Organizers
- Caroline Haythornthwaite (Syracuse University, USA) <[email protected]> – contact for questions about the workshop
- Philip Mai (Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada)
- Anatoliy Gruzd (Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada)
Join us!
Have you noticed how social media platforms behave like independent ‘states’? And have you noticed how fragile they can be compared to other institutions that impact people’s daily lives? As a citizen of a social media state, do you feel like you have input on their rules of behaviour, and equitable representation under the laws of these social states? Are they stable states? Can they support the basics of statehood: to provide services, security and protection for citizens, apply well-defined laws in a fair, equal, and consistent manner, as well as protect human rights? Or are they fragile, with governance challenged by internally and externally driven interests and the continuous need to update and derive new rules?
If you have pondered any of these questions, we invite you to apply and join us in person on the afternoon of July 16, 2024 for a workshop on: “Reframing Social Media Platforms as Fragile States.” The workshop is part of the International Social Media & Society conference (#SMSociety) at the University of the Arts, London College of Communication, London, England. (See How to Apply below.)
Background and Aim of the Workshop
The concept of reframing “Social Media as Fragile State” was first presented at the 2024 HICSS conference (available online via the HICSS ScholarSpace Repository). In introducing this new concept last year, the authors also released a set of Social Media Fragility Indicators, aka signals, that can be used to methodically and independently assess a social media platform’s fragility. These indicators were derived from a wide-ranging examination of current social media practices and challenges and the model of The Fund For Peace, Fragile State Index.
The six Social Media Fragility Indicators are as follows:
- Security, Threats, Protection and Safety Indicator: Technical and social threats to the platform and to participants’ safety and well-being.
- Fragmentation Indicator: Divisions, separations, and filters existing in and exacerbated by social media platform design and practices.
- Human Rights and the Rule of Law Indicator: Social media platform awareness, protections, and review procedures for fundamental human rights and freedoms.
- Demographic Pressures Indicator: Pressures derived from the population using the platform.
- Economic Indicators: Platform economic viability, stability, ownership, valuation, shareholder confidence, revenue sources, and domestic or global economic climate.
- External Indicators: Factors outside the social media platform’s control affecting operations, such as pandemics, government laws and bans.
The workshop will bring together a small group of approximately 10 experts to discuss and critique the six Social Media Fragility Indicators as originally proposed by the authors. Participants will gain insight into the many factors affecting the stability of social media platforms that may inform their work. We also expect this workshop to help participants refine their thinking around social media’s fragility and possible ways of addressing fragilities.
How to Apply
Authors of accepted papers at this year’s conference are encouraged to apply and join the discussion. In particular, we are looking for scholars doing internet research through disciplines such as media studies, communication, law, policy, economics, design, human-computer interaction, sociology, and information science to join us.
Key Dates
- Application deadline: April 19, 2024
- Selection notification: May 10, 2024
- Workshop Day: July 16, 2024
Workshop Schedule
- 12:30 – 2:00 Group Lunch
- 2:00 – 2:30 Introduction and workshop objectives
- 2:30 – 3:30 Presentations and discussion of participants’ submissions for the workshop, including critiques and refinements to the indicators
- 3:30 – 4:00 Coffee Break
- 4:00 – 5:00 Breakout group discussions on extensions to the indicators
- 5:00 – 5:30 Summary of workshop outcomes and discussion of options for ways forward