The Italian way to SNSsa comparison between Badoo and Facebook

Fabio [.] Giglietto [@uniurb.it]

http://www.nextmediaandsociety.org

IR 9.0: Rethinking Communities, Rethinking PlaceIT University of Copenhagen

October 15 - 18, 2008

One global phenomenon many local path of domestication

The Italian perspective

Brief sites introduction

Badoo Facebook

A new kind of space

Geographic space Networked space

danah boyd

Properties of communicationin networked space

• Permanence;

• Replicability;

• Serchability;

• Invisible audiences.

danah boyd

Modernity 2.0

persistence invisible audiences replicability searchability

few Writings Printing press, newspapers Digital media (pc, video-cameras)

World Wide Web + Google (Google Book Search)

many Writings Personal online publishing / Web 2.0 (Blogs, Flickr, YouTube)

Digital media (pc, video-cameras)

World Wide Web + Google (Google Blog Search)

Networked mediated public

From “all public“ to SNSs

Research hypothesis

– Badoo and Facebook users belong to different generations in terms of new media literacy skills:

1. Badoo users appear to lack a clear understanding of the invisible audience and can’t therefore use the public/private distinction in a networked space;

2. Badoo users appear to be mainly using the site to bridge their social capital making new friends than consolidating existing relationships.

Methodology

1. March: Telephonic survey with a representative sample of Italian population +18 (N=1600);

2. August: Analysis of users demographics;

3. September: Web survey with random selected sample of Facebook and Badoousers (N=228).

42,6%

14,0%

6,4%4,8%

3,7%

,0%

5,0%

10,0%

15,0%

20,0%

25,0%

30,0%

35,0%

40,0%

45,0%

18-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60 e +

Online Italians with profile on SNSsSi

18%

No82%

Source: CATI Survey 2008 LaRiCA Demetra Based on 18+ users of social networking sites [N=106] Margin of error is ±2% (March 2008)

14920

431407

23520

492275

0

100000

200000

300000

400000

500000

600000

facebook badoo [18-19]

italy [16-19] december 2007 italy [16-19] april 2008

State of SNSs in Italy [16-19]source: http://jilltxt.net/?p=2163

source: Facebook, Badoo

Today: 138,5205,88%

Today: 571.68024,33%

Online USA teens vs Italian 18-29

49%

91%

82%

17%

72%

42%

77%

81%

21%

67%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

fare nuove conoscenze rimanere in contatto con persone che si vede spesso

rimanere in contatto con persone che si vede di rado

flirtare organizzarti con i tuoi amici

usa online teens online italians 18-29

Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project Parents & Teens Survey, October-November 2006. Based on teens 12-17 who use social networking sites [N=493] Margin of error is ±5%; Indagine CATI 2008commissionata dal LaRiCA Based on 18-29 users of social networking sites [N=106] Margin of error is ±2%

Websites users demographics

2.794.284 profiles1,861,760 profiles

Facebook grow rate

Slide from a presentation by Vincenzo Consenza (vincos.it) delivered on 11/10/08 (1 week ago)

1,861,760

Age distribution

Perception of Privacy

Question adapted from Pew Internet Parents & Teens 2006 Survey .Source: Online Survey [N=228] , September 2008

Answer OptionsFacebook Users

Response PercentBadoo Users

Response Percent

It would be pretty easy 68,9% 57,1%

They would have to work at it but they could figure it out eventually

17,9% 16,1%

It would be very difficult for someone to find out who you are from your profile

6,8% 14,3%

Don't know 6,3% 12,5%

Profile visibilityFacebook Users Badoo Users

only to my friends 47,0% 5,9

visible to all 44,8% 70,6

Q7. How easy do you think it would be for someone to find out who you are from your profile? Do you think…?

Answer OptionsFacebook Users

Response PercentBadoo Users

Response PercentMake new friends 43,4% 67,9%Stay in touch with friends you see a lot 70,9% 69,6%Stay in touch with friends you rarely see in person 88,4% 80,4%Flirt with someone 24,3% 39,3%Make plans with your friends 55,6% 53,6%

Question adapted from Pew Internet Parents & Teens 2006 Survey .Source: Online Survey [N=228] , September 2008

Q8. What are the different ways you use social networking sites? Do you ever use those sites to…?

Bridging/Bonding

Bridging/Bonding

Answer Options

Facebook UsersAgreement

Rating Average

Badoo UsersAgreement

Rating AverageI use Facebook/Badoo to connect with offline contacts 3,425414 2,019608I have used Facebook/Badoo to check out someone I met socially 3,674033 2,862745I use Facebook/Badoo to learn more about my friends 2,685083 2,196079I use Facebook/Badoo to learn more about other people living near me 2,60221 2,294118I use Facebook/Badoo to keep in touch with my old friends 3,944751 2,372549I use Facebook/Badoo to meet new people 2,469613 3,019608

Question adapted from Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2007). The benefits of Facebook "friends:" Social capital and college students' use of online social network sites. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12(4), article 1. http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol12/issue4/ellison.htmlSource: Online Survey [N=228] , September 2008

Conclusions

The research hypothesis can be considered at last partially confirmed:

• Observing the results of the survey it’s pretty clear that Badoousers are mainly using the site to bridge their social capital making new friends other than consolidating existing relationships;

• Some data also confirm that Badoo users lack a clear understanding of the invisible audience and underestimate the exposure of their online published contents.

Future work

Is the acquisition of skills necessary to use the distinction between public and private in the networked space, driving the success of social network sites like Facebook in other country?

Comparative study anyone?