Joines Qualitative Paper

Running
head: EXPLORING THE ROLE OF THE VIRTUAL COMMUNITY

Exploring the role of the virtual community:
A study of the viability of virtual third places
in comparison to physical third places
Michaela Joines
Pittsburg State University

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES
Exploring the role of the virtual community:

A study of the viability of virtual third places
in comparison to physical third places
Introduction
Digital Media
The digital climate in todays society is one of constant connectedness. Screens are no
longer confined to home televisions and computers. Now they travel with you, in ever-increasing
numbers. Of American TV homes in 2013, 80 percent owned a personal computer, 65 percent a
mobile phone, and 29 percent a tablet, all of which feature online connectivity (Nielsen Company,
2014). The sum of time spent across these multiple screens compounds quickly: users in 2013
spent an average of 60 hours per week consuming content from multiple screens (Nielsen
Company, 2014). Considering the traditional 40-hour workweek for comparison, a significant
question emerges: What are digital users consuming during this time? Currently second of all media
consumption reported by Nielsen and fastest growing is Internet browsing and app use on a
smartphone, which accounts for nearly 35 hours of media use per month (Nielsen Company, 2014).
Considering the amount of time users spend consuming digital content, the mobile device
that allows for media consumption becomes seemingly attached to its person. Anthropologist
Amber Case studies this very phenomenon, and makes the case for a cyborg human. While this
word choice may not be the most common when considering the relationship between man and
device, Case sees the connection. Citing a 1960 paper on space travel, Case presents the traditional
definition of a cyborg as an organism to which exogenous components have been added for the
purpose of adapting to new environments (Raz, 2015). Tying this definition to more common
terms and experiences, mobile devices (exogenous components) allow for a personal experience
in a new virtual environment. As Case explains: I think that the phones... are becoming so personal
because it's not just a phone - it's kind of a mental exoskeleton. It's an external part of your
brain... a magic portal that allows you to go into another dimension of space and time (Raz, 2015).
The pervasiveness of digital devices and their content is evident in a variety of situations
experienced today. In airports and store lines, on sidewalks and in cars, mobile devices are allowing
nearly constant access to online media. Looking deeper, is there a relationship between the
locations where computer-mediated communication flourishes? Case sees a trend in using
technology to escape physical non-places, or places that individuals have no history or identity
with (Raz, 2015). Instead of connecting with the physical environment, individuals are interacting
with their phones, with which they have established a relationship and identity. Instead of pausing
their humanity to exist in an environment lacking in identity, people use the power of virtual
realities to transcend time and space and return to life, even a virtual version of it (Raz, 2015).
Considering the reach of computer-mediated communication (CMC) contexts in a users
daily life, one medium is becoming a staple of everyday use: social media. Nielsen reports that that
almost two-thirds of social media users (64 percent) access social media via their computer at least
once per day (Nielsen, 2014). Additionally, the medium is used in the mobile context, with 47
percent of smartphone users visiting social media every day (Nielsen, 2014). The size of social
networks also continues to expand. In 2013 Nielsen reported a total of 140,028,000 unique users of
social media utilizing PC and computer browsers and 120,396,000 unique smartphone app users,
the latter an increase of 37 percent from the previous year (Nielsen, 2014).
The size and pervasiveness of digital media, including social media, warrants considerable
research on the why individuals use media and what they are looking to get from it. The Uses and
Gratifications Theory is useful for examining both. As technology has evolved to offer a variety of
media options, scholars of Uses and Gratifications have theorized the reasoning behind media use
and need gratification sought from media. The history and fundamental concepts of the theory will
be discussed in detail in the literature review.
Oldenburgs Third Place

In the post-industrial society of the United States, much of the general population conforms
to a cyclical schedule of leaving home for work, then work for home. The two locations offer a
retreat to a generally constant family nucleus and a productive environment for which to contribute
to society. However, sociologist Ray Oldenburg suggested that this two-stop cycle was missing
fundamental conditions of social life which community allows (Oldenburg and Brissett, 1982).
Neither work nor home could provide an individual with opportunities for a variety of relationships
and social experiences. Therefore, in 1982 Oldenburg proposed the theory of the third place. This
environment exists outside the home and beyond the work lots of modern economic production
where people gather primarily to enjoy each others company, or as he later expanded, to relax in
good company and do so on a regular basis (Oldenburg and Brissett, 1982; Oldenburg, 2001).
The traditional third place proposed by Oldenburg has undergone significant change in the
current decade. A study done by Anacleto et. al describes major changes in third place
environments that signal a change in communication habits and the adoption of digital
technologies. Todays coffee house now features small, private tables for personal media
consumption. Wireless Internet offers visitors an escape to a virtual environment. Conversation
occurs less in a face-to-face manner and more through phones, laptops, and tablets. These
characteristics call into question, Anacleto claims, the classic role of the ... third place and our
understanding of public (Anacleto et. al, 2014).
With the changing nature of traditional third places and the integration of digital media into
such settings, the third place described by Oldenburg seems somewhat out of touch today. Recently
the concept of a virtual third place has been examined. Mainly, what is required from digital media
to foster a third place environment? In light of todays pervasive use of social media, the idea that a
virtual environment could be used to supplement or substitute a physical third place holds
significance in the larger discussion of how and why individuals use social media.
The following discussion will examine significant research relating the aforementioned
fields of study. First, a discussion of the Uses and Gratifications Theory will look at recent
developments regarding active participation by users in choosing media. The motivations for using
media in terms of need gratification will also be examined. Next, social media will be examined as a
choice of media for need gratification. This will include a detailed definition of the fundamental
characteristics and a typology of social media. The specific motivations and the dependent variable
of social media use will then be presented. Finally, the concept of the traditional and virtual third
place will be examined, including a discussion of the similarities and differences between the two.

