the dark side of online participation (aoir 2016 talk)

The Dark Side of Online ParticipationExploring Non- and Negative Participation

Christoph Lutz - @lutzidChristian Pieter Hoffmann - @cphoffmann

AoIR 2016Berlin, 6 October 2016

Online Non-ParticipationAoIR 2016

Lutz, Hoffmann

Current Trends in Online Participation Research


Lutz, Hoffmann Increasing Interest in Topic

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

ProQuest results from 1990 onwards

Lutz, Hoffmann, & Meckel, 2014


Lutz, Hoffmann Topical Areas

Political Participation/ Civic Engagement

Economic/ Business Health

Culture

Education

Literacy/Divide



Lutz, Hoffmann (At least) Three Biases in the Literature

1. Political BiasOnline participation research focuses heavily on political participation.

2. Positivity BiasOnline participation research is positive and optimistic.

3. Activity BiasOnline participation implies an active user.


Lutz, Hoffmann Political Bias

67%

8%11%

6% 8%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Political Business Education Health Culture



Lutz, Hoffmann Positivity Bias

“In fact, as several scholars note, one of the principal problems with the discourses on participation is that it is almost always seen as a positive and empowering force.”

Literat, 2016, p. 10


Lutz, Hoffmann Activity Bias

Casemajor, Couture, Delphine, Goerzen, & Delfanti, 2015


Lutz, Hoffmann

A More Nuanced Typology


Lutz, Hoffmann Qualitative Study

• Focus groups and online communities

How do citizens from different Internet milieus define online participation and engagement? Does their everyday understanding match the academicunderstanding?

• 12 groups with 8 participants per group


Lutz, Hoffmann General Results

• Clear distinction between participation and engagement; participation less clearly defined.

• Engagement is seen as more valuable and beneficial thanparticipation. Engagement is considered social, meaningful and helpful for others.

• Participation is seen in a very broad sense. Almost every form ofInternet use can be seen as participation:

– Effortful vs. easy forms of participation

– Positive vs. negative forms of participation


Lutz, Hoffmann Involvement: Effortful vs. Easy

“If I just sign up for a service because I want to read something, then I’m a completely passive participant. But if I sign up and write something myself, then I’m active.”

“If I only get information on some sites, then I’m not participating. Toparticipate, you would need to blog, you would have to help others in online communities, you would need to collect donations in some way oranother. So, you would have to be active in some form. That’s myunderstanding of participation.”

“If I am very active on Facebook, then I am participated anew time and time again by being messaged (…) I am constantly participated for all kindof nonsense that goes on. I can’t turn that off.”

=> Voluntary and unvoluntary participation can be distinguished


Lutz, Hoffmann Intentionality and Agency: Active vs. Passive

“You get these news about online petitions on your smartphone. And if that tickles my interest, I might choose to support this petition. And then you are being kept up-to-date about the petitions you signed.”

“I can participate and I can be participated. Voluntarily or involuntarily. Participation means actively taking on responsibility. Being participated means being forced to do something, responsibility being pushed onto you.”

“Once, I was invited to provide a rating. Finally, after two weeks I managed to do it, I just wrote two sentences. I was engaged because I had to do something although I really didn’t feel like doing it.”


Lutz, Hoffmann Social Valence: Positive vs. Negative Participation

“And there are trolls, people who have fun provoking others. And when they notice that someone pays attention they can spam a whole forum. It has nothing to do with the original chat anymore.”

“Participation can lead to recruitment in the end. Iraq, Syria and so on… How many Germans are now fighting for ISIS? They have been recruited as well.”

“If it’s your thing to dress up in pink bunny costumes and play football like this, then you can arrange yourself with people from Hong Kong, London and Barcelona and you meet up in Chile and play. And this is something I can’t imagine being done by postcard or fan magazine.”


