Developers of Social Media
This study helped to establish a framework for the research by assessing the discourse of social media developers. The study comprises a rhetorical analysis of the developers’ discourse represented in 27 unique platforms. This analysis allowed the researcher to consider the ideology behind the design.
Democratic
social spaces
Networks of
taste & experience
The analysis has shown how social media are characterized as social spaces that welcome and stimulate diversity and confrontation. Users are invited to participate regardless of their age, gender, nationality, religious or political beliefs, educational background or professional occupation.
Participation entails the creation of content and the exploration and maintenance of networks of taste and experience. The developers only provide vague suggestions about how and for what purpose these networks can be used. They do, however, heavily stress the importance of personal experience and the strength of shared skills and knowledge.
Sharing to
express & explore passion
Blurring boundaries between social roles
The design of social media provides support and encouragement for users to share resources. This gives users the opportunity to develop their expertise by applying it in relevant situations and by learning from the expertise shared by others. As such, social media environments are presented as places where users can express and explore a shared and passionate interest in a particular topic or activity according to their own needs and wishes. At the same time, the term “community” is used to denote a wide variety of resources shared by friends and strangers.
Furthermore, the discourse of developers blurs boundaries between different social roles and reframes cultural participation in terms of continuous post-processing. Here, the interpretation, adaptation and creation of meaning and value becomes a shared responsibility.