Literature Review
Uses and Gratifications Theory
A useful theory for exploring media, Uses and Gratifications Theory studies the social and
psychological origins of needs, which generate expectations of the mass media or other sources,
which lead to differential patterns of media exposure resulting in need gratifications and other
consequences (Blumler, Katz, & Gurevitch, 1974). Often considered a subset of media effects
research, the theory has evolved significantly since its initial 1940s research listing functions
served by radio, comics and newspapers. With the advancements of digital technology,
understanding usage and gratifications of an increasingly pervasive array of media has only become
more relevant. Of specific consequence when discussing Uses and Gratifications Theory in a culture
of new media are 1) the concept of an active audience, 2) exploration of the audiences initiative in
media choice, and 3) the categorization of motivations based on gratifications sought and obtained
by media use.
The participation of an active audience in goal-oriented media usage is a key element of the
Uses and Gratifications Theory (Blumler, Katz, & Gurevitch, 1974). As the theory has developed, this
concept in particular has been subject to significant revision to more accurately explain the variety
of media usage. Beginning in the 1980s, the once absolute term active was reexamined to include
variations in audience activity (Ruggiero, 2000). To better explain emergent patterns of notably
more casual and less goal-driven media use, scholars in the 1980s suggested that individuals
exhibited different types and amounts of activity in different settings and at different times
(Ruggiero, 2000). Activity is now theorized to span from high audience activity to low levels of
involvement (Ruggiero, 2000).
Specific to digital media usage, interactivity is a dynamic factor of audience activity.
Interactivity has been defined as the degree to which participants in the communication process
have control over, and can exchange roles in their mutual discourse (Williams, Rice, & Rogers,
1988). Dimensions of interactivity include playfulness, choice, connectedness, information

