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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Moving beyond Goffman
T2 - the performativity of anonymity on SNS
AU - O'Leary, Killian
AU - Murphy, Stephen
N1 - This article is (c) Emerald Group Publishing and permission has been granted for this version to appear here. Emerald does not grant permission for this article to be further copied/distributed or hosted elsewhere without the express permission from Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
PY - 2019/1/7
Y1 - 2019/1/7
N2 - This paper aims to explore consumer behaviour on the popular anonymous social networking site (SNS) Yik Yak. It examines the reasons behind the turn to anonymous social networking and also considers the ways in which anonymity impacts consumers? self-performances on SNS. Design/methodology/approach The study used a netnographic approach to explore Yik Yak across eight universities in Ireland and the UK. Data are based on observation and participation on the app. Screenshots on smart phones were the central method used to collect data. Data also included 12 in-depth interviews. Findings Young consumers are becoming fatigued by the negative effects of self-presentation on many SNS. By enabling consumers to engage in what they consider to be more authentic modes of being and interaction, Yik Yak provides respite from these pressures. Through the structures of its design, Yik Yak enables consumers to realise self-authentication in anonymised self-performances that engender a sense of virtue and social connection. Practical implications This research highlights the potential value of anonymous SNS in fostering supportive dialogue, concerning mental health amongst post-millennials. Originality/value By invoking a performative lens, this paper extends a novel theoretical approach to understandings of identity formation within consumer research. By highlighting anonymity as a dynamic process of socio-material enactments, the study reveals how consumers? self-performances are brought into effect through the citation of various discursive arrangements, which promulgate distinct understandings of authenticity.
AB - This paper aims to explore consumer behaviour on the popular anonymous social networking site (SNS) Yik Yak. It examines the reasons behind the turn to anonymous social networking and also considers the ways in which anonymity impacts consumers? self-performances on SNS. Design/methodology/approach The study used a netnographic approach to explore Yik Yak across eight universities in Ireland and the UK. Data are based on observation and participation on the app. Screenshots on smart phones were the central method used to collect data. Data also included 12 in-depth interviews. Findings Young consumers are becoming fatigued by the negative effects of self-presentation on many SNS. By enabling consumers to engage in what they consider to be more authentic modes of being and interaction, Yik Yak provides respite from these pressures. Through the structures of its design, Yik Yak enables consumers to realise self-authentication in anonymised self-performances that engender a sense of virtue and social connection. Practical implications This research highlights the potential value of anonymous SNS in fostering supportive dialogue, concerning mental health amongst post-millennials. Originality/value By invoking a performative lens, this paper extends a novel theoretical approach to understandings of identity formation within consumer research. By highlighting anonymity as a dynamic process of socio-material enactments, the study reveals how consumers? self-performances are brought into effect through the citation of various discursive arrangements, which promulgate distinct understandings of authenticity.
KW - Authenticity
KW - Netnography
KW - Performativity
KW - Social networking sites (SNS)
KW - Anonymity
KW - Facebook fatigue
U2 - 10.1108/EJM-01-2017-0016
DO - 10.1108/EJM-01-2017-0016
M3 - Journal article
VL - 53
SP - 83
EP - 107
JO - European Journal of Marketing
JF - European Journal of Marketing
SN - 0309-0566
IS - 1
ER -