The emergence of the new kind of sociability is complex.
New patterns of contactability and connectability that technology provides means that interactions are no longer ‘second rate’ substitutions for f2f encounters, but instead make up meaningful connections and serve for more than procrastitory coffee breaks.
The metaphor of the web is an appropriate way to visualise the patterning of these different networks; how they are connected and are a part of a subtle interplay of ongoing social ‘projects’.
This research is about the ways that digital technologies have implications for the establishment of links, relationships and networks that remain pivot-able to the social lives of those that I have identified as the 'iGeneration'.
The research covers an array of digital devices, social software and applications: from mobile phones, to Web 2.0 and the popularity of Social Networking Sites (SNS), SMS, SKYPE, VOIP, email, MSN, Chat...
So how do we manage all this information?!...
Think about it, how many user accounts do you have with profile information and that you 'log into' on a daily basis...
Off the top of my head here are some of mine... Incidently my personal no.1 is FACEBOOK... a minefield for procrastination and 'research'!
Some favourites include: Amazon, eBay, TrustedPlaces, Del.icio.us, Flickr, Gmail, Digg, Skype, YouTube, Joost...
As is the case with these technologies I am sure that this list will be updated, renewed and reviewed... watch this space!
So take this more as an aggregation of ‘where’ I am now
Data
The study is international in context with data from Australia and the UK to provide a different national, cultural and infrastructure context.
