Location
Presentation- College of Arts and Humanities
Document Type and Release Option
Thesis Presentation (Restricted to Georgia Southern)
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Beverly Graham
Faculty Mentor Email
bgraham@georgiasouthern.edu
Presentation Year
2021
Start Date
26-4-2021 12:00 AM
End Date
30-4-2021 12:00 AM
Keywords
Georgia Southern University, Honors Symposium, Presentation
Description
In the age of social media networking and online dating, interpersonal communication has evolved. Today’s young adults have grown up during the evolution of social media. Social Penetration Theory (SPT) proposes that interpersonal relationships develop through self-disclosure. As we move from public to more private information in the process of self-disclosure, we develop deeper and closer interpersonal relationships. The purpose of this study is to analyze attraction, perceived authenticity, and relational development on social media through the SPT lens. I argue that Twitter is a popular social media platform that encourages user authenticity and that social media users interpret relational closeness and form impressions of other social media users’ identities by analyzing disclosures. Twenty-one undergraduate college students participated in surveys and focus group interviews for the study. I surveyed participants about the perceived authenticity of social media users on Twitter, Instagram, and general social media platforms, as well as what attributes and qualities appeal to them while observing others’ social media profiles. Participants rated Twitter higher than Instagram in depicting social media users’ true, authentic selves. Results indicated that participants commonly observe the social media profiles of others to determine similar interests, beliefs, values, appearance, and social circles. Furthermore, I created a Twitter profile and asked participants to observe the profile and attempt to apply the steps of the SPT. All participants analyzed disclosures from the Twitter profile to form impressions of the profile user’s personality traits, values, and personal beliefs. By applying the SPT to social media, I explicate the common factors that influence attraction on social media and conclude that social media users analyze disclosures to form impressions and evaluate relational prototypes of others via social media.
Academic Unit
College of Arts and Humanities
#Clickbait: Social Media, Attraction, and Relational Development
Presentation- College of Arts and Humanities
In the age of social media networking and online dating, interpersonal communication has evolved. Today’s young adults have grown up during the evolution of social media. Social Penetration Theory (SPT) proposes that interpersonal relationships develop through self-disclosure. As we move from public to more private information in the process of self-disclosure, we develop deeper and closer interpersonal relationships. The purpose of this study is to analyze attraction, perceived authenticity, and relational development on social media through the SPT lens. I argue that Twitter is a popular social media platform that encourages user authenticity and that social media users interpret relational closeness and form impressions of other social media users’ identities by analyzing disclosures. Twenty-one undergraduate college students participated in surveys and focus group interviews for the study. I surveyed participants about the perceived authenticity of social media users on Twitter, Instagram, and general social media platforms, as well as what attributes and qualities appeal to them while observing others’ social media profiles. Participants rated Twitter higher than Instagram in depicting social media users’ true, authentic selves. Results indicated that participants commonly observe the social media profiles of others to determine similar interests, beliefs, values, appearance, and social circles. Furthermore, I created a Twitter profile and asked participants to observe the profile and attempt to apply the steps of the SPT. All participants analyzed disclosures from the Twitter profile to form impressions of the profile user’s personality traits, values, and personal beliefs. By applying the SPT to social media, I explicate the common factors that influence attraction on social media and conclude that social media users analyze disclosures to form impressions and evaluate relational prototypes of others via social media.
Comments
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