This document summarizes a research study on self-presentation on Facebook. The study analyzed how users present themselves through profile information, photos, videos, links, and status updates. Gender and age differences were also examined. Key findings include: Women and younger users focused more on popularity while older users were most active. Users preferred individual profile photos but created albums showing friends and family to build group identity. Videos were typically from YouTube rather than those created by the user.

1. Self-Presentation on On-line Communication Platforms Filipa Jorge e Maria João Antunes University of Aveiro, Department of Communication and Art, Portugal Filipa.jorge@ua.pt 1

2. Contents Research question and objectives On-line self-presentationand SNS Empirical Study Results Conclusions References 2

4. To understandtheimpactofgenderand age onself-presentationonFacebook;

5. To analyze the frequency of contents (Status, Links, Photos and Videos) publication on Facebook profiles;

6. To determine the publication method prefered (Facebook Video or external links to other video publication platforms);

7. To determine the theme of published videos.3

8. On-line self-presentation “The impact of Internet in social relationships has been at the centre of academic debates since the early days of Internet diffusion”. (Gennaro & Dutton, 2007) On-line self-presentation evolution: Personal sites MUDs On-line dating sites On-line social networks 4

9. Social Networks Sites Oneofthemost popular servicesof Web 2.0. SNS  Social Media  encourages contributions and feedback from interested users. It blurs the line between media and audience (Mayfield, 2007). Thistypeof CMC allowsthe use ofdifferenttypesofcontents (text, photos, video, etc) andthemaintenanceof a friends’ network. 5

10. On-line self-presentation On-line social networks have brought a new form of self-presentation: Blurring between front-stage and back-stage  “glass bedroom” (Pearson, 2009); More difficulties to create false profiles  anchor relationships (Zhao et al., 2008); Increase the number of weak ties (Pearson, 2009); Facebook identities have real consequences for individuals’ lives (Zhao et al., 2008); Facebook promotes a culture of group identity (Strano, 2008). 6

11. Empirical Study 1) On-line questionnaire(28th February – 20th March 2011): The questionnaire aimed to collect information about: Users’ personnal data; Internet use; Facebook use; Experience of video publication on Facebook. 2) Observation: Direct observation of 20 Facebook profiles (all the activity registered in the wall); 15 consecutive days (19th April – 3rd May 2011); Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the collected data. 7

12. Questionnairerespondents/Observationparticipants 8

13. Questionnairerespondents/Observationparticipants Education: 11 High school or < 7 Degree 2 Post-graduation Occupation: 5 Students 4 Teachers 2 Workers on Public Services 9 Others Activity on Facebook 3 < 1year 17 [1-4 years] Weekly access (Facebook) 3 < 3 times/week 3 [5-7 times/week] 14 > 7 times/week Video publication on Facebook: 16 Yes Video publication method on Facebook 15 YouTube 1 Facebook Video 4 Without answer 9

15. 20 Profile Picture

16. 18 Birthday

17. 18 Music

18. 17 Gender

19. 17 Family

20. 17 Emails

21. 16 Relationship Status

22. 16 Movies14 ≥ 500 Friends 10

24. 20 SportsYou Play

25. 19 People Who Inspire You

26. 19 FeaturedFriends

27. 18 Interested In

28. 18 Political Views

29. 18 Games11

30. Results – ProfileInformation Genderdifferences: Female: Birthdayusuallywithoutyear Use more adjectives intheirself-description, more directedand more succintsentences (About Me) Frequently use descriptionsoftheirwayoflife (About Me) More changesinprofilepicture (12 changesduringthe 15 days) More emphasysonbodyandsensuality Highlightfamilymembersintheirprofiles More favoritequotations Male: Longer textual self-descriptions (About Me) Close-up inprofilepictures More favoriteteamsandathletes More emphasysonactivitiesandinterests Lesschangesinprofilepicture (4 changesduringthe 15 days) 12

31. Results – ProfileInformation Age differences: 18 - 23: Individual profilepictureswithout a contextemphasysonbodyandsensuality More music, booksandfavoriteteams More activitiesandinterests Frequently use descriptionsoftheirwayoflife (About Me) 24 – 29: More profilepictureshavingfunwithfriends 30 – 41: More movies Writeabouttheirbirthday’splaceand/orabouttheplacewheretheylive > 41 years: Birthdayusuallywithoutyear Individual profilepictureswithin a context (landscape, exibitions, etc) More changesinprofilepicture (8 changesduringthe 15 days) 13

