Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
However, most users don't know how their names or photos are used, nor what
kind of recommendation list the SNS might present to other users. The average user
simply cannot understand why their profile might be considered suitable for recom-
mendation to other users, because the SNS as a dataveillance system is a black box
for them (Orito
2011
, p. 13). Whereas developers of SNS supposedly have the
intention to expand user relationships on their website, our human relationships are
analysed based on SNS web architecture without users' understanding. Sometimes
users may even have blind confidence in these recommendations. The SNS as a
dataveillance system can make suggestions for users before the users may even
consider them, and often users accept these ideas. Most users cannot recognize the
architecture influence that such a situation implies. Thus there is uncertainty over
how users' personal
information is used by the system architecture of SNS
websites.
Moreover, the architecture of SNS is designed to stimulate users' feelings to
want to know what friends and friend's friends do, and feelings of wanting to attract
other users' attention on the SNS. For example, on the Facebook website, many
active users want to attract other users' “Like this” or comments, by submission of
certain articles, photos, and so on. This mechanism means that such users' feelings
can reinforce dataveillance systems which continue to collect, store, and utilize
personal information the users provide, and the users could follow the principle that
is describe the network externalities or attention economy (Goldhaber
1997
)
through the frequent use of SNS.
13.4 The Dull Mirror World
Those SNS which encourage their users to reveal their real names and to develop
real social relationships with other users seem to have the intention to construct a
“
mirror world
” around the users on their website. This mirror world has no
geographic or time constraints. Also, the mirror world reflects users' real life to
some extent; a real life that could be affected by the mirror world. In other words,
the digital identity which is formed on the SNS website can affect social
relationships in the real world (Rogerson
2002
).
The information garnered from the user and stored on the SNS website defines
how the user expresses themself in the mirror world. However, as noted in previous
sections, the user information cannot be controlled in isolation by themself. Digital
identities can become distorted versions of the real life identity. It is also difficult to
distinguish relationships developed in the mirror world.
Thus, it is not necessarily the case that the mirror world developed on a SNS
website can reflect the reality that the user may wish to project. Sometimes, a user's
digital identity can be formed by others and even system architecture, intentionally
or unintentionally. The personal images developed in the mirror world can diffuse
