The document describes a study conducted to understand how different people use social media. The researchers interviewed social media users, asking them about their account usage habits, preferences, and experiences. Four candidates were interviewed. Candidate responses showed that social media is mainly used to stay connected with friends, see what others are posting, and share one's own life updates. However, some negative experiences like rude comments were also reported. The researchers concluded that interviewing allowed for qualitative insight while respecting privacy, and revealed common problems like cyberbullying.

1. Ethnography
Social Media
By Puja Kakad
And
Dineo Moeletsi

2. What is the purpose of our study?
• We are trying to find out different people use
different social media sites and what they use
them for.

3. How are we going to do it?
The way we are going to achieve this is by
looking at peoples accounts of different social
media site and ask them how they use it, why
they use it and what do they get out of using it.
We decided to use the method of interviews
because it provides qualitative data by the use
of open questions. Ultimately giving the
candidates opportunity to give us detailed
accounts of what roles social media plays in
their lives on a daily bases.

4. The questions we used
1. Why did you make your social networking accounts?
2. What do you do on the accounts?
3. Which one do you use the most? E.g. Twitter, Facebook or
Instagram
4. Why do you use these accounts?
5. In your experience does social networking replace traditional
means of communication?
6. What negative experiences have you had on social networking
sites?

5. Candidate 1

6. Candidate 1

9. Candidate 1
1. I made Facebook because everyone in my classes and all my friends had it so I thought I should get it
to, but I did not make my twitter my friend made it for me as she wanted me to have it so we could
tweet each other.
2. I just look through my timeline see what people are up to what they have done and posted, I like seeing
what people tweet me as well and keeping in contact with people I haven’t seen in a while also there
are a lot of vines on twitter and Facebook so when I’m board I sit there watching them.
3. I think I use Twitter and Instagram the most as I think the people I follow use it more often then
Facebook.
4. As I said before just to see what's happening and what all my friends and people I know are interested
in, also you find out news on twitter so its nice to get updated whats happening on the world as well.
5. Yes of course it does as you don’t physically have to see that person to be friends with them or talk to
your friends face to face about things you can just tweet them or message them on the social
networking site.
6. Yes I have had some negative experience like when some has made comments on tweets and pictures
because there not your friend or sometime you get indirect tweets about you or your friends and they
can lead to arguments over twitter.

10. Candidate 2

11. Candidate 2
1. I made my social networking accounts because my friends started using them and I
thought that it was a good way to express my feelings and thoughts.
2. I use social networking mainly to check what others are doing. I’m at university so I
hardly see friends that are elsewhere. I feel that social networking helps keep us
connected even though we are hours apart.
3. I mainly use Instagram for sharing pictures and Facebook for chats. You can share
your pictures on Facebook from Instagram which made it easier for all my online
friends to see what and how I’m doing daily.
4. Social networking has kept me in touch with my friends because of the online
community.
5. Social networking does mean that we don’t have to be with the person we are
talking to but it’s a good thing as well as you can have a laugh with your friends in
the comfort of your own home and whenever you want like late at night.
6. No I have not had any bad experiences with social networks but I know people who
have an I think that it’s a bad thing that people can just post bad things and when
they are reported it take the networking sites ages to respond to it and sometimes
they don’t even respond.

12. Candidate 3

13. Candidate 3
1. I made social networking sites because I wanted to promote myself as a dancer, I think it
was a good way to get people to recognise me and notice what I do.
2. I keep in touch with my friends and family also as mentioned before I like to show people
what I do and with social networking I promote myself and get jobs though people
tweeting me or emailing me.
3. I use them all equally as I like to see what people have commented on my posts and what
they think also I always check if anyone has contacted me to work with them.
4. I like to keep in touch with friends and family and I like to show people what I am doing and
see what other people are doing as well it is also easy for me to keep in touch with my
friends from Leicester when I am in Nottingham.
5. Yes I do think they have as I don’t have to meet people or be with them to talk to them I
can just talk to them online, also I can share my life with people like where I am I don’t
have to tell people personally anymore.
6. Yes I have when people have made horrible comments on my posts or said something to
my friends therefore this can lead into a fight over facebook or twitter, which I think is
annoying and bad.

14. Candidate 4

15. Candidate 4
1. I created my social networking accounts when I was very young. Facebook was relatively new.
I guess I initially started because it was something new.
2. I use my social networking sites for communication in general. It’s what I’m used to now. It’s
almost kind of passive like I got to check this and that now.
3. I mainly use Facebook I’m logged on all the time my phones regularly break so I use it like I
would texting or calling.
4. I get a community when I log on social networking. Twitter I use to tell my friends and the
world how I’m feeling. It kind of makes you feel important and can addicted at one point I
used to post a lot
5. For me it has I think its technology in general I use face time a lot too. In my experience you
can rely on Facebook it literally acts as a backup if my phone breaks or my backup phone
breaks.
6. I have had things that should of remained private be publicised on twitter. And also
sometimes you really don’t know if people are talking about you or not. It gets frustrating
sometimes.

16. Conclusion
On the method:
We asked our candidates for permission to print screen their activities. As
researches we did this not to be invasive and respectful of their privacy. We also
concluded that this was possibly the best method to choose from to conduct this
research, instead of using other methods such as participant observation. This is
because it’ll be our interpretation of their online activities and not necessarily
their accounts.
What the researched showed:
While conducting this study we discovered that other people faced the same
problems that we have. Due to anonymity of the internet people can hurt or
embarrassed which is why cyber bulling is such a big problem in society today.