Section 1: Description.

I have been tracking my Social Media usage for 48 hours. The two days were a little bit different than a regular day, as I had to work 6 hours both days. Despite work, I managed to log in to Facebook a massive 36 times.  I have been tracking the my use on computer as well as smartphone. My use of Facebook differs a bit from device to device. I mainly use Facebook from my smartphone to check the news flow. It is too inconvenient to use my smartphone to lurk pictures etc. hence I do that on my computer. There is also a big difference between how I communicate on facebook in terms of different devices. As my smartphone notifies me if I have received a message, I tend to answer quickly to these when on my smartphone. On the other hand, I prefer to use my computer for long-term communication. My smartphone is mainly used for sporadic communication.

I generally communicate much more through Facebook than SMS, calls, mails etc. Throughout the tracking period, I decided to check how many messages I have send to my closest friend throughout the last year, which resulted in a whopping 26000 messages.  It is a bit frightening to realize how much time I have been using on Facebook.  Most of the communication is mere pastime and not at all important and I wonder whether the time could have been invested in more important activities.

Throughout the tracking period, I also noted the reason for every social media activity. Most of the cases were a result of plain boredom, but I have realized that fx. Facebook is a tool throughout my everyday life. I use Facebook for information search, work related topics, social events, scheduling, contact informations etc. and is  therefore indispensible to me.

When reflecting upon my social media usage I realize that I spend too much time on doing nothing at all. A lot of the time I spend on Facebook is a stimulation for when I am bored, which isn't beneficial to anything at all. Another finding is that I am available on Facebook constantly as I use my smartphone, when leaving the house. This means that I never totally disconnect from the social medias, which I think isn't healthy. I will try to disconnect an hour a day in the coming weeks.

Another finding is that I believe my friends are available constantly as I am. This means that I do not hesitate to fx. contact a friend in the early morning even though there is a great chance that he is asleep and might wake up if notified on his smartphone. I would never call a friend on his cell phone in the early morning and since the smartphone is closely connected to Facebook, there is a need to act the same way when using Facebook as using the phone.

Tracking my social media usage has been an eye-opener to me. A lot of the time spent on Facebook has been for the wrong reasons. I am looking forward to begin on my social media diet to experience how addicted I am to social medias. 

Tracking

Monday

09.15: Wakes up and turns on my computer. Checks Facebook, my email, a poker forum and the morning news. Answers a friend on facebook and makes a comment on an article. (computer)

09.33: Checks facebook once again to be sure, that my friend has texted me back even though it is morning and he might sleep or be at work/school. Checks my email once again. Communicates with my book reading club to agree on when to meet again.  (computer)

09.50: Once again facebook before leaving home. Just checking for anything exciting. (computer)

10.00: Sits at the bus stop and checks facebook once again because of plain boredom.  (smartphone)

10.20: In the train heading for work. Facebook because I got a notification, that my friend answered me. (smartphone)

10.30-10.50: Uses facebook to play a football manager game, that I play with a lot of my friends. Sends a message to them about my latest victory. (smartphone)

11.50: Check facebook to find out the address of my place of work (work group) (smartphone)

12.40: Nothing to do at work - checks facebook for anything exciting (smartphone). 

13.10: Facebook because my manager team is playing. (smartphone). 

14.20: Answering a thread on the poker forum about an invite to a poker event. (smartphone). 

14.50: Checks facebook once again. Types a message to a friend regarding payment of an event with my soccer team. (smartphone). 

17.20: Again nothing to do at work - checks facebook, email etc. (smartphone). 

18.00: Waits for bus once again - checks facebook (smartphone).

18.15-18.45: Uses facebook to chat with a friend of mine. Checks the news stream a lot throughout the session. (smartphone)

19.30: At home. Checks facebook, mail, answers on the poker forum. Updates my status on facebook. Uploads a picture from my day on work. Chats with a friend. (computer)

20.10: Uses facebook to create an event for 6 friends on friday. RSVP's a work related event on facebook. (computer)

20.35: Facebook to check if anything "new" has happened.  (computer)

21.10: Checks facebook to search for a movie. Checks the movie-lists" on my friends page.  (computer)

23.20: Chats a bit on facebook with a couple of friends. One of them is the one, that "recommended" the movie.  (computer)

00.10: Checks the news stream on facebook before falling asleep. (Smartphone).

Tuesday:

09.00: Wakes up and do my daily routine with mail, news, facebook etc. Has several notifications, but nothing exciting.  (computer)

09.35-10.00: Sits with my computer and surfs on facebook - looking at pictures, videos etc. (computer).

10.30: Uses facebook while waiting for the bus. Also checking mail as well as soccer news and comments on an article, that one of my friends also commented. (smartphone).

