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The Dark Side of Online ParticipationExploring Non- and Negative Participation
Christoph Lutz - @lutzidChristian Pieter Hoffmann - @cphoffmann
AoIR 2016Berlin, 6 October 2016
Online Non-ParticipationAoIR 2016
Lutz, HoffmannPage 2
Current Trends in Online Participation Research
Online Non-ParticipationAoIR 2016
Lutz, HoffmannPage 3 Increasing Interest in Topic
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
ProQuest results from 1990 onwards
Lutz, Hoffmann, & Meckel, 2014
Online Non-ParticipationAoIR 2016
Lutz, HoffmannPage 4 Topical Areas
Political Participation/ Civic Engagement
Economic/ Business Health
Culture
Education
Literacy/Divide
Lutz, Hoffmann, & Meckel, 2014
Online Non-ParticipationAoIR 2016
Lutz, HoffmannPage 5 (At least) Three Biases in the Literature
1. Political BiasOnline participation research focuses heavily on political participation.
2. Positivity BiasOnline participation research is positive and optimistic.
3. Activity BiasOnline participation implies an active user.
Online Non-ParticipationAoIR 2016
Lutz, HoffmannPage 6 Political Bias
67%
8%11%
6% 8%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Political Business Education Health Culture
Lutz, Hoffmann, & Meckel, 2014
Online Non-ParticipationAoIR 2016
Lutz, HoffmannPage 7 Positivity Bias
“In fact, as several scholars note, one of the principal problems with the discourses on participation is that it is almost always seen as a positive and empowering force.”
Literat, 2016, p. 10
Online Non-ParticipationAoIR 2016
Lutz, HoffmannPage 8 Activity Bias
Casemajor, Couture, Delphine, Goerzen, & Delfanti, 2015
Online Non-ParticipationAoIR 2016
Lutz, HoffmannPage 9
A More Nuanced Typology
Online Non-ParticipationAoIR 2016
Lutz, HoffmannPage 10 Qualitative Study
• Focus groups and online communities
How do citizens from different Internet milieus define online participation and engagement? Does their everyday understanding match the academicunderstanding?
• 12 groups with 8 participants per group
Online Non-ParticipationAoIR 2016
Lutz, HoffmannPage 11 General Results
• Clear distinction between participation and engagement; participation less clearly defined.
• Engagement is seen as more valuable and beneficial thanparticipation. Engagement is considered social, meaningful and helpful for others.
• Participation is seen in a very broad sense. Almost every form ofInternet use can be seen as participation:
– Effortful vs. easy forms of participation
– Positive vs. negative forms of participation
Online Non-ParticipationAoIR 2016
Lutz, HoffmannPage 12 Involvement: Effortful vs. Easy
“If I just sign up for a service because I want to read something, then I’m a completely passive participant. But if I sign up and write something myself, then I’m active.”
“If I only get information on some sites, then I’m not participating. Toparticipate, you would need to blog, you would have to help others in online communities, you would need to collect donations in some way oranother. So, you would have to be active in some form. That’s myunderstanding of participation.”
“If I am very active on Facebook, then I am participated anew time and time again by being messaged (…) I am constantly participated for all kindof nonsense that goes on. I can’t turn that off.”
=> Voluntary and unvoluntary participation can be distinguished
Online Non-ParticipationAoIR 2016
Lutz, HoffmannPage 13 Intentionality and Agency: Active vs. Passive
“You get these news about online petitions on your smartphone. And if that tickles my interest, I might choose to support this petition. And then you are being kept up-to-date about the petitions you signed.”
“I can participate and I can be participated. Voluntarily or involuntarily. Participation means actively taking on responsibility. Being participated means being forced to do something, responsibility being pushed onto you.”
“Once, I was invited to provide a rating. Finally, after two weeks I managed to do it, I just wrote two sentences. I was engaged because I had to do something although I really didn’t feel like doing it.”
Online Non-ParticipationAoIR 2016
Lutz, HoffmannPage 14 Social Valence: Positive vs. Negative Participation
“And there are trolls, people who have fun provoking others. And when they notice that someone pays attention they can spam a whole forum. It has nothing to do with the original chat anymore.”
“Participation can lead to recruitment in the end. Iraq, Syria and so on… How many Germans are now fighting for ISIS? They have been recruited as well.”
“If it’s your thing to dress up in pink bunny costumes and play football like this, then you can arrange yourself with people from Hong Kong, London and Barcelona and you meet up in Chile and play. And this is something I can’t imagine being done by postcard or fan magazine.”