collection, and reciprocal communication (Ruggiero, 2000). As with general audience activity,
interactivity occurs at different levels. Ha and James (1998) categorized playfulness, choice and
connectedness as lower levels of interactivity, and information collection and reciprocal
communication as higher forms. Additionally, they suggested the dimensions of interactivity allow
users to gratify needs such as entertainment and self-communication (self-indulgent media users),
information seeking (task-oriented users), or interpersonal communication (expressive users) (Ha
& James, 1998).
For this gratification of needs to occur, media users must take initiative in linking need
gratification with a medium based on its ability to satisfy the need. This second element of the Uses
and Gratifications Theory explores how users determine a mediums adequacy in need gratification
and their subsequent selection of media. Schramm, Lyle, and Parker (1961) have stated: It is they
who use the television rather than the television that uses them. Researchers of U&G have
theorized that each medium offers a unique combination of attributes that influence its ability to
satisfy different needs, and therefore influence how users choose media. Blumler, Katz and
Gurevitch specifically highlight the combination of three attributes: a) content characteristics, b)
typical attributes (print or broadcast transmission, reading vs. audio vs. audio-visual reception),
and c) typical exposure situations (location, companionship, time control or lack thereof). The
combinations of these technological and aesthetic properties render different media more or less
adequate for the satisfaction of different needs (Blumler, Katz, and Gurevitch, 1974).
Scholars therefore suggested that media with similar attributes would likely serve similar
needs, and vice versa. Studies have shown that media can share either technological or aesthetic
similarities and meet similar needs as other media in either instance. For example, Blumler cites
research by Katz, Gurevitch, and Haas (1973) that relates books, newspapers, radio, television, and
cinema based on their technical and aesthetic qualities. Books were found to share a technology
and informational function with newspapers, but also an aesthetic function with films. Radio was
similar to television in technological, informational and entertainment functions, but shared an
aesthetic similarity with newspapers by focusing on information and orientation to reality
(Blumler, Katz, and Gurevitch, 1974). Later research conducted by Perse and Dunn (1998)
theorized the role of new communication technology such as personal computers in the model.
They suggested that as personal computers increasingly share functions with traditional media,
they have the potential to replace media that gratify similar needs.
The attributes of a medium significantly impact a users perception of its ability to gratify
needs. However, this is one of many factors found to impact media choice. Blumler suspects these
attributes work in combination with psychosocial dispositions, sociological factors, and
environmental conditions (Blumler, Katz, and Gurevitch, 1974). Attributes of media do not function
alone in users decision. Instead, the combination of the above factors appears to influence a user
since similar media can equally serve similar needs.
Complementing the audiences initiative in media choice based on need gratification, the
motivations for media usage can be categorized. Ruggiero (2000) summarized the motivations
historically theorized by U&G scholars: diversion, social utility, personal identity, and surveillance.
Calling for additional research, Ruggiero expresses an increasing need for understanding media
choice given the continued expansion of communication technology: As new technologies present
people with more and more media choices, motivation and satisfaction become even more crucial
components of audience analysis (Ruggiero, 2000).
Social Media
To understand social media from a uses and gratifications perspective, three key areas must
be addressed. First, a working definition of social media must be established, including a
classification of the various media. Categorizing the motivations for using social media will then
enable the researcher to theorize the need gratification sought by users. Last, the dependent
variable in social media use must be addressed: based on how the audience uses social media, what
are they looking to get from it?
The term social media, in a scholarly context, denotes two characteristics. First, the
technical foundation of Web 2.0 is used as a platform for the continuous modification of content by
all users in a collaborative fashion (as opposed to published by one individual for consumption by a
passive audience) (Kaplan, 2010). Second, User Generated Content is created by users and
publically available on social media. User Generated Content contains three characteristics itself,
summarized by Kaplan from guidelines set by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and
Development: 1) the content is published either on a public website or a social networking site, the
latter making content available to a select group of individuals; 2) the content must show a certain
amount of creative effort (omitting the simple replication of existing content), and 3) it must be
created outside of professional routines and practices (Kaplan, 2010). To summarize, social media
can be defined as a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and
technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of User Generated
Content (Kaplan, 2010).
The umbrella term social media can be broken into six classifications:
1) Blogs: Contain dated entries generally written by one individual and available on a
public site or to select individuals.
2) Content communities: Primarily enable the sharing of media between users; this
classification includes YouTube and Flickr.
3) Social networking sites: Allow users to create a profile containing personal
information, connect with other individuals through their profile, and send and receive
messages containing various content. This category includes Facebook.
4) Collaborative projects: Created simultaneously by users through constant modification
of content, this classification includes Wikipedia.
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5) Virtual game worlds: Immersive online environments that recreate locations and allow
users to control avatars through game play. World of Warcraft is an example of this
category.
6) Virtual social worlds: Similar to virtual game worlds, except with looser rules on game
play. This type of social media allows users to act freely as though in reality. Second Life
is a popular example of a virtual social world (Kaplan, 2010).
Knowing the classifications of social media, the motivations for using social media can now be
presented. This discussion will look at Al-Menayes 2015 study of undergraduate college students
and their use of social media. Conducted at a large state university in Kuwait, the study purposively
sampled 1327 students; this sample was selected on the assumption that young people represent
the core users of social media1. Al-Menayes stated purpose was to discover the motivations for
using social media and find correlations between various motivations. Based on the results, the
motivations for using social media in order of mean scores are: 1) Entertainment, 2) information
seeking, 3) personal utility, 4) convenience and 5) altruism. Notably, the motivation of
entertainment represented using social media to kill time, when I have nothing else to do and
because I enjoy using it. Significant to the motivation of information seeking, individuals used
social media to know whats going on and to search for information. Notable for personal utility,
social media was used to join conversations and to listen to others opinion (Al-Menayes, 2015).
Additionally, the study found correlations between motivations. First, the more experience users
had with social media, the more likely they were to use it for entertainment and personal utility.
Second, users who spent a lot of time using social media were more likely to use it for
entertainment, personal utility, and convenience, and less likely to use it for information seeking
(Al-Menayes, 2015).