10.45-11.45: Generally using facebook in the bus for checking my manager team, chatting with a friend and surfing.  (smartphone)

12.15: Uses facebook to tell my work place, that I arrived at the shop I was supposed to work in this day. (smartphone)

16.45: Quickly checks my facebook to find out, whether my team won in the manager team. (smartphone)

18.10: Using facebook to get the time to fly by while waiting for the bus. (smartphone)

18.20-19.35: Using facebook several time while in the bus. uses it for chatting with a friend, report to work, catch up with the "daily news" (smartphone).

20.20: Using mail, poker forum and facebook while eating.  (computer)

20.55: Checking the event I created the day before. Posting a message to notify the participants to RSVP.  Chatting with my younger brother. (computer)

21.25: Checking facebook because I recieved a notification on my smartphone. (computer)

22.00: Buying a player to my manager team on facebook. Ask a friend to play GTA through the chat.

22.10-23.55: Randomly using the facebook chat to communicate with my friend, that I am playing XBOX with.

00.15: Checking the news feed on facebook before going to sleep.

My tracking plan

Tracking Plan

Social media services is a great part of my everyday life. I use it several times a day for work, school, social life etc. I am going to track my social media behavior for the next two days to generate an overview of my usage of these services.

My focus is going to be on my computer as well as my smartphone and the services I use is Facebook, email-klients, sms, chat-klients on my smartphone. The above mentioned services are my primary focus, but I am also planning to take notes from my usage of other services such as other homepages, radio, television usage, gaming etc. to provide a full overview of my digital everyday life.

My tracking period will include two work shifts as well as evening/morning leisure time, which I believe will result in a great overview on how different medias affect my daily life in every aspect.

I am going to use my journal to take notes continuously and my smartphone to take notes when on the go. Furthermore, the plan is to make "brain dumps" a couple of times throughout the process and publish these on my blog. I will evaluate the day at night and notate my mood, feelings etc.

Hence my tracking plan is as follows:

• ·         I am going to track my media usage for the next 48 hours.
• ·         I am going to make a end-of-the-day diary entry to summarize my day and reflect on what my media usage changed/helped/deteriorated my day.
• ·         I am going to take a couple of screen pictures to visualize some of my actions.
• ·         I am going to perform a couple of "brain dumps" a day.

The collected material will be used to create my vlog.

First Brain Dump (in danish, sry)

Min sidste interaktion med et socialt media var med Facebook. Jeg benyttede mig af siden til, for én gang skyld, at opnå noget. Min gamle højskole afholder "gensynsweekend" og har i den forbindelse oprettet et event på Facebook til at styre dette. Man tilmelder sig altså på siden og modtager derefter en mail med betalingsinformationer. Fordelen ved at benytte Facebook er for det første, at stort set alle modtagere af invitationen har en facebookprofil. Derudover er det nemt for eventuelle deltagere at se, hvor mange, der er tilmeldt eventet - og måske endnu vigtigere om man kender de mennesker, der kommer til dette weekendsarrangement.

I forlængelse af tilmeldingen til højskole-eventet, opdagede jeg, at en af mine gode veninder fra højskolen ikke havde tilmeldt sig (hun stod som inviteret, men havde ikke afgivet svar). Jeg valgte derfor at kontakte hende via chatten på facebook. I forbindelse med dette er det faktisk ret interessant, at jeg ikke bekymrede mig om, hvorvidt hun stod som online på Facebook. Velvidende at personen havde en smartphone, skrev jeg på trods af hendes offline-status og forventede faktisk svar nogenlunde med det samme. Dette siger en del om, hvordan opfattelsen af privatlivet har ændret sig i takt med den digitale tidsalder. Jeg kontaktede Stine (min veninde) klokken 9, hvor man egentlig må formode, at hun ikke har mulighed for at svare på grund af enten sovevaner, arbejde, skole eller lignende, men alligevel forventer jeg svar relativt hurtigt. Det er altså blevet næsten umuligt at koble fra den digitale verden.

Stine svarer mig rent faktisk også med det samme (på trods af hun var på arbejde) og jeg erfarer, at hun ikke har i sinde at komme til gensynsweekenden, på trods af hun ingen planer har for denne weekend. Jeg bliver meget overrasket over dette, da hele vores "indspiste" gruppe fra Aarhus har tænkt sig at deltage, hvilket fortæller mig, at vi efterhånden har en forventning (i det mindste i vores aldersgruppe), at folk deltager i social aktiviteter, hvis de har den mindste mulighed for det. Denne følelse af "skuffelse" kan jeg også genkende fra tidligere begivenheder, hvor en person ikke deltager i en begivenhed selvom denne har haft mulighed for det.

