Virtual social networks: the clash of publicity and privacy

Įsigalint šiuolaikinėms, beveik momentinėms, bendravimo technologijoms, stebime viešo ir privataus bendravimo stilių supanašėjimą ir šių bendravimo diskursų susiliejimą. Tai leidžia tyrėjams kalbėti apie kultūrinį poslinkį nuo formalumo link betarpiškumo visose bendravimo sferose. Šis poslinkis sąlygotas nepaliaujamai didėjančio gyvenimo tempo, kuris lemia vis mažėjantį bendravimo viešojoje erdvėje formalumą, nes komunikacijos (ypač sinchroninės tekstinės) dalyviai tiesiog nespėja apgalvoti ir išdailinti savo kalbos struktūros ar gramatikos. Tačiau šio reiškinio mastas yra daug didesnis nei vien viešo ir privataus bendravimo stilių susipynimas. Daug reikšmingesni yra kiti šio proceso aspektai. Viena vertus, bendravimas tampa atsietas nuo konteksto - daugelio naujųjų komunikacijos priemonių mobilumas lemia, kad privatūs pokalbiai gali vykti ir vyksta viešosiose erdvėse. Antra vertus, jos įgalina asmeninį bendravimą anksčiau neįsivaizduoto dydžio grupėse, ištrindami ribą tarp viešos ir privačios komunikacijos. Galima tvirtai teigti, kad gyvename esminių pokyčių visuomenėje, kai kompiuterinės technologijos tampa kasdienybės dalimi, bet vis dar nėra standartų, normų ir taisyklių, kaip reikėtų jomis naudotis. Kitaip sakant, tarpasmeninio bendravimo kultūra naujosiose komunikacijos platformose tebėra užuomazgos stadijoje. Šiame straipsnyje keliami klausimai, kuo tampa tarpasmeninė komunikacija, kai ji vyksta pasitelkus skaitmenines masinės komunikacijos priemones? Kokią ji daro įtaką komunikacijos dalyvių savivokai ir savęs pateikimui? Ar patys šiuolaikinių bendravimo technologijų vartotojai pakankamai įsisąmonina tokio bendravimo ypatumus, lyginant su tradicinėmis tarpasmeninės komunikacijos priemonėmis?The modern technologies of instant communication lead to the increasing convergence of public and private communication styles and discourses which allows researchers to talk about the cultural shift from formality towards familiarity in all spheres of communication. It is certainly caused by continuously increasing pace of communication and subsequent diminishing of the formality of public communication since communication participants simply have no time to elaborate their thoughts, language structure or grammar (especially in synchronous text-based communication). Not less important are other aspects of this process. On one hand, communication becomes detached from its contexts as mobile communication devices determine that private conversations can and do take place in public spaces. On the other hand, they enable personal interaction in unprecedentedly huge groups, which also blurs the line between public and private communication. One can confidently say that we live in the society undergoing substantial cultural changes in which computer technology has become part of everyday life, but there is still lack of standards, norms and rules of how to use them. In other words, the culture of interpersonal communication in the new platforms still is at its embryonic stage. This article raises questions what is interpersonal communication, when it is accomplished through the digital mass media? How does it affect the self-awareness and self-presentation of communication participants? And are the users of modern communication technology sufficiently aware of the communication features when compared to the traditional interpersonal communication? It seems that the dissemination of personal data is the new value in modern society, as people on social networks come together exactly to share their information with the widest range of people. One can argue if it is good or bad; the consequences (advantages and disadvantages, norms and values) of nowadays fashionable communication in social networks will become explicit only after a few decades when the generation of it's most ardent followers, current teenagers, will mature and live through their lives. However, it can already be stated that this is not just another alternative means of human communication, as it is quite often believed without deeper thought about the motives that lead people to spread the details of their life for tens, hundreds or even thousands of "friends" with whom they have no possibility maintain consistent communication in real life. Virtual social networks are a fundamentally new type of communication platform, where mass and interpersonal communication become intricately intertwined. On the one hand, communication becomes disconnected from the context: the mobility of the new means of communications determines that private conversations can and do take place in public spaces. On the other hand, they enable personal interactions among the members of groups of previously unimaginable size, which blurs the line between public and private communication. This is not the first technological breakthrough in the history of mankind, and thus humanity will find ways to adapt to it in a way that it would meet their daily needs and minimize risks. Only then one will be in a position to judge what comes as a priority: the possibility to present oneself to other people in a desirable way through consequential performance of one's identity on social networks or willingness to protect one's privacy and personal data against possible misuse. [...