Digital Society: Interaction, Identity, Communities, Visuality & Affect

Interactivity

Communication = social interactivity, not just content.

Social Presence Theory

Degree users feel 'present' with others → influenced by nonverbal cues.

De-individuation

Anonymity in groups → loss of responsibility → groupthink, mob behavior.

Hyperpersonal Model

Online communication can exceed face-to-face in intimacy based on selective self-presentation + idealization of limited info.

Post-Anonymity

Modern internet = social/interaction-based, true anonymity rare.

Asynchronous Communication

Advantages include conversational relaxation, sustained interaction, safer disinhibition, and more democratic participation.

Interaction Society

Shift from 'information age' → 'interaction age'.

Body vs. Content

Body = voice, nonverbals, cultural cues; Content = actual message/text.

Digital Traces

Mix of self-produced + info from others.

Visibility in Digital Spaces

Online persona tied to real identity; visibility & identity central.

Anonymity

Freedom in online interactions, but today visibility is prioritized.

Identity in Digital Society

Identity always socially negotiated; digital adds fluidity & experimentation.

Social Identification

Online ID shaped by interactivity, social cues, anonymity/visibility balance.

Algorithms

Amplify visibility game in social media.

Influencers

Visibility + authenticity become currency in the digital age.

Persistent Pseudonyms

Used to maintain follower bases in digital spaces.

Communication in CMC

CMC = not just more communication, but new qualitative features.

Unique Traits of CMC

Interactive, multimodal, digital traces, ephemeral content.

New Genres of Communication

Includes memes, GIFs, TikToks, AR, VR, live streams.

Tension in Digital Identity

Archival permanence (old internet traces) vs. fluidity of identity.

Self-Exploration Online

Allows trying new/alternative selves through posts, images, profiles.

Blurring Boundaries

Identities move across online & offline spaces.

Ephemeral media

Stories, snaps

Interaction

Mutual social acts (Mead)

Actions oriented toward others' behavior

Weber's definition of interaction

Digital media

Social interactivity at scale (1:1, 1:many, many:many)

Interactivity dimensions

Users can control/modify environment; sender/receiver roles blur

Example of interactivity

Not just watch → like, comment, remix, repost

Pre-digital identity validation

Bodies/voices validated identity (handwriting, voice, accent)

Digital identity markers

Style & content = markers of identity (tone, emojis, grammar)

Online identity

More unstable/disembodied

Internet speak

Cues for identity/recognition

Hijacked email/spam

Shows reliance on style/content for authenticity

Early views of online anonymity

Online = disembodied, anonymous freedom

1993 New Yorker cartoon

On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog

Sherry Turkle's view

Online = culture of simulation, multiple selves possible

Sadie Plant's perspective

Access to digital spaces bypasses barriers of race, sex, class

Donna Haraway's cyborg manifesto

Post-gender, hybrid identities

Mark Dery's view

Disembodied online identity = escape from sociocultural limits

Shift to post-anonymity

Visibility dominates → real names, persistent IDs (e.g., Facebook)

True anonymity

Rare due to datafication, tracking, surveillance

Performative identities

Identities now performative + persistent, not free-floating

Interaction in digital environments

Mutual communication

Disembodiment

Separation of body from message; identity tied to content

Online disinhibition

Anonymity → freer expression, but also toxic behavior

Virtual communities

Defined by close ties, shared identity, belonging, stability

Communities as third places

Act like 'third places' (beyond home/work)

Networks (Simmel's definition)

Connections expand when more people link → direct + indirect ties enrich or disturb relations

Network Society (Castells)

Society structured by networks, powered by ICT

Online Social Networks (SNS) definition

Public/semi-public profile, list of connections, ability to view/traverse connections

Networked Individualism (Rainie & Wellman)

New operating system of society; individuals as hubs of personal, unique networks

Pros & cons

Liberating (more choice, less limiting) but effortful (constant maintenance).

Sporadics & Lurkers

Low offline ties, low rewards.

Intense users

Loneliness (especially males).

Socializers

Moderate users, family/friend focus; best balance.

Default user

Lurker.

Continuum

Sometimes 'community' fits, sometimes 'network.'

Fields

Suggests 'fields' instead of community/network binary.

Network society

Major social transformation (like agrarian → industrial).

Online social networks

Platforms that visualize & extend ties.

Cultural shift toward visuality

Since late 20th century.

Digital media platforms

YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat normalize images and video as dominant communication modes.

Visual turn

Shift from text → visuals since 1980s.

Postmodernity traits

Fragmentation, play/irony, blurring boundaries, hyperreality.

Selfies

Instant, casual, shared → a social object (for likes, comments, visibility).

Videos of Affinity

Evolved from home movies → vlogs/YouTube sharing.

Emojis

Originated from smileys in the 1960s; today ~2,000 pictograms across devices/platforms.

Memes

Remix humor, critique, shared cultural knowledge.

GIFs

Replace or extend non-verbal behavior (facial expressions, reactions).

Jakobson's Model of Visual Communication

Six factors of speech events: Addresser, Addressee, Message, Context, Code, Contact.

Functions of language in visuals

Emotive - creator's feelings (tone, expressions).

Addresser

creator

Addressee

viewer

Message

content

Context

situation, cultural meaning

Code

shared language/symbols

Contact

channel of communication

Emotive function

creator's feelings (tone, expressions)

Conative function

directed at audience ("subscribe," "comment")

Poetic function

style/rhetoric of the message

Referential function

what it refers to (context)

Metalingual function

shared codes/meanings (emoji, memes)

Phatic function

keeping channel open ("Hello? Are you there?")

Selfies & videos of affinity

identity work + social connection, not just content

Emojis/GIFs

cultural shorthand for emotion, belonging, politics

E-voting

ballots cast, stored, and counted digitally

General digital tech in voting

registration databases, transmission, tabulation, security tests, etc.

Pros of E-Voting

Accessibility, Convenience, Potential inclusivity

Cons of E-Voting

Connectivity issues, Exclusion risk, System failures

SAVE Act (2024)

requires proof of citizenship for registration

Actual fraud

extremely rare (fewer cases than lightning strikes)

Open source software

transparency, accountability, flaw detection

Affect

pre-conscious bodily intensity (a gut feeling before naming it)

Emotion

socially recognized affect (anger, love, joy, fear)

Feeling

personal interpretation or awareness of affect

Affective Turn

A shift in social sciences emphasizing emotion as a key social and political force

Friction

Constant emotional stimulation in feeds through debates, alerts, and comments.

Affective intensity

How even small online interactions can trigger strong feelings.

Stickiness

Emotions that 'stick' to certain words, images, and ideas (e.g., flag = patriotism).

Grab

Attention pull; how posts emotionally capture users.