Learning to Exist in Social Media

A Grounded Theory about Adolescents’ Understanding of Their Interactions in Social Media,

Their Impact on Their Everyday Life and the Behaviour They Develop to Manage Them

Nadia Naffi 2012

AgendaContextPurposeReview of The LiteratureResearch QuestionsMethodologyResultsConclusionSuggestion for Future Research

Context

Social media Main communication tool used by adolescents

Lebanon Highest percentage of users accessing the Internet from their mobile phones / Smartphones in the Middle East Highest at home WI-FI availability in the Middle East

Issues2G cellular phones services (3G services launched in October 2011)Ranked 160th regarding Internet connectivity

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this qualitative interpretive study was to better understand adolescents’ mental representation of their practices in social media and detect instances of informal learning, based solely on how participants construed their experiences.

Offline/ Online AdolescentsBennett & MatonBlais, Craig, Pepler, & ConnollyBoneva, Quinn, Kraut, Kiesler, ShklovskiCynkarEriksonLehdonvirta & RasanenLenhart, Madden, Smith, Purcell, Zickuhr, & RainieMargalitMesch.The Nielsen CompanyOng, Ang, Ho, Lim,, Goh, Lee & ChuaPatchin, & HindujaPew InternetReichSaulSubrahmanyam, Garcia, Harsono, Li & Lipana, Reich, Waechter & EspinozaTapscottTwengeValkenburg & PeterVan CleemputVarnhagen, McFall,Pugh, Routledge,Sumida-MacDonaldKwong

Social media’s affordances and risks (including addiction)

AcierAmichai-HamburgerBlockboyd & EllisonChakraborty, Basu & Kumar CotterellFoxmanGrannovetterGuan & SubrahmanyaIto, Baumer, Bittanti, boyd, Cody, Herr-Stephenson &TripJoinsonJonssonKaplan & Haenlein,Liang, Commins & DuffyMaranto, & Barton Norton RoeSurratt,Thompson & Cupples, Villella, Martinotti, Di Nicola, Cassano, La Torre, Gliubizzi, Messeri, Petruccelli, Bria & JaniriZamaria & Fletcher

Informal learningCarlinerGreenhow & RobeliaSmith

Learning with social media

PerreaultTessier-BouchardWenger  Wesch  Williams  &  Edge

Learning theoriesBandura (self-efficacy)O'Donnell, D'Amico, Schmid, Reeve, & SmithVygotsky & Cole

MethodologyChevalier & BucklesCreswellFransellaGaines & ShawGlaser & StraussHuberman & MilesJankowiczKelly

Social media in Lebanon bayt.com.Economic Research & Analysis Departmentiloubnan.info

Theories of motivation

MaslowRutledgeRyan & Deci

Body of Literature Covered

Research Questions What are adolescents’ mental representations of their practices with social media?

How do adolescents explain their behavior in social media, and its consequences on their offline life? How do they construe their interactions with the social media apps they use inside their networks?

Are adolescents aware of instances of learning while in social media?

What type of learning do adolescents perceive as possible with social media?

Methodology A Grounded Theory Design

Elements

Constructs1 5

Data AnalysisRepGridGrounded theory approach

Transcribing and translating 13 hours of interviewsOpen codingAxial codingSelective coding

Credibility and trustworthiness

ParticipantsInstrumentsSemi-structured interviewConstruct analysis interviewValidation interview

Results Open Coding

Elements (or factors) affecting adolescents' use of social media

Related to the technology Constraints to use (technical/connection/quality/cost/etc.), Access- Practicality (wherever, whenever), Level of complexity (complicated/simple, clear, easy), Synchronicity (instant/delayed messages), Updates of the technology, Degree of privacy, Negative effects of social mediaRelated to the user Prior impressions, Degree of formality/ amusement, Level of satisfaction, Degree of usefulness (as an indirect communication method, as a rapprochement facilitator, as self-disclosure tool), Identification as a present or future need, Out-datedness of the medium & Technology replacement, Egocentrism, Relationship with the medium (technology), Cyborg, Personification of the medium, Shaping of the technology,Level of "addiction", Red light effect, Relationship with online strangers, Level of online xenophobia (fear of online strangers)Related to others Expectations from others & Others' expectations, Replies, comments etc., Double life, Being alive only if active on social media, Competition's intensity, Parents' reactions

Results Open Coding

Reason for first use (Initiation to social media) Wow effect (Majority effect, Novelty effect)Peer pressure + Fear of disappearing (being forgotten)Curiosity/ Search/ Discovery

Consequences of a hypothetical absence of social media on participants’ offline life

