NetworkedThe New Social Operating System in Civic Life

October 22, 2015Lee Rainie - @lrainie and lrainie@pewinternet.orgDirector, Internet, Science and Technology Research

http://www.pewresearch.org/

January 25, 2013

Chelsea Welch Alois Bell

r/atheism

“My mistake sir, I’m sure Jesus will pay for my rent and

groceries”

http://nodexlgraphgallery.org/Pages/Graph.aspx?graphID=2701

http://nodexlgraphgallery.org/Pages/Graph.aspx?graphID=2701

Top URLs in Tweet in Entire Graph:http://guardiancomment.tumblr.com/post/42024491123/chelsea-welch-the-us-waitress-who-was-fired-after

http://www.guardian.co.uk/p/3dfqt/twhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/feb/01/fired-applebees-waitress-needs-tips

http://www.tumblr.com/ZyqxEwd8sjXphttp://www.guardian.co.uk/p/3dfqthttp://www.dailydot.com/news/applebees-pastor-tip-waitress-facebook/http://neil-gaiman.tumblr.com/post/42074466808/guardiancomment-chelsea-welch-the-us-waitresshttp://m.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/feb/01/fired-applebees-waitress-needs-tips

http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/local_news/water_cooler/chelsea-welch-applebees-waitress-fired-alois-bell-pastor-complains-about-reddit-receipt-photo

http://www.change.org/petitions/applebee-s-and-truth-in-the-word-deliverance-ministries-give-chelsea-welch-her-job-back-and-fire-pastor-alois-bell

News in the networked ageImpact on civic debate

Spiritual precepts and atheism

VigilantismPrivacy rights,

publicity rights, and collapsed contexts

Minimum wage policies & employment practices

Corporate social media policies

Impact on news ecosystem

New news venuesNew news initiatorsNew gatekeepers,

influencers, content drivers well beyond the locale of the news

New pathways to consumersNew role for “people

formerly known as the audience” (Jeff Rosen)

New ways to keep the story moving and mobilize followers

Civic life is networked life with network information

created and shared by networked organizations

New social and civic reality:Networked Individualism

The move from tight groups to loose networks

Personal networks are…Increasingly important –

awareness, trust Differently composed – segmented, layeredMore personal liberation & more

work

TECHNOLOGY PUSHES THE MOVE TO NETWORKED

INDIVIDUALISM INTO OVERDRIVE

1996

1998

1999

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2005

2006

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2011

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0

20

40

60

80

100

14

3644

52 5559 61 63

6771 74 74 76 76 79

83 84 84 87Revolution 1 - Internet Users%

Revolution 1 – Home Broadband Users

3%

70%

Dec-00

Dec-01

Dec-02

Dec-03

Nov-04

Jan-05

Apr-06

Dec-07

Jan-08

Apr-09

Dec-10

May-11

Apr-12

Nov-12

Dec-12

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0

20

40

60

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100

1825

31

45

5966

73 75 7782 81 83 84 85 87

91 89 91 92

11

19

27

3743 44

5053 55

68

Cell phone

Smart phone

Revolution 2 – Mobile Connectivity

2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

10%

76

7

65

Among internet Users

Among all adults

Revolution 3 – Social Networking / Social Media

Any social networking site

76% of internet-using adults89% of ages 18-29

49% of ages 65+No diff. by race/ethnicityNo diff. by educationNo diff. by income

Facebook

22

72% of internet-using adults82% of ages 18-29

48% of ages 65+77% of women 18-29

66% of menNo diff. by race/ethnicityNo diff. by educationNo diff. by income

Revolution 3 – Social Networking / Social Media

Pinterest

31% of internet-using adults44% of women16% of men32% of whites23% of blacks/32% of Hispanics31% of college grads25% of H.S. or less34% of households >$50,00022% of households <$50,000

LinkedIn

23

25% of internet-using adults

30% of ages 30-6421% of ages 65+

46% of college grads9% of H.S. or lessNo diff. by

genderNo diff. by

race/ethnicity

Revolution 3 – Social Networking / Social Media

Twitter

23% of internet-using adults32% of ages 18-296% of ages 65+29% of blacks16% of whites / Hispanics27% of college grads19% of H.S. or less26% of households >$50,00020% of households <$50,000

Instagram

24

28% of internet-using adults55% of ages 18-29

4% of ages 65+31% of women

24% of men 47% of blacks / 38% of Hispanics

21% of whitesNo diff. by income /educ.