Lutz, Hoffmann A Typology of (Non-)Participation

Involvement

High: Participation Low: Non-Participation

Agency

ValenceActive Passive Active Passive

Positive

Positive active

participation

Intentional

constructive

engagement

Positive passive

participation

Unintentional

constructive

engagement

Positive active

non-participation

Abstention as agency

Positive passive

non-participation

Lack of necessity or

advantage

Negative

Negative active

participation

Intentional

destructive

engagement

Negative passive

participation

Involuntary

undesired

engagement

Negative active

non-participation

Silencing, self-censoring

Negative passive

non-participation

Exclusion


Lutz, Hoffmann

Thanks for your AttentionInstitute for Media and Communications ManagementUniversity of St. GallenBlumenbergplatz 9CH-9000 St. Gallen


Lutz, Hoffmann References

• Casemajor, N., Couture, S., Delfin, M., Goerzen, M., & Delfanti, A. (2015). Non-participation in digital media: toward a framework of mediated political action. Media, Culture & Society, 37(6), 850-866.

• Literat, I. (2016). Interrogating participation across disciplinary boundaries: Lessons from political philosophy, cultural studies, art, and education. New Media & Society, online first. doi: 1461444816639036.

• Lutz, C. Hoffmann, C. P., & Meckel, M. (2014). Beyond just politics: A systematic literature review of online participation. First Monday, 19(7). Retrieved from http://www.ojphi.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/5260/4094

http://www.ojphi.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/5260/4094


Lutz, Hoffmann Collaboration with Sinuts: Internet milieus


Lutz, Hoffmann Structure of the Online Communities (1/3)

ACTIVITY TYPE

Day 1

Welcome ChatPresentation of tasks, structure, moderation

Chat

Your day on the Internet/Your day on FacebookNatives/Immigrants/Outsiders: Please describe what you did today on the Internet.

Natives: Please describe what you see on your Facebook feed.Diary

Day 2Spontaneous Association

Please write down some keywords that come to mind when you read the following two concepts.- Participation on the Internet- Engagement on the Internet

Diary

Day 3

Your Online ParticipationThink about what you’ve been doing online in the last few days. Would you say that during this time

you participated on the Internet? Would you say you were engaging on the Internet? If yes, whatexactly did you do? Why would you say you were participating or engaged?

Diary

Collage Online ParticipationIt would be great if you could find fitting picture for your participation or your engagement on the

Internet. You can draw your own picture here, upload an image or just included a screenshot.Diary



ACTIVITY TYPE

Day 4

An Example for ParticipationMichael Maier manages an online forum for dachshund enthusiasts. In this forum, around 20 people regularly swap ideas about the care and breedings of dachshunds. Michael started the

forum and moderates it. Almost every, he check what goes on in the forum and around every secondday, he writes a short comments himself.

Would you say Michael participates on the Internet or he engages online? Why? What about theother members of the forum, are they participating or engaging? Why?

Forum

Day 5Picture Sorting

Please assign the following cards/pictures to one of the following three categories: «Participationon the Internet», «Engagement on the Internet» or «Neither nor».

Diary

Day 6

Your Engagement on the InternetPlease name a site where you are engaging. What exactly are you doing there? Why are you

engaging on this site? Which advantages does this site have? If you think you are not engaged on the Internet, we would be interested why. From your point of

view, what are the reasons why you are not participating?

Diary

Day 7Areas of Participation

Please look at these two Internet sites. Would you participate here? If yes, how? If no, why not? Open Petition; Avaaz; Shutterstock; Gute Frage; Netdoktor; Iversity (2 sites per person)

Diary



ACTIVITY TYPE

Day 8Discussion of Statements: Negative

«I do not participate on the Internet because I fear losing control of my personal data.» What do you think about this statement? Would you agree or disagree? Why?

Forum

Day 9Discussion of Statements: Positive

«I participate on the Internet because I can learn somethin useful and can help others.»What do you think about this statement? Would you agree or disagree? Why?

Forum

Day 10Ideal Participation on the Internet

Is there an area where you’d like to participate more on the Internet? If yes, which one? Whatkeeps you from being more engaged in this area? Is there something that could make your

engagement easier?

Diary

Day 11

Ranking of Participation ActivitiesPlease order the following activites according to their degree of participation or engagement, from

a lot of participation or engagement to little participation or engagement.

Watching a Facebook video about an art happening and commenting on it; Making an entry in a football/soccer online community; Offering your own flat online for sharing; Writing a restaurant

review on Tripadvisor; Running a forum for Mac PCs; Signing an online petition against a localconstruction plan; Participating in an online language course; Online dating via an app

Diary

the dark side of online participation (aoir 2016 talk)

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