The Transformative Power of Design on Social Media: Changing the World One Button at a Time and a New Understanding of Scalability

Abstract

The transformative impact of social media on our behavior and communication is profound, with the “share” button playing a key role in reshaping daily interactions. As Facebook approaches its twentieth anniversary, the transnational influence of this feature warrants examination, given its irreversible impact on a vast user population over the last two decades. Facebook’s introduction of the “Facebook trance,” facilitating seamless transitions between images, laid the groundwork for prolonged engagement, a concept later perfected by Instagram’s bottomless scroll introduced by Aza Raskin. Such design decisions significantly contribute to today’s highly visualized culture. In 2011, the Digital Life Scale survey assessed 635 Facebook users, exploring the effects of emerging digital communication mediums on self-presentation and identity construction. Conducted when mobile Facebook apps were novel, and smartphone usage was just gaining popularity, the survey aimed to understand the evolving landscape. Activated in December 2010, the survey gathered responses from 946 users, with incomplete responses excluded for reliability. The multilingual survey, focused on various aspects of self-presentation, online/offline identity proximity, time dedicated to online socialization, and the significance attributed to it. Sections dedicated to Twitter, Second Life, and World of Warcraft were also included. To draw correlations between self-esteem, narcissistic tendencies, and social media usage, participants completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale and the NPI-16. This longitudinal study seeks to compare the 2011 findings with current social media use. The objective is to elucidate the transformative influence of digital platforms on our daily lives and communication over the past two decades.

Presenters

Zeynep Arda
Associate Professor, Visual Communication Design, Izmir University of Economics, Izmir, Turkey

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

Visual Design

KEYWORDS

Social Media, Share Button, Human-Computer Interaction, Self-esteem, Narcissism