Conceptual framework for the mutual shaping of platform features, affordances and norms on social media

Abstract

In this paper the authors investigate the mutual shaping between social network platforms and social interactions by developing a framework of relevant platform features and the affordances they facilitate. More broadly, this framework will eventually serve to answer the question: which platform affordances influence norm building behaviour in groups? The relevant affordances the authors identified are 'interactability', 'interventionability', 'ephemerality' and 'external visibility'. These affordances are complemen-tary to three of boyd's (2010) structural affordances of networked publics. Mapping the features that facilitate these affordances makes clear who can interact with whom, to which other users and content people can be exposed to and who has access to certain affordances to make normative interventions. These affordances affect social influence mechanisms and impact norm building in groups. They also show where the responsibili-ties lie in influencing group dynamics, and when newcomers are able to challenge the norms in a group interaction.