1 Notable to the studys purposeful sample, ninety-nine percent of surveyed students responded that they
used social media.
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Relating social media use to the Uses and Gratifications Theory can be accomplished by
examining the needs gratified by the media. Recall that the theory studies the social and
psychological origins of needs, which generate expectations of the mass media or other sources,
which lead to differential patterns of media exposure resulting in need gratifications and other
consequences (Blumler, Katz, and Gurevitch, 1974). Therefore, the motivations for using social
media will correlate to identifiable human needs, which individuals will seek to gratify through
media use. Based on the fundamental needs proposed by Max-Neef in 1991, the motivations for
using social media suggest a correspondence with the needs of understanding, participation,
idleness, and creation (Max-Neef, 1991). Need gratification by social media at any one time depends
on the users specific activity and the type of social media being used.
Based on the motivations for using social media and their related needs, the dependent
variable of social media can be discussed. In other words: based on the various motivations of social
media use (independent variables), what is the effected variable? According to Scheepers,
Scheepers, Stockdale, and Nurdin (2014), the dependent variable of social media use is a sense of
community. In their study, Scheepers et. al hypothesized four elements of a community that could
be observed in social media. Summarizing their hypotheses, a sense of community is reflected in 1)
information seeking behavior, 2) hedonic behavior, 3) sustaining interaction with strong ties, and
4) extending weak ties (Scheepers et. al, 2014). Scheepers et. al confirmed their hypotheses,
indicating social media users sought information, enjoyment, and connection with close and distant
friends.
Relating the dependent variable and motivations for using social media, a correlation can be
made between need gratification sought from the media and a sense of community. The
motivations for using social media and their corresponding needs can be seen as independent
variables, since they control the sense of community experienced by the user. In other words, the
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users sense of community depends on how they use social media to satisfy needs related to
enjoyment, information seeking and personal utility.
The Traditional and Virtual Third Place
Theorizing the concept of the third place, Oldenburg identified several characteristics that
must be present to create an environment conducive to social discourse. More current research has
found interest in relating third places to social media, including similarities and differences
between the characteristics of CMC contexts and traditional third places. Of particular note is
Soukups discussion of a virtual third place.
Oldenburg has theorized several necessary characteristics of a third place. Recall that third
places are environments that exist outside the home and beyond the work lots of modern
economic production where people gather primarily to enjoy each others company (Oldenburg
and Brissett, 1982). In fostering such an environment, Oldenburg observed the following
characteristics: First, conversation was the main activity. Additionally, the type of conversation
exhibited pure sociability: a playful mood, spontaneous and free-wheeling conversation by all
individuals, and emotional expression within conversations. The third place itself was an equalizer;
inhabitants... [were] granted involvement by virtue of their presence, without a hierarchy of
status that gave certain individuals precedence in conversation. The third place was a home away
from home visited by regulars. Last, it was accessible; a location tied to a specific community in a
neutral meeting ground (Oldenburg and Brissett, 1982). Traditional third places identified by
Oldenburg include taverns and coffee shops, although an exhaustive list of third places cannot be
nailed down. As stated by Oldenburg, third places... are only partially amendable to rational
planning (Oldenburg and Brissett, 1982). So, third places can also occur in outdoor settings, lounge
rooms, small shops, and town squares (among others), provided the necessary characteristics are
present in the location (Oldenburg and Brissett, 1982).
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More recent research of third places has sought to relate Oldenburgs traditional third
places with computer-mediated communication (CMC) environments such as social media. This
research addresses two questions: in what ways do social media and third places function similarly,
and where do they differ? To lay a foundation for future research on the virtual third place,
Soukup discussed these questions in detail in 2006. Asking whether new technology could offer a
solution in suburban neighborhoods lacking localized public spaces, Soukup first examined how
CMC environments are similar to third places. The observed similarities were 1) an existence
outside work and home environments for the purpose of informal conversation, 2) an emphasis on
conversation and playfulness, 3) a neutral meeting ground, and 4) regular members. Additionally,
many CMC environments also virtually recreate settings from physical third places through images
and symbolic representations of physical elements (Soukup, 2006).
What Soukup found is often overlooked, and therefore took time to critically examine, are
differences between CMC environments and third places. First, the realness of the interaction
differs significantly, as CMC environments inherently rely on simulation and mediation. As Soukup
stated, In a sense, people are merely pretending to be in a real place while they sit at their
computer screens (Soukup, 2006). With such a strong reliance on simulation, Soukup suggested
that a participants experience differs between a CMC context and a physical third place. Another
difference is the accessibility of the environment. Soukup found that users unfamiliar with the
technology required to access CMC environments do not experience the same ease of use as
individuals comfortable with it, and therefore do not experience the same level of accessibility.
Several factors of accessibility are specifically mentioned: 1) the equipment required to access CMC
environments is too expensive for much of the world population, 2) the language (English) and
technical skills needed prevent much of the worlds population from participating, and 3) many
communities do not actively adopt new forms of technology until is has been incorporated into
members normal social functions (Soukup, 2006). Next, the content discussed in CMC contexts is
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often specialized as opposed to general community issues. Last, Soukup claimed that CMC
environments exist outside local neighborhoods, and are therefore disconnected from the
sociability and politics of any physical town or city. One of the unique characteristics of CMC
contexts, he states, is their ability to transcend physical boundaries; communities can exist outside
the physical boundaries of space. In contrast, traditional third places are tied to a physical
community because they exist in one concrete location (Soukup, 2006).
Soukup then introduced the concept of a virtual third place, what he considered a more
realistic expectation for CMC contexts. Virtual third places, as the name suggests, depend on
simulated interaction through technology and a detachment from the physical world. In order for
these environments to provide the benefits of traditional third places, they must 1) clearly associate
with an identifiable culture and location, 2) be accessible to individuals within the defined culture
through equipment, technological training, and a welcoming environment, and 3) build an
immersive experience through familiar images, dialogue, sounds, and other media (Soukup, 2006).
Soukups description of a virtual third place presents an interesting concept in light of
todays social media use. Research on the viability of social media as a virtual third place appears to
be warranted given the pervasive nature of social media in todays society and the changing nature
of traditional third places. Thus, the following question is presented:
RQ 1: Is social media a viable virtual third place?

Another worthwhile question is whether virtual third places, with their unique benefits and
limitations, meet different needs than traditional third places. Therefore, the relationship between
needs met by virtual third places and those met by physical third places warrants research. Of
theoretical significance is whether virtual third places replace or merely supplement traditional
third places. Therefore, two additional questions are presented:
RQ 2: What needs to virtual third places serve?

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RQ 3: Based on the needs that virtual third places gratify, do virtual third places take the

place of physical third places, or do they serve different needs?