Positive outcomeNegative outcome

Learning in social media Informal learning: to use the medium (Social learning, Autonomously through Experimentation, Social learning & Experimental learning)Informal learning: with the technology (Technology as a learning tool, Technology as a learning environment, Group knowledge, Socialization, Management skills, Texting/ Chatting abbreviations, Learning abbreviations,Creating abbreviations)

1st question: adolescents’ description and interpretation of their practices in social media and their outcomes

According to participants, their practices in social media were an addiction, resulting from a necessity and managed by functionality

2nd question: Adolescents’ awareness of instances of learning while in social media

According to participants, their main reason for using social media was to stay connected, to communicate and to have fun. Learning was never the purpose, unless one of their teachers used social media as an environment for class interactions

Answers to the Research QuestionsA person’s processes are psychologically channelized by the ways in which he anticipates events (Kelly, 1991)

The Foundations of Adolescents’ Interaction in Social Media - the model emerging from the grounded theory

Learn to existLearn to exist

The Foundations of Adolescents’ Interaction in Social Media - the model emerging from the grounded theory

Casual conditions

Majority effect Novelty effectPeer pressure

Gaining technical skills:Learning howto use the medium

Gaining socialization skills:Learning to socializethrough and within the medium

Gaining managerial skills:Learning to managethe usage of the mediumand deal with its constraints

Extension ofadolescentscognition

Gaining new knowledgethrough accessingthe group knowledgeand receiving and sharingnew pieces of information

Autonomouslyand/or with

social interactions

Learn to [exist] Learn [to exist]

Context

Core categoryPhenomenon

ConsequencesStrategiesActions/ Interactions

Searching/Discovering/Experiencing/Evaluating/Making decisions

Interveningconditions

Related to the technologyRelated to the userRelated to others

Lebanon

Social mediamain communication toolused by adolescents

Need social presence[of] othersNeed social presence[to] othersFear of disappearing(being forgotten)

Learn to exist

Learn to [exist] and

Learn [to exist]

Physi

ologic

al

Safet

y

Love

/ Be

long

ing

Este

emSelf-

actu

aliza

tion

Physio

logica

lSaf

etyLo

ve / B

elong

ingEst

eem

Self-

actua

lizati

on

Physiological

Safety

Love / Belonging

Esteem

Self- actualization

PhysiologicalSafety

Love / Belonging

Esteem

Self-

actualization

Physiological

Safety

Love / Belonging

Esteem

Self-actualization

PhysiologicalSafety

Love / Belonging

Esteem

Self-

actualizationPhysiological

Safety

Love / Belonging

Esteem

Self-actualization

Physiological

Safety

Love / Belonging

Esteem

Self-actualization

Physiol

ogicalSafe

tyLove /

Belongi

ngEsteem

Self-

actual

ization

19

87

65

43 2

Adapted from Maslow

Physiological

Safety

Love / Belonging

Esteem

Self-actualization

Internet connectivity

Device (mobile phone, computer, iPad, iPod...)

Applications Sites

From strangers, cyberbullies, hackers, thiefs

Digital health (moderate and controlled use) Privacy

Online connections and friends

Comunities of practice

Online interest groups

Self-esteem

Respect of/ by others

High Interactiactivity

(posts, comments, likes)

Self-efficacyPersonal growth

Personal fulfillmentSelf-development

Feeling of own value

Learningto exist

Need to Exist

Conclusion Transferable Construct Adolescents face two challenges to flourish online:1.Learn to [exist] through acquiring technical skills2.Learn [to exist] through developing online soft skills Achieved due to adolescents’ self-determination and intrinsic motivation to learn.

Future Research Questions Now that we understand the motives behind adolescents’ autonomous and seamless informal learning in social media, how can we1. Create a learning environment in our schools that mirrors the environment in

which adolescents are living while in social media, where students feel the need and the passion to learn, set goals for themselves and thrive autonomously to achieve them?

2. Integrate the technologies that are already part of our adolescents’ lives in this new school environment?

Limitations of the Study1. Not generalizable but transferable2. Qualitative interpretive study (self-reported data, inductive analysis)

Suggestions for Future Research

Action research to accompany a group of adolescents in formal learning settings and observe:

The qualitative changes that may occur in how this group construe learning with social mediaParticipants’ engagement in new learning processes with social mediaPedagogical changes with social media (shift of ownership of knowledge)

Ethnography, narrative or case study with various groups of adolescents to:

Observe them for a significant period of timeObserve how adolescents’ social media behaviors affect their cognitive and emotional development directly and indirectly

Apply new knowledge into the educational system

Examining Committee:

Dr. Ann-Louise Davidson, SupervisorDr. Saul Carliner

Dr. David WaddingtonDr. Pavel Trofimovitch, Chair