The relationship between sexuality and communication technologies is changing. In media life, people are increasingly seeing themselves and others through the social network service. Social media users “sign up” their name, age, and sex before they have access. Once attained, the user is afforded a ‘configurable networked self’ that is voluntarily serviced with and within the social network. With growing aspects of use, especially in younger people to ‘communicate their own life story’, the SNS poses and imposes differential user-experiences rooted in media logics. For media to embed its logic into social-sexual practice it must contend with deep human emotions or ‘sub-processes’ that are at the core of psychological development; ‘how people understand themselves, how do they think of themselves; do they label themselves, and do they announce or enact that identity to an audience or in a social setting?’. A person’s sexuality then, their gender expression and identity, are part of one’s developed consciousness. Principled archetypes - the socio-cultural norms and values of femininity and masculinity - are violently in flux. Under the integration of social media into social life the psychological recognition and reconfiguration of one’s sex i.e, their sexual identity, orientation, fantasies, feelings, behaviors, and desires, are becoming part of an assemblage of interdependent media networks. As Walgrave et al lament, such logistics change ‘how the characteristics of SNSs accommodate needs inherent to adolescent development [which] may explain why adolescents have rapidly and enthusiastically integrated SNSs into their daily lives’. The evolving characteristics of SNSs are not only dependent on active interactional and communicative needs executed within the service but also produce differential user experiences based on the information supplied with the service.
The paper investigates this phenomenon, specifically how age, location and/or sex effects the Facebook SNS user experience – to explore the relatively uncharted territory of how new media logics symbiotically service people’s desires as a form of media-embedded practices.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Mediatisation and Sexuality
- The Service
- Aliasing and Algorithm
- Facebook's Alias
- Facebook User Analyses
- Controlled Conditions
- Age 13: Findings
- Age 25: Findings
- Deconstructing the Alias
- The Algorithmic Life
- EdgeRank
- Nexus of Practise
- Actor-network Theory
- Social Network Sexualities
- Performing (Sexual) Desirability
- Servicing (Sexual) Desire
- Mediatisation of Desire
- Crises of Individuation
- Surveillance and Stalking
- Symbolical Mastery
- Displaced (Self) Mediators
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper explores how age, location, and sex affect the user experience on Facebook, specifically examining how new media logics cater to individual desires through media-embedded practices. It delves into the concept of a "mediatized sexual alias" – a distorted representation of the self within the algorithmic environment of social network services (SNSs).
- The influence of media logics on social-sexual practices within SNSs
- The role of algorithms and "aliasing" in shaping user identity and experience
- The impact of Facebook's design and practices on user behaviors and perceptions of self
- The relationship between user desires and the service's need for data and engagement
- The mediatized nature of desire and its implications for individual identity and social interaction
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter introduces the growing influence of SNSs on individual identity, particularly in relation to sexuality. It highlights how the SNS platform shapes and mediates user experiences through its media logic, impacting the construction and presentation of self.
- Mediatisation and Sexuality: This chapter discusses how social media has become a dominant force in shaping sexual communication and identity. It explores the concept of mediatization, how media practices embed themselves into everyday social and sexual interactions, and how SNSs normalize certain behaviors and desires.
- The Service: This chapter examines the symbiotic relationship between SNSs and their users. It highlights how SNSs rely on user engagement and data while simultaneously providing tools and services that influence user behavior and self-presentation.
- Aliasing and Algorithms: This chapter introduces the concept of "aliasing" – the distorted representation of the self created by algorithms within SNSs. It discusses how these algorithms shape user experiences and contribute to the formation of a "algorithmic identity."
- Facebook's Alias: This chapter focuses on Facebook as a case study, analyzing how the platform's design and practices contribute to the "aliasing" process and influence user interactions.
- Facebook User Analyses: This chapter delves into user data and analysis, examining how Facebook's algorithms shape user experiences based on factors such as age, location, and gender.
- Controlled Conditions: This chapter discusses controlled conditions and research methodologies used to analyze the influence of Facebook on user behavior and self-presentation.
- Age 13: Findings: This chapter presents findings regarding the impact of Facebook on users aged 13. It focuses on how the platform influences their self-perception, social interactions, and development of identity.
- Age 25: Findings: This chapter presents findings regarding the impact of Facebook on users aged 25. It explores how the platform shapes their self-presentation, relationships, and online experiences.
- Deconstructing the Alias: This chapter examines the implications of "aliasing" and the distorted representation of self within Facebook. It discusses how the platform's algorithms can influence individual behavior and perceptions of self.
- The Algorithmic Life: This chapter explores the growing influence of algorithms on our lives, focusing on their role in shaping communication, social interaction, and the formation of identity.
- EdgeRank: This chapter discusses Facebook's EdgeRank algorithm, examining how it determines the visibility of content and influences user interactions.
- Nexus of Practise: This chapter examines the complex interplay between users, algorithms, and the SNS platform, focusing on how these elements interact and influence the formation of identity and behavior.
- Actor-network Theory: This chapter applies Actor-network Theory to understand the relationships between human and non-human actors within the social network environment.
- Social Network Sexualities: This chapter explores the various ways in which SNSs influence and shape sexual identities and behaviors.
- Performing (Sexual) Desirability: This chapter discusses how users perform and negotiate desirability within the SNS environment, examining the influence of media logics and algorithms on these processes.
- Servicing (Sexual) Desire: This chapter examines how SNSs cater to and exploit user desires for connection, validation, and social acceptance.
- Mediatisation of Desire: This chapter explores the impact of mediatization on individual desires and how SNSs shape and mediate the expression of these desires.
- Crises of Individuation: This chapter discusses the potential negative impacts of SNSs on individual identity and the potential for a "crisis of individuation" caused by algorithmic influences.
- Surveillance and Stalking: This chapter examines the potential for surveillance and stalking within the SNS environment, highlighting the dangers of sharing personal information online.
- Symbolical Mastery: This chapter explores the ways in which users exert symbolic mastery and control over their online identities and presentations.
- Displaced (Self) Mediators: This chapter discusses how the SNS platform acts as a "displaced (self) mediator," influencing individual behavior and perceptions of self.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This work focuses on the intersection of media logics, social network services, and sexual identity. Key concepts include mediatization, aliasing, algorithms, Facebook, social network sexualities, and the mediatized nature of desire.
- Citation du texte
- Henry Louis Sterling Appleyard (Auteur), 2017, Sexual Alias. Mediatisation of Desire in Social Network Services, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/418401