Method

A convenience sample of nine participants was recruited for the study. Participants were
informed that the interview would take approximately ten minutes, and would consist of questions
related to social media and creating a community. For each interview, the definition of a third place
was presented to ensure all participants understood the term. The oral definition of a third place, as
presented by the researcher was, a place - when youre not at work or home - where you go to
relax and specifically socialize with people and form a community. A specific definition of social
media was not given to the participants. The researcher relied on the participants familiarity with
social media and their symbolic interpretation of the term to arrive at a shared understanding of its
meaning in each interview.
All participants were undergraduate students at Pittsburg State University unless otherwise
stated. The interviews ranged in length from 7.5 to 12.25 minutes. Interviews were recorded and
transcribed for later analysis. Demographic information for each participant and the setting in
which their interview was completed are as follows: Interviewee 1 is a 24-year old female from
Dallas, Texas. She was interviewed in the researchers apartment at approximately 5:00pm.
Interviewee 2, a 22-year old female from Shawnee, Kansas, was also interviewed in the researchers
apartment, which doubles as her residence, at approximately 6:00pm. Interviewee 3 is a 21-year
old male from Sarcoxie, Missouri. His interview was completed at a picnic table outside the Student
Center of Pittsburg State University at approximately 11:00am. Interviewee 4 is a 21-year old male
from Grain Valley, Missouri. He was interviewed inside a meeting room of Pittsburg State
Universitys Student Center after attending an organizational meeting at approximately 8:00pm.
Interviewee 5 is a 35-year old male from Overland Park, Kansas. This participant is a staff member
of a campus ministry organization, and regularly meets with university students. His interview was
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held immediately following Interviewee 4, in the same setting. Interviewee 6 is a 21-year old female
from Galena, Kansas. Her interview was held in the office where she worked, while her coworkers
were absent, at approximately 4:00pm. Interviewee 7 is a 20-year old female from Pittsburg,
Kansas. She was interviewed in a quiet hallway within the Kansas Technology Center of Pittsburg
State University at approximately 2:00pm. Interviewee 8 is a 22-year old male from Neosho,
Missouri. He was interviewed following the same organizational meeting as Interviewees 4 and 5,
in the same setting and immediately following their interviews at approximately 8:30pm.
Interviewee 9 is a 22-year old male from Hesston, Kansas. Interviewees 8 and 9 asked to complete
the interview simultaneously, which was permitted on the grounds that it could produce useful
data in addition to the anticipated verbal answers. Although a certain amount of interplay between
the participants did occur, the nonverbal and verbal interaction between the two participants was
documented as useful data.

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Results
To answer the first research question, which asked if social media could be considered a
viable virtual third place, questions were asked to assess if the media could 1) associate with an
identifiable culture and location, 2) be accessible, and 3) be immersive and foster a comfortable
environment. Findings from the interviews suggest that social media, as used today, can associate
with an identifiable culture and location. Interviewee 6 contextualized her use of social media
within a physical location that she identified as her third place: a sorority house. As she explained,
conversations on social media, which could occur without being physically present at the third
place, were situated within the physical location and culture of the sorority house:
[Interaction on social media] kind of makes you feel like you're there... So an example was, I
wasn't here for formal recruitment, I was actually on a boat in the Caribbean for my
birthday. So I got to get on Facebook whenever I had Wi-Fi or something. I'd hop on and be
like, "How's recruitment going? How are the girls? Do we like a lot of people? What's going
on? Is it a good group?" Any really important things like Greek Week or Homecoming or
things like that that we have to do, we have a chapter page that we post on. So everybody
and see it. And then if somebody has a question, it carries on there. And then if we get to
meeting, and they're like, "Hey, I posted on the Facebook page. I was unsure about this." Or
things like that. And then sometimes we talk about it in meeting or we'll talk about it just at
the house or whatever and then it will go onto Facebook, our Facebook page.
More often than identifying with a physical location, social media appeared to situate interaction
within an identifiable culture, still contextualizing the interaction with a sense of place. Interviewee
7 used Facebook within the context of a college organization when she could not physically attend:
I'll see if they're doing something, then the next time I see them I can be like, "Oh, how'd
this go?" Like with the corn maze, seeing the picture you guys put up on the Pitt Cru page,
and I remembered, oh, how'd that go? You guys had a decent group and everything and it
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looked like fun. Just kind of stay connected with what they're doing when I'm not with them.
If I'm at work or something.
As illustrated by the participants, social media interaction can be situated within a physical location
or culture. Having a sense of place in which to contextualize the interaction, the topics discussed
over social media in these instances relate to a geographic location or a definite community.
The second essential characteristic of a viable virtual third place is accessibility, which can
be achieved through technology, the ability to come and go at ones discretion, and co-construction
of narratives by members. Social media users appear to enjoy an acceptable level of accessibility
due to todays pervasive technology. Interviewees 2 and 6 specifically mentioned using social media
on their phone more often than a computer, with Interviewee 2 stating that she utilized social
media pretty much 100 percent from her phone. The accessibility of social media was also
highlighted in the variety of times throughout the day participants accessed social media.
Participants felt free to come and go at their discretion, creating an open, accessible environment.
Interviewee 1 perceived this level of accessibility, visiting social media throughout her day:
I check it in the morning, when I wake up. And then, I, what else? I check it during like,
before class, like waiting there. And then, when I'm sitting by myself at lunch, I check it then.
I check it on my lunch break. I think 6 or 7 times, maybe.
Accessibility was also noticed in the participants ability to co-construct narratives on social media.
Interviewee 9 participated in this co-construction by continuing dialogue on Facebook:
... It gives you a chance to continue conversations or inside jokes you had with [friends]
when you were in person with them. And you can continue that on Facebook in a pretty
easy and simple way. Whether that's sharing videos or stories that relate or something.
With the accessibility afforded to users by mobile technology, social media appears to foster a
come-as-you-please environment in which members can co-create narratives based on the dialogue
and events they experience.

