Online social media in everyday life in Ireland : A qualitative exploration of media use among Irish 25-30 year-olds during a time of crisis

Online social media such as social network sites, online forums and blogs have emerged as spaces where interpersonal connections, discussion and displays of identity take place, and have been adopted extensively on a global scale. While research into the use of these sites in Ireland to date provides insights into subscription levels and the uses made of individual sites, little is known about the use of these media technologies in everyday life, the relationship between online and offline practices and the conceptualisation and use of these sites by individuals in an Irish context. This research conducts a qualitative examination into the use of online social media technologies among Irish 25 to 30 year olds within the context of the economic, political and social crisis which emerged and persisted since 2008. Drawing on theories of domestication (Silverstone, 1992) and media convergence (Jenkins, 2006) this research explores the incorporation of online social media into everyday life among eleven participants aged 25 to 30. The research highlights the perspectives of these users, utilising a comprehensive qualitative multi-method approach which examines the different sites of use and participants’ online practices. The objective is to gain a holistic understanding of what these sites mean to participants and how they are used within this tumultuous period in Ireland. In addressing the context of economic and political crisis, this research explores the conceptualisation of citizenship by participants and explores how they connect to public life in Ireland. Media are often viewed as the bridge which connects citizen and state. Innovations in online social media are widely said to offer the potential for the democratisation or ‘flattening out’ of hierarchical structures which have dominated state-citizen relationships, often presented as spaces where the citizen can ‘talk back’ to those in power. This research set out to explore whether and how online social media may be creating these spaces for increased participation, examining how they connect to citizenship practices in contemporary Ireland among participants in this study. The analysis demonstrates that while online social media, and the internet in general, have introduced new modes of media consumption, use and audience activity they are assimilated into the broader media consumption patterns for these participants, where there is a convergence of ‘new’ and ‘old’ media technologies