Leaders or Followers?
"Birds of a feather flock together.” This well-known expression refers to the idea that people who share similar ideas and taste tend to congregate together. Twitter, a social network aimed to exchange ideas and information, employs the logo of a simplistic blue bird to brand itself. Twitter has the capacity to engage users with different opinions through its networked capabilities, which creates a virtual shared space. The features embedded into Twitter, specifically the “hashtag” and “follow” options, encourage the idea of unified thought which limits creative opinion. Thus, tension emerges between agency, or individuality, and conformity, in terms of groupthink. Twitter recognizes cultural and social groups and does allow for users to have agency in certain regards, but ultimately prefers the user to belong to a larger social group. Arnold Pacey’s notion of the cultural, technical, and organizational aspect of a technology practice, which in this case is Twitter through its website presence, asserts that there are specific goals and values embedded within the technology. Thus, Twitter reduces individuality because its “hashtag” and “follow” feature encourage conformity.
Twitter is a powerful social network, which connects users from all over the world. As of January 2014, Twitter had over 645 million registered users (Statistic Brain). Twitter’s central feature is the ability to send a “tweet,” or a 140-character post. Twitter can be accessed through the Internet by visiting www.twitter.com, or through the mobile application. When Twitter is discussed in this paper it is referring to the website interface. Thus, the argument in this paper cannot be fully generalized to Twitter’s mobile platform, as they can vary in user behavior. Its multi-platform capability makes it convenient to send a tweet whenever one feels inclined. In order to use Twitter, the user must create a unique Twitter handle, or username. Once the user is logged in with their personal handle on the Twitter app or website, they are directed to the home page. The top left side of the home page on the website features four icons: home, @connect, #discover, and me. In the center of the top of the homepage is the blue Twitter bird icon, which stands out distinctly against the gray writing that the majority of the icons are displayed in. Users will find three other icons positioned to the right of the Twitter bird and when the mouse is hovered over the icons, which read: direct messages, settings and help, and a faded pink icon that allows one to compose a new tweet. The “compose a new tweet” icon is displayed in a faded pink, which accompanies the Twitter bird as the only icon in color. By putting these two icons in color, Twitter is suggesting that these two functions are particularly important, and the user’s eyes are automatically drawn to these two icons.
Once a Twitter handle has been created, the user is able to select which tweets they would like to see displayed on the home screen, or in other words whom they would like to “follow”. Following a twitter handle results in their tweets appearing on the user’s Twitter feed, and gives the user the ability take one of three actions if they are inclined: reply, retweet, or favorite. The reply option allows the user to respond to the tweet, which can spark a conversation. Retweet is a feature that allows users to quote a tweet, which gives credit to the original author of the tweet and reproduces the tweet for all of the users followers to see. Finally, the user has the option to favorite a tweet, which can be viewed as a metaphor for the bookmark feature. By marking a tweet as a “favorite,” the user can later access it in their list of favorite tweets; as well as indicate to the original author that it resonated with them in some capacity.
Another key feature of Twitter is the use of the hashtag. In order to use a hashtag, the user simply puts a “#” before a word or phrase. The purpose of these hashtags is to distinguish keywords within the tweet that can be linked to other’s tweets by clicking it. Users can then click on these hashtags to see what others are saying about the same topic. Hashtags also are used to talk about “trending topics,” or popular topics that are being discussed in real time on Twitter. Real time indicates that these tweets are happening in the now, and users are constantly able to refresh their feeds to load the most recent tweets. Consuming tweets in real time can lead to a decrease in individuality, as constant and instant updates do not leave enough time to digest ones own thoughts. Additionally, it is important to make a distinction between hashtags and trending topics; not every hashtag is a trending topic, but every trending topic is a hashtag. Trending topics are created based on the amount of users who use a hashtag, which is ultimately decided by Twitter’s algorithm. By pressing the “# discover” button on the top of the homepage, the user can see a list of trends, which Twitter claims are “tailored just for you.” These trending topics indicate what other users are talking about and find newsworthy. The user then has the option to have the tweets remain tailored or change them. When viewing trending topics, users are encouraged to take part in the conversation by using the hashtag of the topic itself. However, this conversation is not based on a foundation of original thought, but rather an attempt to get users discussing topics that Twitter claims are important to you.