Efterfølgende vælger jeg trykke tilbage på startsiden på Facebook og ser, at jeg har fået en notifikation. En af mine rigtigt gode kammerater, Simon, har delt en side med sit netværk. Jeg modtager denne notifikation, da jeg har valgt at "highlighte" ham og derfor modtager information om stort set alt, han foretager sig. Når jeg tænker over det, er det egentlig på grænsen til stalking og jeg undrer mig egentlig over, hvorfor jeg har følt, at det var nødvendigt at modtage al information om Simon. Jeg snakker ganske ofte med Simon og har egentlig nogenlunde styr på, hvad der sker i hans liv; hvorfor har jeg så egentlig brug for at vide, hvilke spil han spiller på facebook eller hvad han laver klokken 9 om morgenen. Jeg tror, at jeg efterhånden er blevet vant til at vide, hvad mit netværk laver det meste af tiden, hvilket i og for sig er lidt skræmmende, da det ikke har nogen egentlig relevans for mig, medmindre jeg deltager i det - og hvis jeg deltager i det må jeg vil formode, at jeg ikke behøver en notifikation.

Simon har linket til en side, hvor man ved hjælp af en kode kan få et helt nyt konsol-spil til en utrolig god pris. Jeg har overvejet at købe spillet før, men har ikke ville ofre pengene for den fulde pris. Som udgangspunkt er jeg skeptisk over for tilbuddet, da jeg ved, at der bliver scammet utroligt meget med sådanne ting via internettet og disse virksomheder ofte bruger sociale media til at få udbredt deres scam. Min sociale relation til Simon er dog så god (i og med jeg ved, at han både er reel og har stor erfaring/viden om computerteknologi) at jeg faktisk vælger at gå ind og benytte mig af det tilbud han linker til. Det er dog ikke uden stadig skepsis, at jeg bestiller spillet, da jeg stadig har en lille forventning af at blive snydt på den ene eller anden måde.

Min skepsis bliver ikke mindre af, at jeg erfarer, at virksomheden ikke kan kontaktes telefonisk på andre tidspunkter end 12-14. Ved at købe spillet er jeg blevet tilmeldt en service ved firmaet, som jeg skal afmelde inden 5 dage - ellers bliver spillet meget dyrere for mig. Jeg vil derfor afmelde mig med det samme, men kan ikke komme i kontakt med dem. Endnu engang viser dette mig, at jeg forventer, at folk (og i dette tilfælde virksomheder) er kontaktbare stort set hele tiden. Jeg tror egentlig, at den primære grund til min forventning til dette er, at jeg selv er mulig at få fat på døgnet rundt. Jeg sidder ved computeren det meste af dagen og har som minimum min telefon på mig (og altid minimum med en vibrator tændt) døgnet rundt. Jeg kobler altså reelt set aldrig hundrede procent af.

Second edition of research question

Research question 

Do heavy user users of the social instances of the internet change their personality and what is the
reason for doing so? 

In 1993, Peter Steiner published a cartoon featuring two dogs in front of a computer. The meaning of the
cartoon was, that the rise of the internet offered the opportunity for us to be something that we are not,
cause no one really knows, who or what is behind the screen in the other end of the line.
The anonymity, that the internet offers us, makes it possible for us to mould our character, personality or
way of life - or at least we are able to change the perception of it.

For instance, people post only memorable and unenviable moments from their otherwise normal (and
maybe even boring) everyday life. Users on different forums acts as they were pros on a subject, that the
hardly know what is and daters are coloring themselves pink in order to appear more romantic.
This raises the question of what we are gaining from being a dog in a giant dog yard? If no one really
represents themselves in their online identity, what is the purpose then of using it? Is our online personality
actually a reflection of how we wished our life would be or how we wish we dared to act in real life?
I find the possibilities the internet offers us to alter our personalities interesting and therefore want to
research upon this.

Method 

I want to include three different acquaintances of mine in this study. My plan is to make them writhe a
diary on their behavior, while using social instances of the internet. The diary should consist of a unbiased
and clinical description of their use as well as a deeper and subjective analysis of their behavior. I will then
perform an analysis on their behavior

First edition of research question

Why do we want to be dogs?

In 1993, Peter Steiner published a cartoon featuring two dogs in front of a computer. The meaning of the
cartoon was, that the rise of the internet offered the opportunity for us to be something that we are not,
cause no one really knows, who or what is behind the screen in the other end of the line.
The anonymity, that the internet offers us, makes it possible for us to mould our character, personality or
way of life - or at least we are able to change the perception of it.

For instance, people post only memorable and unenviable moments from their otherwise normal (and
maybe even boring) everyday life. Users on different forums acts as they were pros on a subject, that the
hardly know what is and daters are coloring themselves pink in order to appear more romantic.

This raises the question of what we are gaining from being a dog in a giant dog yard? If no one really
represents themselves in their online identity, what is the purpose then of using it? Is our online personality
actually a reflection of how we wished our life would be or how we wish we dared to act in real life?

I want to research, what the possibilities of being able to change our identity and life offers us and why it
appeals to us

Welcome

Welcome to my blog. This blog will contain my work, notes, brain dumps, reflections etc. from the Digital Identity course on Aarhus University.