[Air-L] user generated content, motivation to post

[nathan jurgenson]

i think the "reinforce their existence as subjects" argument has precedent.
try looking at Sunden's point that, online, individuals "type themselves
into being" (3). danah boyd has stressed this point when discussing social
networking sites. the argument might indeed follow for other online content
creation, such as product reviews. boyd quotes an 18 year old stating “If
you’re not on MySpace, you don’t exist” (119). in the same paper boyd states
that “there is an ethos that if it is possible to access a public
expression, one should have the right to do so” (138). seems very relevant.

boyd, danah. “Why Youth [heart] Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked
Publics in Teenage Social Life." Youth, Identity, and Digital Media. Edited
by David Buckingham. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Series on Digital Media and Learning. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2008.
119–142.

Sundén, J. 2003. Material virtualities: approaching online textual
embodiment. Peter Lang Pub Inc.

nathan jurgenson
graduate student
dept of sociology
u of maryland

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Hi,

A Mater student of one of my colleagues is researching about people's
motivation to post, to share comments and evaluations about products
and services, and about the social function of such activities. His
hypothesis is that people augment their reality by being read and
listened, that this activity would reinforce their existence as a
subjects. He's looking for references and concepts about these
questions. I would be grateful if you could help.

Thank you very much,

All the best

Amparo Lasén Dpto Sociología I Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y
Sociología UCM Campus de Somosaguas Pozuelo de Alarcón 28223
0034913942899 alasen at cps.ucm.es
<http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org>



Sunden (2003) argues that in order to exist online, we must write ourselves
into being. As the online dimension becomes more important, writing becomes
central to existence in general. “If you’re not on MySpace, you don’t
exist”, boyd (2008) quotes an 18 year old. Boyd (2008) discusses how SNS are
sites where youth can write themselves and their communities into being.
Boyd also states that “there is an ethos that if it is possible to access a
public expression, one should have the right to do so” (138).