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The final test to determine the viability of social media as a virtual third place deals with
immersion experienced within the simulated environment. Immersion is created through familiar
images, sounds, dialogue, and other media, and builds a warm, comfortable environment fostering
free socialization. Data gathered from participants shows that users of social media do not feel an
adequate sense of immersion with social media, thereby limiting its potential as a virtual third
place. Evidence of this lack of immersion can be found in the perceived coldness users associate
with simulated conversations. Specifically, these conversations lack the emotional energy that
accompanies face-to-face interaction. Interviewee 1 detected this coldness and expounded upon
social medias limitations as a third place:
It just doesn't seem as, I mean you can't really connect with something that's cold like a
screen. The reason I like finding third places, I'm a very social person... I like people
watching and just observing other people and listening to conversations around me and it
makes me feel more a part of the community and environment than a screen.
Interviewee 3 also observed a lack of emotion in social media interaction, which impacted his
ability to become immersed in the simulated conversations:
...Personally, I don't like texting, and I'm not super big on Facebook messaging and all that.
So like I said, I kind of just get on there to scroll through. So it's completely different for me.
When I'm face-to-face, it's great, we're having great conversations, I enjoy the interaction.
Facebook or some kind of social media, just kind of conversation-based, it's super hard for
me to stay with it. And I don't get near enough out of it. Cause you can't share that emotion
through text real well. And even if you do know how, a lot of people dont. So it makes it
difficult. Like in text messaging, you can misunderstand someones intent because its just
words on a page. You're not getting any inflection in their voice, you're not showing any
emotion. The pictures and stuff and the videos are cool, but when it just to talking to people,
I'd rather have it up close.
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Social medias inability to convey emotion appeared to be the main hindrance to an immersive,
comfortable sense of place. Interviewee 7 specifically mentioned the emotional energy that she
enjoyed during face-to-face interactions and felt was missing from social media:
[Social media lacks] that actual physical contact and just the energy that bounces off people
from having a good time or talking about things that you've been going through. And like,
you don't get that through social media. You're looking at a screen, you're not looking at the
person. You can't see how they feel about something. That kind of stinks.
Another hindrance to immersion was found in the perceived realness of the dialogue and the
individual person. Interviewee 5 felt social media lacked credibility because of an individuals
ability to craft responses:
It's shallower in the sense that I generally have time to craft what I put forth in social
media whereas face-to-face, what you say and what you are is what you say and what you
are. There's no edit button in your real-world conversations. It's probably more superficial
in the sense that I can self-edit and only put the best parts of me forward versus being
physically present.
Despite the ability to share familiar images, videos, and dialogue across social media, participants
were not immersed in the virtual environment due to a lack of emotional energy and realness in
simulated conversations. Therefore, social medias viability as a virtual third place is hindered. As
will be discussed later, social media appears to function similarly as third places as a gratifier of
self-serving needs, but less so in terms of community building.
Having analyzed the role and limitations of social media as a virtual third place, the second
research question, which assessed the needs served by virtual third places, can be discussed. As
was proposed earlier, participants appear to use social media (as a limited virtual third place) in a
self-serving manner, specifically to satisfy needs of personal utility and entertainment and to avoid
isolation. Beginning with needs of personal utility, one function of social media is the transfer of
21
information about individuals and upcoming community events. Interviewee 4 used social media
for personal utility because it afforded a quicker transfer of new information than any other media:
It's the only app that will give me new information when I click on it. You know what I
mean? So, I usually check my email a lot too, like I just open mail and refresh. And it never
gives me any new emails, but I still do it. But Twitter, every time you drag it down there's
another one at least... And it's short. I don't have to read an article, I just get a tweet.
Interviewee 9 used social media to gain information about individuals:
I think basically it gives me a good place to get information about other people. Which kind
of sounds weird.
Researcher: People stalking?
Pretty much, but you just see what people are up to, just a good way to keep updated.
Participants also mentioned using social media to transfer information about upcoming events.
Interviewee 9 summarized this use of social media for personal utility:
I would say, [social media provides] an easier way to connect, like relay information,
getting news. Planning, organizing is a whole lot easier cause you don't have to be right
there with that person.
Participants also turned to social media for entertainment, using the virtual third place to
satisfy needs of enjoyment and relaxation. Interviewee 3 used social media in this manner, finding
entertainment in conversations and online media:
Well when I'm not looking for something that's like information for an event going on or
with a group, I'm usually just using it to just see how my friends are doing, make sure
everyone's doing alright. And then, a lot of times I'll look for funny pages because I'm just
trying to get a laugh. It's just literally entertainment to kill time.
Interviewee 6 also used social media for entertainment purposes:
22
I guess [its] something to just preoccupy my time. And also to catch up with what my
friends have done over the weekend if I haven't been hanging out with them. Or like, a break
or something like that. I mean, I look at a ton of puppy videos, and Matt Bellassai on "Whine
about it Wednesdays" from Buzzfeed. So, he's kind of my spirit animal.
The use of social media for entertainment reflects the playful environment of virtual third places.
The conversations are freewheeling, the atmosphere is relaxed, and individuals casually enjoy the
individuals and available media.
Participants also used social media to keep up with a community both individuals and a
location or culture in general while physically separated from it. Using social media to avoid
isolation appears to gratify the need of belonging, similar to traditional third places. Interviewee 3
used social media in this manner to extend the feeling of a community to separated individuals:
A lot of times friends, like with Snapchat, Snapchat's one of those where you take snaps of
what's going on around you and share the jokes, share in the camaraderie with your friends
if they can't be there. Or you sit there bugging them like "Hey, get here. You're missing out."
And so we use social media as an extension of "Sorry you can't be here, but hey, this is what
you're missing."
Interviewee 1 avoided isolation from her community in Dallas by connecting with them through
social media. She described the sense of belonging that came from using social media to transcend
space:

It fills the void of me not being there, and it feels like I'm more there than I am.
The use of social media to avoid isolation and gratify the need to belong closely resembles a
traditional third place. However, social media furthers an individuals ability to remain connected
with a community by transcending time and space.