Revolution 3 – Social Networking / Social Media

Mobile Messaging AppsAmong smartphone owners, the % who use messaging apps and apps that automatically delete sent messages

 

  Messaging apps Auto-delete apps  Total 36% 17%  Men 37 17  Women 36 18  18-29 49 41  30-49 37 11  50+ 24 4  High school grad or less 30 19  Some college 34 20  College+ 45 13  Less than $50,000/yr 37 18  $50,000+ 36 17  Urban 42 22  Suburban 37 15  Rural (n=99 smartphone owners) 22 13  

Demographics of TumblrAmong internet users, the % who use Tumblr

 

  Internet users  Total 10%  Men 10  Women 11  White, Non-Hispanic 9  Black, Non-Hispanic (n=94) 15  Hispanic (n=99) 15  18-29 20  30-49 11  50-64 5  65+ 2  $30,000-$49,999 8  $50,000-$74,999 (n=98) 4  $75,000+ 11  Urban 16  Suburban 8  Rural 3  

Online Discussion ForumsAmong internet users, the % who read or comment in discussion forums such as reddit, Digg or Slashdot

 

  Internet users  Total 15%  Men 20  Women 11  18-29 23  30-49 14  50-64 13  65+ 8  High school grad or less 11  Some college 20  College+ 15  Less than $30,000/yr 20  $30,000-$49,999 12  $50,000-$74,999 (n=98) 14  $75,000+ 18  Urban 19  Suburban 14  Rural 10  

The social media platforms arts orgs use

DiggSlideshare

JumeJustGive

InstagramMySpace

Network for GoodGoogle+

FoursquareWikipedia

FlickrTwitter

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%1%1%1%2%2%3%4%

6%7%

9%11%12%13%13%

17%19%20%

23%27%

31%38%

67%74%

99%

Source: Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project Arts Organizations Survey. Conducted between May 30-July 20, 2012. N for respondents who answered this question=1,202.

1 platform

2 platforms

3 platforms

4 platforms

5 platforms

6 platforms

7 platforms

8 platforms

9 platforms

10 platforms

11 platforms

12 platforms

13 platforms

14 platforms

15 platforms

16 platforms

17 platforms

102138

148153

141132

9570

4836

3116

910

321

Number of platforms

The majority of arts organizations that use social media maintain profiles on at least four different social media sites.

Source: Cisco

Fourth revolution: Internet of Things

By 2025, the internet will become ‘like electricity’ — less visible, yet more

deeply embedded in people’s lives for good and for ill

Internet of Things (IoT)

Implications for civic actors - 1

Complexity is the new normalYou need to work harder to:

1) Be mobile friendly2) Know who your audience is

3) Know how to reach them AND know how to be found by them

4) Know how to create ‘spreadable messages’

5) Know how to listen and have dialogue

Implications for civic actors - 2

In a polarized media environment, your goals

will affect your communications strategy

Democrats and Republicans have been growing apart in their beliefs and attitudes

And also growing apart in their personal opinions and preferences

People want to live with others who share their political views

And even see the other side as a threat to the very future of America

Media use is part of the story

They like you and/or your cause (or possibly hate you and think you’re destroying America)They are probably already talking about you (and if they aren’t already, they’d probably like to)Social media offers a way to find, identify, and reach your “super fans”They want to be part of the team and convert their friends—if you let them

Are you trying to activate the “poles”?

They don’t engage consistently with politicsThey probably don’t really know or care very much about your particular issueTheir tolerance threshold is probably fairly low…But they can be encouraged to learn/act/changeSometimes that happens because of big events that grab their attention—but many times it’s at the behest of someone from the previous group

Or are you trying to rouse the middle?

Your optimum moments for teaching and engagement

• When you can “manufacture” a campaign

• When you/your issues are especially timely, relevant at the personal AND cultural level (e.g. when news breaks)

• When your “close up” unexpectedly comes

• When your evangelists work their networks

• When you can recruit unexpected allies

• When someone on the “other side” embraces you

Implications for civic actors - 3 You have new ways to generate and

collect data to assess your impact

Be not afraid

Thank you!