Online Non-ParticipationAoIR 2016
Lutz, HoffmannPage 15 A Typology of (Non-)Participation
Involvement
High: Participation Low: Non-Participation
Agency
ValenceActive Passive Active Passive
Positive
Positive active
participation
Intentional
constructive
engagement
Positive passive
participation
Unintentional
constructive
engagement
Positive active
non-participation
Abstention as agency
Positive passive
non-participation
Lack of necessity or
advantage
Negative
Negative active
participation
Intentional
destructive
engagement
Negative passive
participation
Involuntary
undesired
engagement
Negative active
non-participation
Silencing, self-censoring
Negative passive
non-participation
Exclusion
Online Non-ParticipationAoIR 2016
Lutz, HoffmannPage 16
Thanks for your AttentionInstitute for Media and Communications ManagementUniversity of St. GallenBlumenbergplatz 9CH-9000 St. Gallen
Online Non-ParticipationAoIR 2016
Lutz, HoffmannPage 17 References
• Casemajor, N., Couture, S., Delfin, M., Goerzen, M., & Delfanti, A. (2015). Non-participation in digital media: toward a framework of mediated political action. Media, Culture & Society, 37(6), 850-866.
• Literat, I. (2016). Interrogating participation across disciplinary boundaries: Lessons from political philosophy, cultural studies, art, and education. New Media & Society, online first. doi: 1461444816639036.
• Lutz, C. Hoffmann, C. P., & Meckel, M. (2014). Beyond just politics: A systematic literature review of online participation. First Monday, 19(7). Retrieved from http://www.ojphi.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/5260/4094
Online Non-ParticipationAoIR 2016
Lutz, HoffmannPage 18 Collaboration with Sinuts: Internet milieus
Online Non-ParticipationAoIR 2016
Lutz, HoffmannPage 19 Collaboration with Sinuts: Internet milieus
Online Non-ParticipationAoIR 2016
Lutz, HoffmannPage 20 Structure of the Online Communities (1/3)
ACTIVITY TYPE
Day 1
Welcome ChatPresentation of tasks, structure, moderation
Chat
Your day on the Internet/Your day on FacebookNatives/Immigrants/Outsiders: Please describe what you did today on the Internet.
Natives: Please describe what you see on your Facebook feed.Diary
Day 2Spontaneous Association
Please write down some keywords that come to mind when you read the following two concepts.- Participation on the Internet- Engagement on the Internet
Diary
Day 3
Your Online ParticipationThink about what you’ve been doing online in the last few days. Would you say that during this time
you participated on the Internet? Would you say you were engaging on the Internet? If yes, whatexactly did you do? Why would you say you were participating or engaged?
Diary
Collage Online ParticipationIt would be great if you could find fitting picture for your participation or your engagement on the
Internet. You can draw your own picture here, upload an image or just included a screenshot.Diary
Online Non-ParticipationAoIR 2016
Lutz, HoffmannPage 21 Structure of the Online Communities (2/3)
ACTIVITY TYPE
Day 4
An Example for ParticipationMichael Maier manages an online forum for dachshund enthusiasts. In this forum, around 20 people regularly swap ideas about the care and breedings of dachshunds. Michael started the
forum and moderates it. Almost every, he check what goes on in the forum and around every secondday, he writes a short comments himself.
Would you say Michael participates on the Internet or he engages online? Why? What about theother members of the forum, are they participating or engaging? Why?
Forum
Day 5Picture Sorting
Please assign the following cards/pictures to one of the following three categories: «Participationon the Internet», «Engagement on the Internet» or «Neither nor».
Diary
Day 6
Your Engagement on the InternetPlease name a site where you are engaging. What exactly are you doing there? Why are you
engaging on this site? Which advantages does this site have? If you think you are not engaged on the Internet, we would be interested why. From your point of
view, what are the reasons why you are not participating?
Diary
Day 7Areas of Participation
Please look at these two Internet sites. Would you participate here? If yes, how? If no, why not? Open Petition; Avaaz; Shutterstock; Gute Frage; Netdoktor; Iversity (2 sites per person)
Diary
Online Non-ParticipationAoIR 2016
Lutz, HoffmannPage 22 Structure of the Online Communities (3/3)
ACTIVITY TYPE
Day 8Discussion of Statements: Negative
«I do not participate on the Internet because I fear losing control of my personal data.» What do you think about this statement? Would you agree or disagree? Why?
Forum
Day 9Discussion of Statements: Positive
«I participate on the Internet because I can learn somethin useful and can help others.»What do you think about this statement? Would you agree or disagree? Why?
Forum
Day 10Ideal Participation on the Internet
Is there an area where you’d like to participate more on the Internet? If yes, which one? Whatkeeps you from being more engaged in this area? Is there something that could make your
engagement easier?
Diary
Day 11
Ranking of Participation ActivitiesPlease order the following activites according to their degree of participation or engagement, from
a lot of participation or engagement to little participation or engagement.
Watching a Facebook video about an art happening and commenting on it; Making an entry in a football/soccer online community; Offering your own flat online for sharing; Writing a restaurant
review on Tripadvisor; Running a forum for Mac PCs; Signing an online petition against a localconstruction plan; Participating in an online language course; Online dating via an app
Diary