Having discovered the needs that social media gratifies as a limited virtual third place, an
analysis of the third research question can now be presented. This question sought to compare
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traditional third places with their virtual counterparts. Specifically, do virtual third places take the
place of physical third places, or do they serve different needs? The data collected indicates that
virtual third places do not serve the same needs as traditional third places because they do not
provide the same social experience. Instead, participants used the virtual third place to extend the
sense of a community when traditional third places were not readily available. First, it is important
to note that participants easily perceived the difference in interaction, and in many cases could
identify causes of the disparity (which have previously been discussed). Recognizing a difference in
the interaction experience, participants appeared to use social media to in two ways: to extend
existing face-to-face conversations, and as conversation starters for later face-to-face interactions.

The extension of existing conversations occurred when participants used social media to
continue dialogue from face-to-face interactions. Interviewee 9 described how he used Facebook in
this manner, and the direction of dialogue from physical to virtual third places:
I think the only way that I would get interaction out of it is like, it gives you a chance to
continue conversations or inside jokes you had with them when you were in person with
them. And you can continue that on Facebook in a pretty easy and simple way. Whether
that's sharing videos or stories that relate or something.
Researcher: Do the conversations you have on Facebook, do they ever go into a face-to-face
conversation? Or is it always just the other way around?
It's usually the other way around. Cause usually things don't start on Facebook. They
usually start in person, I feel like for me at least. And then they go onto Facebook.
Interviewee 6 also experience dialogue moving from face-to-face to online environments:
On some things, it starts out physical and then somebody posts a photo or something about
it and it escalates it in there. Especially cause we have a page for our chapter. So any really
important things like Greek Week or Homecoming or things like that that we have to do, we
have a chapter page that we post on.

24
Other participants used social media interactions to start related conversations in physical
third places. Interviewee 2 experienced this phenomenon, with dialogue from social media
functioning as conversation starters within her community of friends:
A lot of times we talk about what people post on Facebook.
Researcher: So it's kind of like, you can continue conversations that you've had
Yeah. So like, "Oh did you see what so-and-so put on Twitter the other day" or something
like that.
Interviewee 6 also experienced this direction of Facebook conversations starting dialogue in faceto-face conversations in her sorority:
If we get to meeting, and they're like, "Hey, I posted on the Facebook page. I was unsure
about this." Or things like that. And then sometimes we talk about it in meeting or we'll talk
about it just at the house or whatever and then it will go onto Facebook, our Facebook
page.
In both directions, the interaction experienced on social media related to, but did not replace, the
interactions experienced in traditional third places. As summarized by Interviewee 6:
It just flows. And even my friends who aren't Greek, it's the same thing. It just kind of flows
of, "Hey, we're talking about this on Facebook." And then we get together, and then we talk
about it. And so, I guess for my friend group, it's just a continuous social media, physical
being there. Social media, physical being there. And there's like, the transitioning of the
two.

25
Discussion
Through the use of pervasive technology that travels with us constantly, users of social
media have the unprecedented opportunity to stay continuously connected with their chosen
community. The question of using social media and virtual interaction to replace physical third
places holds substantial significance. If individuals could gratify the same needs through simulated
interaction as through face-to-face conversations, would the role of physical third places change?
Would these locations be in danger of becoming too slow, too inconvenient, and take too much
effort to compared to a virtual world that is quite literally at ones fingertips? One could argue that
humans will not adopt a method of socialization that is not altogether human. The term virtual
itself defines the almost or near, but not identical representation of an object. Simulated, in the
same sense, is the imitation of something else. Virtual interaction that inherently relies upon
simulated locations and dialogue cannot be considered authentic human interaction in its full sense
and power.
So, the question becomes: what does virtual interaction lack? Furthermore, what does it
provide users in terms of social interaction? Last, do the circumstances that foster social media use
shed light on what users look to accomplish through its use? According to the nine participants
surveyed, social media, as a virtual third place, lacks emotional energy and the realness that builds
a sense of community. However, it does allow continuous interaction with an established
community. As users encounter physical nonplaces locations with no identity and little
allowance for sociability they can avoid pausing their humanity, in the words of anthropologist
Amber Case, and look to a virtual substitute to fill the temporary void. Social media, with its
limitations as a virtual third place, does not foster a sense of community, but allows users to avoid a
sense of isolation. Therefore, both virtual and traditional third places have a place within todays
society and can gratify needs of belonging in interrelated ways.

