the supportive behaviors of older social network site users

The Supportive Behaviors of Older SNS Users

Fred Stutzman, Valeda Stull, Cheryl ThompsonSchool of Information and Library Science

UNC-Chapel Hill

(InsideFacebook.com, 2009)

(Lenhart, 2009)

Fred Stutzman, fred.stutzman@unc.edu

Why Older Users?

• Diversification of audience, potential different uses

• Reveal new practices, points for comparison

• Social effects of use in differing cohorts

• Design to address specific needs

Fred Stutzman, fred.stutzman@unc.edu

Participants

• 15 participants, two in 40’s, six in 50’s, seven in 60’s, nine females and six males

• Semi-structured interviews, in-person and by phone

• TOLA (Transitional, Older, Late Adopting Users)

Fred Stutzman, fred.stutzman@unc.edu

Framework

• Adoption, Experience

• Audience, Connections, Motivation

• Social Support

• Privacy

Fred Stutzman, fred.stutzman@unc.edu

Adoption• Reconnection drives adoption and use

• Real names the norm, searching important

• Reconstruction of the life story

“[In Facebook] I will click on one of my friends and I will see two other people that I have not heard from in years and be able to get in touch with them and I think it’s a great thing for that.”

Fred Stutzman, fred.stutzman@unc.edu

Connections

• Networks are close; small in size

• Attention focused on “important” others

• Reconnections, old crushes

• Observing the extended family

• Attention shifts; the “dance” of reconnection

Fred Stutzman, fred.stutzman@unc.edu

Management • Networks are managed with respect to

utility and privacy

• Common to not accept requests, de-friend, block, and delete items

“Recently I was friended by the ex-husband of one of my friends and it was a really messy divorce and she is also on Facebook, so I didn’t really know what to do, so my kids said to just ignore the request.”

Fred Stutzman, fred.stutzman@unc.edu

Contexts

• Family, friends, reconnections and co-workers main cited contexts

• The “time gap” as unique boundary

• Lack of common ground

• Shifting norms and identities

• Bridging “different lives”

Fred Stutzman, fred.stutzman@unc.edu

Support

• Emotional support, instrumental support, informational support (Braithwaite et al., 1999; Cohen & Gottlieb, 2000)

• Provisioning of support

• Asking for support

Fred Stutzman, fred.stutzman@unc.edu

Support• SNS is a supportive place

• Emotional and informational support provisioned most commonly

“One of my nieces’ parents has been rather ill, and people have been just giving her messages of support. She’s someone who is regularly on Facebook and talking about her mother’s condition and the surgeries she’s had, and people were voicing support for how she was doing.”

Fred Stutzman, fred.stutzman@unc.edu

Asking for support?

• SNS is not a place where the sample goes for support

• Privacy; Multiple groups; Compromising disclosures

• Established modes for connection with supportive others

Fred Stutzman, fred.stutzman@unc.edu

Reciprocity• SNS is full of supportive givers; fewer

“askers”

• Users are willing to mobilize

“In other words posting on the Wall where all of my friends can see it – everyone on my friends list can see it – I would not do that. And that is because of this mix of people, different kinds of relationships.”

Fred Stutzman, fred.stutzman@unc.edu

Privacy

• SNS are not “private” places

• Context violations main critical incidents

• Privacy settings are complicated

• High degree of profile management

• Support for different friending practice

Fred Stutzman, fred.stutzman@unc.edu

TOLA Study

• Method notes: Response rates

• Next steps: Survey

• Your feedback on solicitation techniques and incentives

• Stage 3: User study, content analysis?

Fred Stutzman, fred.stutzman@unc.edu

Thank you!

Fred Stutzman: fred.stutzman@unc.eduTwitter @fstutzmanhttp://fredstutzman.com

Amanda Lenhart Heather Attig

Sarita Yardi Fred Stutzman