The first half is on Denmark - with perspectives on youth culture and social media in the Western world. The second half is in China and highlights clips from a talk by Tricia Wang on her PhD dissertation: "Talking to Strangers: Chinese Youth and Social Media" (2014)

1. TALKING TO STRANGERS:
CHINESE YOUTH AND SOCIAL MEDIA
By Tricia Wang
A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of
Philosophy in Sociology
Committee in charge:
Professor Richard Madsen, Chair
Professor Benjamin Bratton
Professor Barry Brown
Professor Jim Hollan
Professor Isaac Martin
Professor Christena Turner

4. This is my life…

6. My family

7. My friends

8. My network

9. Relations are what
matter to me
The networks I engage in

10. Relations are what
matter to me
The networks I engage in

11. Digital technologies are changing our lives,
but not what are important

12. Commercial
Danish telco “3” (2013)

13. “It’s the contact”

14. “My grandchildren”

15. “And the only thing I will go back and get,
if I forget it on my way out”

16. What happened?

17. Before, our lives used to be defined by…

18. Family

19. School

20. Work

21. Religion

22. Today, institutions are no longer as important.
But social relations still are.

23. Digital technologies help us build relationships
and shape our identity

24. This is the Pope

25. This is the Pope on Twitter

26. This is Benjamin (14) from Vejle, Denmark

27.
http://instagram.com/benjaminlasnier
Benjamin looks (a little) like Justin Bieber and
has gained more than 1 million followers on Instagram.

31. We are focused on the
present moment

32. Leisure Work
School
We are focused on the
present moment

33. Now TwitterFacebook
Instagram
Snapchat
YouTube
SMS Skype
Tinder
...

35. ”Our society has reoriented itself to the present
moment. Everything is live, real time, and always-on.
It’s not a mere speeding up, however much our
lifestyles and technologies have accelerated the rate at
which we attempt to do things. It’s more of a
diminishment of anything that isn’t happening right
now — and the onslaught of everything that
supposedly is.”
Douglas Rushkoff
Present shock (2014)

36. Following life
on Facebook

37. Liking pictures
on Instagram

38. Calling mom on
Skype

39. Searching for
love on Tinder

40. Sending smileys
in text messages

41. Uploading
Sharing
Chatting
Commenting

42. Now

44. 80% of Danish
teens answer a
a text message
within 5 min.
Questionary among 600 high school students aged 16-19
Søren Schultz Hansen: “Årgang 2012”

45. Moderator: Mobilen hvor har I den henne?
Helene: I lommen. Altid!
Moderator: Har du aldrig nederdel på?
Helene: Jo, jo. Så kan den sidde her i BH’en
Søren Schultz Hansen: “Årgang 2012”

46. “Jeg har sms på vibration. Hvis nu jeg har
den i bukselommen, så ligegyldigt hvor
meget larm der er, vil jeg stadig kunne
mærke den. Jeg har den ALDRIG på lyd.”
Irene
Søren Schultz Hansen: “Årgang 2012”

47. “Det kan godt være, at jeg bliver overvåget,
men jeg vil alligevel svare, hvis der er
nogen der skriver til mig på Facebook. For
det svarer fuldstændig til at nogen prikker
sig på skulderen”
Sally
Søren Schultz Hansen: “Årgang 2012”

49. “Teens aren’t addicted
to social media.
They’re addicted to
each other.”
dana boyd
It’s Complicated (2014)

51. Insights
• We expect participation. What is completed is not interesting.
We want to create, participate, comment and take part.
• Friends mean everything. We have lost trust in authorities.
• This moment is what’s important. The story of our lives are made of
moments with the people around us. What’s happening NOW.

52. Participation
We want to be involved
And do things together
Now!
Friends
In this moment

58. Liu Liu

60. Liu Liu

61. Mimi

64. Mimi

65. Tao Gee

69. Tao Gee

71. Tricia Wang
• Sociologist and global tech ethnographer
• PhD in sociology, University of California, San Diego
• Dissertation (2014): “Talking to strangers - Chinese Youth
and Social Media”

72. Chinese youth and
social media
Liu Liu, Mimi og Tao Gee
10.37 - 20.09

73. Talking to strangers
and building identities
Phases of the elastic self
27.27 - 30.22

74. Social media and
censorship
29.58 - 38.22

75. How honesty can
destroy systems
42.56 - 44.44

76. Question: How does
the parents react
47.42 - 49.45

77. Question: About the
internet cafés
49.51 - 49.22

78. Question: Can you say
what you want?
53.32 - 57.15

79. Question: About
managing your profiles
59.02 - 01.00.50

80. Question: Where does
elasticity ends?
01.08.11 - 01.12.16