This talk will give an overview of the EPSRC/ESRC Foresight project ‘Developing Theory for Evolving Socio-Technical Systems’ (TESS). The project is based on Robin Dunbar’s Social Brain Theory that explains the evolutionary constraints on human relationships and social organisation. With the spread of Social Networking Sites such as Facebook and MySpace, will we be able avoid those constraints to keep up with more friends and be more social, or is the downside, invasion of privacy, stalking, and a less social world ? The TESS project is researching these issues by studying social networks and work-related groups. I will describe current research on social networking sites and how this fits into the wider picture of social mediating technologies such as Twitter, Wikipedia, etc. Investigating the questions- does technology really change the way we behave in our social life, how do we adapt and use these technologies, and what impact might technology have a social capital? For more information on the project http://www.mbs.ac.uk/research/DTESS.aspx

1. Social Networking- How does it affect us ? Lessons from Social Networking Sites Alistair Sutcliffe Manchester Business School, University of Manchester Manchester M15 6 BP, UK [email_address] EPSRC/ESRC Foresight project TESS (Developing T heory for E volving S ocio-Technical S ystems)

7. SNS Tensions Openness Privacy Social use Commercial use Anti social use New friends dating Interest groups Hobbies Sports, etc Team building networking Cyber stalking Cyber bullying Identity theft Social spyware Keeping up with old friends Relationship maintenance Information sharing Social embarrassment

10. Social Brain Theory (Dunbar 2002) N=5 close friends kin maximum “ knowable” personal identities Frequency of meeting/socialising decreases weaker to stronger relationships more investment in relationships Dunbar’s Law Group Size N = 5 (R*3) where R = relationship strength * N relationships friends, Intimate relationships super family 15-20 45-50 150 tribe clan acquaint- ances familiars

12. Social Relationships Childhood Teens ( Uni ) Young Adult Family Middle Age 10 20 30 40 50 Relationship Formation couples with children key period social skills development Cumulative Cumulative Relationships Relationships 0 50+ childhood teens adulthood 0 50+ Relationships Relationships 100 weak ties strong ties age age age

15. FB Activities- frequency rating

17. Source of social tensions More active – more tension, but cause or effect ? 2 Mini feed 2 Event planner 4 Chain mails 6 Status updates 28 Pictures 31 The Wall (incl. Super Wall) 44 Explicitly reported none Count Feature

19. Motivations – Facebook

22. Face to Face or on Facebook will it make a difference? 5 support 15 sympathy 150 work ties not much difference Outer layer may expand, but how many ties are active? Open question Inner Layer close and near by FTF dominates Middle Layer Close but meet less SNS supplements FTF Distant friends SNS help to keep but still need some FTF

23. On line /Off line: Some Key Differences Narrowcast to broadcast Structured Conversations …… . … .. … .. …… . … .. … .. …… . … .. … .. …… . … .. … .. …… . … .. … .. More background to our conversations Social information …… . … .. … .. Rich Media Most of this is persistent … … but as it accumulates … … unanticipated interactions increase … … more edit time to monitor, update and delete (if we remember!)

24. Why do we treat Social Media without caution? Computer as social action theory (Reeves & Nass, 1996) We transfer human-human assumptions to computers and computer-mediated communication Face-to-Face Online We can see and hear all we are conversing with We imagine our audience is the same, and we assume no eavesdroppers or lurkers 5-6 people max. in most informal conversations me ?

26. Social Media & Friends in the Future FTF letter TV phone voice phone voice & SMS Internet e-mail phone voice & SMS SNS e-mail ? 1800s 1900- 1960s 1980- 2000s Future ? ? inner circle 15 all friends 150 others Co-located only. Distant slow and difficult Co-located primarily Distant friends easier but still need FTF contact Diaspora communities Islands of friends all over the world?