ECREA16-Abstract

322

Thursday, November 10

1 4 : 3 0 – 1 6 : 0 0

PP 179

The Impact of Social Networking Sites (Facebook) on User’s Self-Esteem

E. Pakpour Aghghaleh

Eastern Mediterranean University, Communication and Media Studies, Famagusta, Cyprus

Social networking sites have become a crucial part of our lives, mainly because through them one can live a virtual life, in parallel to their real life. Every

day millions of people around the world share their personal information to participant in these networks. Such a high level of tendency towards being

in touch with the other users is not just limited to getting information or entertainment. It is assumed that it also satisfies the user’s emotional needs.

Such as participation, to be seen, to be confirmed and to be accepted. All these emotional needs are the basic pillars of self-esteem. This study aims to

investigate the impacts of Facebook as a new social environment on the user’s self-esteem and if users have selective self-presentation on Facebook in

order to earn acceptance. Data needed for this study, were collected through questionnaire from 390 participants. In this research the associations between

self-esteem and factors such as gender, job status, education level and age are investigated. The results reveal that Facebook has a significant impact on

the user’s self-esteem. The analyses of this study has disclosed that job status and age have significant association with the user’s self-esteem on Facebook.

On the other hand, the self-esteem of all participants regardless of their gender and education level is equally affected by Facebook. This research has also

proven that the users reveal themselves in a conscious manner or in other words attempt to represent themselves in the perfect form in order to create

a stable identity and to achieve more acceptance.

PP 180

The Continuity of Anonymous Online Communication. What Anonymity Does to Users and What Users do with Anonymity

M. Johann

, K. Tonndorf

, F. Wiedel

, J. Windscheid

University of Passau, Chair of Computer-Mediated Communication, Passau, Germany

The success of mobile messaging applications like Yik Yak, Whisper or Jodel illustrates a shift in online communication from distinct user profiles on Social

Network Sites back to the anonymous roots of the Internet. Commonly, users’behavior in these anonymous online environments is explained based on the‑

ories like the Lack of Social Context Cues Theory (Siegl et al. 1986) and the Social-Identity-Deindividuation-Model (Reicher/Spears/Postmes 1995; Spears/

Lea 1992). They claim that individuals become deindividuated in decontextual-ized Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC). Social cues that foster

social norms get lost. The users assume a certain social identity depending on the social context. Although these approaches are suited to get insights into

the effects of anonymity, they ne-glect the importance of specific user motives. We argue that research on anonymity in online communication needs both:

The focus on what anonymity does to users and on what users do with anonymity. Therefore, we chose the Uses and Gratifications Approach (Blum-ler/Katz

1974; Palmgreen 1984; Palmgreen et al. 1985) as a supplement of the classical CMC theories. Early and recent research in this area indicates that internet

use has always been the conse-quence of specific needs (Morris/Ogan 1996; Papacharissi/Rubin 2000; Yoo 2011). On the other side, internet use is closely

related to anonymous communication irrespective of whether it was characteristic for the early internet or a‘new’feature of modern mobile messaging ap‑

plications. Overall, anonymity is discussed as a crucial factor for a salient social identity and disinhibited online behavior (Suler 2004; Christopherson 2007;

Lapidot-Lefler/Barak 2012). Hence, two research questions were derived: RQ1: What motivates users to communicate anonymously? RQ2: Is social identity

in anonymous online communication linked to uses and gratifications? In order to answer these questions a survey among users of the anonymous social

media application Jodel was conducted (N=1177). The users’motives were measured by using a scale developed by Scherer and Schlütz (2002) focusing on

situationally sought gratifications (Cronbach’s α=.73). Social identity was operationalized following the exploratory work of Postmes et al. (2001) (Cron‑

bach’s α=.70). The results indicate that the anonymous communication on Jodel is particularly motivated by pastime (M=4.54, SD=.66), entertainment

(M=3.46, SD=.86) and orientation/information (M=3.14, SD=1.11). Self-awareness (M=1.93, SD=.92) is only a minor motif (RQ1). The mo-tives of users

whose social identity with the community is above the average are significantly more pronounced (pastime: M=4.58, SD=.63; entertainment: M=3.61,

SD=.82; orienta-tion/information: M=3.28, SD=1.08; self-awareness: M=2.04, SD=.95; pastime: t(298)=2.49, p<.01; entertainment: t(874)=9.49,

p<.000; orientation/information: t(875)=7.00, p<.000; self-awareness: t(454)=7.41, p<.000) than of those users with a lower social identity (pas-time:

M=4.43, SD=.77; entertainment: M=2.99, SD=.82; orientation/information: M=2.68, SD=1.09; self-awareness: M=1.59, SD=.71) (RQ2). Building on

the results social identity can be seen as important factor for receiving uses and gratifications in anonymous online communication. We finally discuss

an integrative per-spective on these concepts and their impact on online disinhibition effects (Suler 2004).

PP 181

Interpersonal Interaction in Child-Adult Joint Computer Games

M. Alon Tirosh

, D. Ben-Chitrit

The Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, Communication, Tel Adashim, Israel

Theories and models for learning and improving skills among children point to interaction with an adult as key for their cognitive development and skills.

Vygotsky (1978) was one of the pioneering researchers that stressed the importance of child-adult interaction for cognitive development. The Emotional

Availability model too highlights worthy child-adult interaction as key for meaningful learning (Biringen et al., 2014). Playing together is one medium

allowing child-adult interaction that is conducive to the child’s cognitive development (John, Halliburton & Humphrey, 2013). It seems reasonable to

assume that playing computer games (highly popular endeavor among children) with an adult can enhance the child’s learning processes and skills. How‑

ever, up until now little is known about the nature of child-adult interactions and communication patterns during mutual computer activities or during

joint computer games. This study aims at identifying the central characteristics of child-adult interaction during joint computer games. Observations of 20

mother-child dyads, followed by interviews about the experiences of both the children and the mothers during the joint computer game yielded a 4-phase

model describing the interaction: (1) early interaction – difficulties and gaps, (2) immediate resolution - parent-spectator and child-player configuration,

(3) control struggles, and (4) breaking the configuration- different forms of cooperation and participation. In the first phase, difficulties and gaps emerged

that stemmed from the medium’s nature and participants' perception of the situation. The difficulties were due to the computer’s characterization as