation (1)
– Positioning yourself: signal political beliefs or opinions– Engaging in debates: arguing about political issues with others– Activating others: Mobilizing other people for political action
Page 21 of 26(1) Wagner, Brüggen & Gebel 2008
Most popular platforms and services are controlled by commercial organizations
Users are not „citizens“, but „customers“ and „product“ at the same time
Rights and responsibilities are governed by contract and software code
Formalized procedures for appeals or self-governing exist rarely or rudimentary
Most users lack awareness to engage in collective action
Convergence of media literacy and political literacy
(3) Designing tools and spaces
Social Web Page 22 of 26
Social Web
(3) The naked gnome demonstration
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Social Web
Conclusion and outlook
The Social Web is an integral and for large parts indispensable part of everyday life – not only for the „digital natives“, but for an ever-growing part of adults as well
Thus, the consequences of the Social Web touch not only on individual users, but also on societies as a whole It affords specific practices and a new type of „personal public spheres“ It blurs established distinctions between the „public“ and the „private“ It affords and calls for new modes of political and social participation
Learning in, with and for the Social Web is critical for inclusion in contemporary societies
How can we achieve this? Let‘s discuss – and come visit #mobilityshifts
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Social Web
Thank you!
Dr. Jan-Hinrik Schmidt
Hans-Bredow-InstitutWarburgstr. 8-10, 20354 Hamburg
www.schmidtmitdete.dewww.dasneuenetz.de
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Social Web
Image credits
Slide 10ff.: © Hapf2, http://www.flickr.com/photos/44029537@N00/12760664 CC BY-NC-SA-2.0, Myles!, http://flickr.com/photos/mylesdgrant/495698908 CC BY-NC-ND-2.0, Axel V, http://www.flickr.com/photos/axels_bilder/126700804
Slide 12: © Robbie Cooper; http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2007/06/15/magazine/20070617_AVATAR_SLIDESHOW_1.html
Slide 17: CC-BY-NC-ND-2.0, Dominic Dada, http://www.flickr.com/photos/ogil/274628990/ Slide 18: CC-BY-NC-ND-2.0, Toby Bradbury,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrlerone/2360572263/ Slide 20: Jan Schmidt
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