Trending topics exemplify Arnold Pacey’s organizational aspect of technology, which is concerned with social and political organization including users, consumers, designers, and administration. Ultimately, the organizational aspect is illustrated by Twitter’s ability to create and foster conversations. The users and designers of Twitter introduce the organization and presentation of trending topics. Twitter mediates the topic, and thus conformity or grouping can happen within Twitter conversations. The effects of the organizational aspect of Twitter are the denotation of what issues and topics should be important to users as well as the certain standards of conduct that users must conform to. These standards of conduct include not exceeding 140-characters per tweet, utilizing the @ sign with a Twitter handle, and using a specific # if the user wants to join a larger Twitter conversation. The ability to adjust tailored tweets acknowledges the tension between agency and conformity, as Twitter recognizes cultural and social groups that users can choose to belong to. However, it is an extreme challenge to break away from grouping on Twitter all together. While a user can still have agency with the trends and users followed, Twitter still encourages grouping. This is especially apparent with both the hashtag and trending topic functions, as Twitter recommends what trends the user should care about. Ultimately, Twitter prefers users to belong to larger categorized groups for both the user’s and Twitter’s convenience.
Twitter tells users what we care about through tailored trends. Based on my location and the people I follow, “#TheBachelor” is considered to be important to me. While I do not watch the Bachelor or care which lucky lady accepted the last rose, my followers and location tell Twitter otherwise. This is an implication of the cultural aspect of technology, which perpetuates values and beliefs of users and creators into the technology.
However, Twitter does allow the option for users to break away from tailored tweets. This embodies Arnold Pacey’s technical aspect, as the ability to adjust tailored tweets and followers is embedded in its technology. The technical aspect is concerned with “machines, techniques, knowledge and the essential activity of making things work” (Pacey, 5). By clicking the “change” button the user is able to change their location. While this may result in a more diverse array of trending topics, users are still limited by geographical location. Undoubtedly, Twitter encompasses the new media characteristic of networked, as it is able to bridge space, time, and agency between users. Regardless of the location of the user, they are able to engage in conversation with others across the globe. While Twitter does allow for convenient communication, it makes it difficult to be exposed to trending topics that exceed our nearby geographical location. While it is possible to expand the geographic region associated with the trending topics, it requires several steps, which deviates from the simplicity of Twitters interface. This in turn reduces the users ability to be an individual on Twitter, as their thoughts and opinions are linked to a specific geographic location.
On the surface, Twitter’s follow and hashtag functions would appear to be nothing more than growing one’s network and engaging in conversation about newsworthy issues. However, Arnold Pacey (1983) uses the example of the snowmobile as a parallel to technology. Pacey explains that the purpose and usage of a snowmobile is diverse across cultures; in North America it was ridden like a motorcycle, while on Canada’s Banks Island Eskimo’s used it to provide a livelihood for their families (p.2). The snowmobile machine is identical across cultures, but its usage varies dramatically. Similarly, Pacey’s cultural aspect of technology suggests that the designers and inventors of the technology encompass their own values, ideas, goals, and ethics, which in turn influence the technology’s intended use. This is apparent when examining the usage of Twitter, as each user uses Twitter’s identical technology in very different ways.
In an industrial modernist society, we value the idea of being leaders in order to continue the sustainability of industrialization and technology. As we grow up, we are constantly told to “be a leader, not a follower.” Yet, Twitter has chosen the word “follow” as one of its key functions. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a follower is “someone who does what other people say to do.” By following people on Twitter, the user runs the risk of following other’s opinions and perspectives, instead of forming their own. American culture values individuality, the quality that makes on person or thing different from all others; in addition to innovation, the act of process of introducing new ideas, devices, or methods (Webster). Yet, Twitter’s follow feature fosters the exact opposite. Both the hashtag and the follow feature encourage users to follow what others deem important. In fact, 40% of Twitter users do not tweet, but instead consume other’s tweets (Statistic Brain). In essence, this means 40% are followers—simply absorbing other users thoughts and opinions without sharing their own. This is an implication of the cultural aspect of technology, which perpetuates values and beliefs of users and creators into the technology.
Along with suggesting what trends to engage with, Twitter also has a “Who to Follow” feature on the side of the main user homepage, situated right above the “Trends” box. “Who to Follow” suggests three alternative users that the current user should consider following. These suggestions are either promoted, meaning that advertisers pay Twitter to promote themselves, or based on who the users follow. Again, Twitter prefers the user to belong to or identify with a larger group in order for it to make convenient suggestions. However, by doing so, Twitter encourages users to either follow other users who are similar to them in some capacity, or follow companies that are paying Twitter to target a certain audience. The user has the ability to repudiate promoted tweets, which is similar to the process of adjusting tailored tweets. The user can click the small gray “x” in the upper corner of the suggestion to make it dissapear. However, when that suggestion disapears another one soon replaces it.
“Michigan Alumni” is promoted, which is distinguished by the yellow arrow with the text “Promoted” in the bottom right, next to the follow button. Aesthetically, the text of “promoted” is in small grey text, which is nearly invisible next to the large follow button. The follow button is larger and uses bolded black text with a bright blue follow logo. The user is visually drawn to the follow button, which is Twitter’s goal. Twitter wants to make users feel as if they have agency by allowing them to dismiss promoted tweets. However, in reality, users are not granted full agency promoted tweets and follows are driven by money instead of the masses on Twitter. Ultimatley, Twitter wants ensure that most users do not opt out of the tweets, as it would diminish the ad’s worth.
