Social Identity Theory was developed by Tajfel and Turner in 1979. The theory was originally developed to understand the psychological basis of intergroup discrimination. Tajfel et al (1971) attempted to identify the minimal conditions that would lead members of one group to discriminate in favour of the in-group to which they belonged and against another out-group.
Borrowing from the social Identity Theory, it is clear that different social groups cluster together and form ingroup/ self-categorization and enhancement in ways that favour the in-group at the expense of the out-group. Many websites and social networking sites require users to join and become members, only then can you post your photos, post messages on discussion boards and ask experts questions. The examples (minimal group studies) of Turner and Tajfel (1986) showed that the mere act of individuals categorizing themselves as group members was sufficient to lead them to display in-group favouritism.
A case in point is Women of child birthing ages who have effectively forged relationships to build a virtual community of mothers. The geographical boundaries in cyber space are loose and shapeless, thus accommodating to women of all walks of life. The community of mothers transcends age, race, religion and economic status. Women here have the same agenda; wanting the best for their children and themselves. These social networking sites offer solace, help, advice on parenting, health tips, shopping tips and emotional support.
Communication technologies expand human social reach (Horrigan, Boase, Rainie, & Wellman, 2006). Social networking sites are constantly being modified to make them more efficient. Most people understand the demanding nature of motherhood, with the ‘just a click away’ phenomenon, the internet has proved to be a much more lucrative and seductive option for many mothers.
Social networking sites allow users to send and review messages when it is convenient, hence reducing barriers to communication, such as being in the same place at the same time. It allows users to have a reference where messages can be stored and reviewed repeatedly and to review other messages pertaining to the same topic across different sites.
References:
Rubel, S. (2006) http://www.webpronews.com/blogtalk/2006/06/16/mothers-all-over-social-networking. Retrieved on 08/04/2010
Drucker, Susan J., & Gary Gumpert. (eds.) (1998). Real Law @ Virtual Space: Communication Regulation in Cyberspace: USA. Hampton Press
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I like this post Mercy because as I enter into a new age bracket more of my friends are becoming wives and mothers and like me they are heavy Internet and social network users.
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to see from them how often and where they go to get information and also what kind of information is out there compared to when my mother had me!
How was your experience using these tools? Did you find it more supportive or was it more confusing as there was so much information out there?
Kellisa
I agree that virtual communities for mothers and their activities on Social Media platforms increased and I guess will further increase in the future.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Snyder-Bulik (2009) “Facebook is a very popular destination for moms and they give their opinion on everything, including products.” (p.3)
Azzarone (2009) president of Child's Play Communications, underpins the importance of Social Media for mothers by saying “Twitter is a gold mine for exchanging product information targeted to moms. Moms are incredibly active in tweeting and retweeting about product giveaways, contests and coupons. Twitter parties -- a hybrid of online and offline -- are also increasingly popular [and] provide helpful information while also highlighting products and brands,” (cited in Snyder-Bulik, 2009, p. 3).
In my opinion the majority of mothers use Social Media to stay in contact with other mothers and getting feedback and helpful insight in their experiences on the net. So it´s more about a relationship focus rather than sharing brand recommendations.
At the end of the day, however, mother still seem to stick to ‘normal’ friends.
Azzarone therefore enlarged her comment with saying that the power is in the mix of both – online and offline communication. “Moms want the feedback of other moms, whether online or in the real world. They haven't stopped listening to real-world friends just because they are also having online conversations. What's interesting is that those online friends are also becoming friends in real life.” (cited in Snyder-Bulik, 2009, p. 3)
Eva
Reference:
Snyder- Bulik, B. (2009). For Moms, Offline Friends Still Wield Heavy Brand Influence.
Study: Social Media Is Kept, Well, Social, While Marketers' Website Become Important Tool for Product Info. The Advertising Age. Retrieved, April, 14, 2010, from, www.childsplaypr.com/images/pdfs/Advertising%20Age.pdfwww.childsplaypr.com/images/pdfs/Advertising%20Age.pdf
I think that the problem with any demographic group and internet use at the moment is 'the over information syndrome'. Too much information is not good. I remember when I was pregnant I used to follow lots of websites on every week of pregnancy recommending to have this type of test and that kind of vitamins and things and many times got worried because they said one thing and I experienced another and that is really a terrible phenomenon for many women.
ReplyDeleteIn the end, I let it ride comparing myself to women at home who do not have access to internet or doctors and yet go on to have perfectly healthy normal babies.
Too much information is confusing for people.