32. Results – ProfileInformation ProfilePhotosExamples: Bodyandsensuality Individual profilephotos withcontext Close-up Groupidentity: familyandfriends 14

33. Results – PhotosInformation (Albums) Total number os albunsanalised: 109 15

35. Create more albums thanwomen

36. Female:

37. Organize theirphotosaccording to visual contents (family, friendsandpets)Summer 2010 16

38. Results – PhotosInformation (Albums) Age differences: 18 - 23: More albunswith individual pictureswithoutcontext 24 – 29: More albunsshowingdailyactivitiesandgoingoutwithfriends > 41 years: Lessalbumcreation 17

39. Results – PublicationsintheWall (duringobservationperiod – 15 days) 18

40. Results – PublicationsintheWall (duringobservationperiod – 15 days) AlbunsPhotos: Total numberofalbumsphotosanalised: 61 WallPhotos: Total numberofwallphotosanalised: 43 19

41. Results – PublicationsintheWall (duringobservationperiod – 15 days) YoutubeVideos: Total numberofYoutubevideosanalised: 89 20

42. Results – PublicationsintheWall (duringobservationperiod – 15 days) FacebookVideo (beforeobservation) vs. Youtube: 21

43. Results – PublicationsintheWall (duringobservationperiod – 15 days) Status: Total numberof status analised: 74 Links: Total numberof links analised: 33 22

44. Results – PublicationsintheWall (duringobservationperiod – 15 days) Genderdifferences: Female: More status (sentences, citations, thoughtsandeveryday) More albunsandwallphotos (66 publicationsin 15 days )  groupidentity (family) Male: Albunsphotos groupidentity (friends) More contentsrelatedwihlocation, holidaysandnature More links (news abouteconomy) More videos (FacebookVideoandYoutube) Onlyusersthatpublishwallphotosaboutsports 23

45. Results – PublicationsintheWall (duringobservationperiod – 15 days) Age differences: > 41 years: More status, links, photosandvideos Themost active onthe social network More albunsphotosrelatedwithsellingproducts 18 - 23: More status relatedwithnightout 24

46. Conclusions Zhaoet. al. (2008) – Threemodesofidentityconstruction: “Visual self” - large numbers of photographs; “Cultural self” - cultural preferences (“ArtsandEntertainment”); “Narrative self” – “About Me”. InthispaperweproposetheinclusionofVideosinthefirstmode (“Visual self”), Links inthesecondmode (“Cultural self”) and Status inthethirdmode (“Narrative self”). 25

47. Conclusions 1º 2º 3º 26

48. Conclusions Womenandyoungusers are more concernedwiththeir on-line popularity. InFacebookthereis a trend to create a groupidentity, mostlywithfamilyandfriends. Women stand outinthistopic. However, users prefere to bealoneinprofilephotos (individual promotion). Youtube Videosproducedbyotherusers. FacebookVideo  Videosproducedbytheprofileowner. This online social network is therefore an extension of real life (Turkle, 1997) and the real personality of the users (Back et al., 2010), where it is possible to observe also a strong influence of socially accepted norms (Zhao et al., 2008). 27

49. References Back, M. D., Stopfer, J. M., Vazire, S., Gaddis, S., Schmukle, S. C., Egloff, B., & Gosling, S. D. (2010). Facebook Profiles Reflect Actual Personality, Not Self-Idealization. GENNARO, C. & DUTTON, W. H.(2007). Reconfiguring Friendships: Social relationships and the Internet'. Information, Communication & Society,10:5, 591–618. Mayfield, A. (2007). What is social media? iCrossing (Ed.) An e-book from iCrossing. Pearson, E. (2009). All the World Wide Web's a stage: The performance of identity in online social networks. Peer-reviewed Journal on the Internet, 14. Strano, M. M. (2008). User Descriptions and Interpretations of Self-Presentation through Facebook Profile Images. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 2. Turkle, S. (1997). Life On The Screen: Identity In The Age Of The Internet. Nova Iorque: Touchstone. Zhao, S., Grasmuck, S., & Martin, J. (2008). Identity construction on Facebook: Digital empowerment in anchored relationships. Computers in Human Behavior, 24(5). 28