While Twitter’s @ replies and hashtags are central features in the existing infrastructure, it may not always be that way. Vivian Schiller, Twitter’s head of news, revealed that Twitter might be eradicating “some of its core features, namely @-replies and hashtags” (Ulanoff, 2014). During Twitter’s earnings call in 2014 CEO Dick Costolo said: “By bringing the content of Twitter forward and pushing the scaffolding of the language of Twitter to the background, we can increase high-quality interactions” (Ulanoff, 2014). This possibility has caused hysteria, for what would Twitter be without these two functions? While the elimination of these functions would change Twitter dramatically, it could be for the better; “not only could it grow Twitter’s user base significantly, but it also would hopefully encourage more conversation on the platform” (Macleod, 2014). Dick Costolo wants to increase high-quality interactions, or create a high level of value of excellence (Merriam-Webster). In order to create more value, the infrastructure, or technology aspect of Pacey’s model, must be altered.
The assertion that the elimination of @ replies and hashtags could increase users and sustain high-quality conversations suggests that these features currently hinder conversation. These functions would be categorized in Arnold Pacey’s technical aspect of technology, which Pacey describes as the “restricted meaning of technology” (p.6). Twitter believes by eliminating these functions that the user base will grow, showing the restrictions that exist with this technology. Furthermore, there is a certain skill or technique that users must master in order to use these functions, which can be viewed as a restricted meaning of Twitter. Twitter is testing out the deletion of @replies in its Android alpha test group, and BuzzFeed (2014) obtained a screen shot from this group:
The elimination of the @ sign makes Twitter’s interactions look more like an authentic conversation, which could help create individuality in thought. Twitter’s current language structure has shaped conformity in order to achieve conversational coherence. Without the @ sign, the user appears to have more agency and ownership of his/her thoughts. While grouping and conformity may still be apparent without the usage of hashtags and @ functions, the elimination of the hashtag removes the visibility of grouping. Additionally, it would make users less concerned with clicking the “@” button, and more concerned with reading and responding to the tweet.
Ultimately, Twitter’s flexibility with its functions makes it difficult to prove that it reduces individuality and encourages conformity. While my case for conformity may be too strong to prove, group identity within Twitter is still existent. Ultimately, the users choose how to organize themselves on Twitter by selecting who they would like to follow and what hashtags they would like to engage with. However, the cultural, technical and organizational aspects of Twitter do encourage conformity by presenting a recommended list of users and trending topics to follow. In order to prove conformity, my research would have to focus on the users interaction with these functions. This would be difficult to achieve without confirmation bias. Yet, a recent research study entitled Why people use Twitter: social conformity and social value perspectives found that “social conformity increases the perceived value of Twitter.” Narrowing conformity to focus on social aspects could be successful for further research. My research supports the notion that social conformity increases the value of Twitter to advertisers and decreases the value for average users.
Close and critical examination of Twitter’s hashtag and follow functions demonstrates the way in which Twitter reduces originality and independent thought. If the user does not follow others on Twitter then using this new media would ultimately be pointless—the homepage would be empty. Users utilize Twitter to see what others are saying about the issues and interests that they care about, but by clicking the “follow” button the user is immediately exposed to others opinions on the issues that Twitter advertises as important. The trending topic exposes users to what other people deem as important, but our own perception of what is important runs the risk of getting lost in the midst of this. Similarly to the way in which birds fly in flocks in the sky, Twitter’s users flock together with similar thoughts and perceptions, reducing the ability to be an individual within the sea of users.
Refrences
Choi, S. Choi, M., Rho, J., Yoo, J., “Why people use Twitter: social conformity and social value perspectives.” Online Information Review, Vol.38 Iss: 2, pp. 265-283.
Macleod, I. The Drum. If Twitter Gets Rid of @ Replies and Hashtags, What Will It Mean for Users and Brands? We Are Social, Cake, Manning Gottlieb OMD & More Discuss. N.p., 20 Mar. 2014. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.
Merriam Webster Online. Retrieved March 25, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary.
Pacey, A. (1983). Technology: Practice and culture. The culture of technology. 1st MIT Press ed. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
Statistic Brain. "Twitter statistics.” Retrieved April 22, 2014, from http://www.statisticbrain.com/twitter-statistics/
Ulanoff, L. "Is Twitter Getting Rid of @-Replies and Hashtags?" Mashable. N.p., 20 Mar. 2014. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.
Warzel, C. "Twitter Hints That At-Replies And Hashtags Are About To Be Streamlined ." BuzzFeed. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. <http://www.buzzfeed.com/charliewarzel/is-twitter-phasing-out-hashtags-and-at-replies>.