26
The lack of emotional energy is a key limitation to using social media to build a sense of
community. It can be contested that this emotional energy, which individuals can perceive and
claim to enjoy, impacts the sense of community more than dialogue and interactions. For if the
dialogue itself built a sense of community, social media, which affords words on a page at the very
least, along with visual and audial representations of interactions, should provide users with an
adequate sense of community and serve to replace third places. However, users of social media
appear to desire a physical presence and energy that a virtual environment cannot offer.

This limitation calls into question the viability of social media as a virtual third place, or
otherwise stated the ability of social media to gratify identical needs as physical third places. As
first proposed by Oldenburg, the traditional third place functions as part of the community as a
whole, and is tied to a specific location and culture. Part of what fosters this sense of community
appears to be the very energy associated with being present among a group of people. Since social
media lacks this immersive environment, it is limited in its use as a third place. Individuals using
social media alone to create a sense of community, as one could expect a traditional third place to
gratify, may be dissatisfied with the sense of belonging they experience as a part of the overall
community.

Having addressed the limitations of social media in building a sense of community, the
benefit it provides a continuous connection within an established community can be examined.

The draw of a ubiquitous connection that transcends boundaries of time and space appears to
attract individuals to social media when their sense of community is temporarily suspended. This
suspension of community tends to occur when individuals are separated from their chosen
community; they may be still present within a communal space. Examples of this phenomenon are
abundant in todays society: on sidewalks and streets, in airports, grocery stores, and even college
classrooms. These nonplaces, as termed by Amber Case, are common environments where
individuals can be observed utilizing a virtual third place such as social media. Although these
27
individuals could be perceived as unsociable to the average eye, they are simply accessing a more
familiar community that can better gratify their need to belong. Their established community,
though separated by time and space, better serves their need than would an unfamiliar group of
individuals within a physical environment. The virtual third place adequately helps individuals
avoid temporary isolation until they can physically rejoin their chosen community. Once physically
reunited with a preferred community, individuals will enjoy the energy and emotion of face-to-face
interactions.
With the understanding that physical and virtual third places gratify interrelated needs in
different capacities, both varieties appear to have an integral place within todays society. As the
adequate location for building and enjoying a sense of community, physical third places continue to
serve societal functions that cannot be replaced with virtual interaction. One, the community as a
whole benefits from physical third place environments, as they foster identification with a
community at large. Interest in community issues and events and subsequent member involvement
must be developed in physical locations that are explicitly tied to a geographic community. On a
personal level, physical third places foster true, dynamic relationships between individuals that will
not develop through simulated interaction.
Virtual third places, despite their limitations, have a clear benefit for individual
communities with members find themselves temporarily separated from the group for a period of
time. In these circumstances, social media can reduce feelings of isolation, allowing them to remain
connected, on a less intimate level, with other members. This benefit could hold value for a number
of demographic groups that experience temporary separation, such as college students moving
away from home, military service members, businessmen, and related groups.

28
Limitations
Limitations to this study include the following: First, the researchers lack of experience
potentially influenced the quality of data. Additional questions could have been presented to
further understand how participants used social media specifically to interact with a community
while separated from it. Participants themselves may have misunderstood the definition of a third
place. Two participants appeared to understand a third place as a place of quiet isolation and
relaxation. An additional participant proclaimed to not have a third place, potentially due to the
researchers provided definition and lack of appropriate examples. Additionally, participants often
were allowed to wander when comparing face-to-face interaction with online interaction. Many
appeared to have canned answers ready that reflected the general perception of social media as a
cop-out to face-to-face interaction.
Areas of Future Research
Future research could specify types of social media to determine if certain categories
offered additional features that aid in the continuous connection with a community. An interesting
offshoot would be a focus on Snapchat, which participants felt was the most immersive type of
social media. Future research of social media users could explore whether the immersive quality of
Snapchat afforded more emotional energy, and whether the medium more closely resembled a
traditional third place than social networking sites. Additionally, examination of virtual social or
games worlds could yield significantly different results, considering the immersion of the virtual
worlds compared to social networking sites.

29
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Appendix 1 Interview Guide:

How much social media do you use?

What type of social media do you must often use?

When do you must often use social media?

When you use social media, what are you looking to accomplish?

Researcher introduces third place definition

Can you identify your physical third place?

How does social media provide you with social interaction when you cannot be physically present
with your community of friends?

How does online interaction using social media compare to the physical interaction you have in
your third place?

What, if anything, do you feel is missing from social media that you enjoy about physical third
places?

What, if anything, does social media add to a community that a physical third place does not
provide for?
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Appendix 2: Interview Transcriptions

Interviewee 1:
Michaela: Ok, first question is how much social media do you use?
Interviewee 1: I just use Facebook. I watch the videos that are on there, but I really don't have any
other accounts. I use it quite frequently - I don't use it per say - I check it quite frequently during the
day.
Michaela: Ok. Approximately how many times during the day do you check it?
Interviewee 1: Um, I check it in the morning, when I wake up. And then, I, what else? I check it
during like, before class, like waiting there. And then, when I'm sitting by myself at lunch, I check it
then, I check it on my lunch break. I think 6 or 7 times, maybe.
Michaela: So, when you use social media, what are you looking to accomplish?
Interviewee 1: I am just looking to accomplish the, like, kind of like a source of entertainment. Just
to check up on friends, see how they're doing. As I post something, I post something, but it's once in
a blue moon.
Michaela: How does social media provide you with social interaction when you cannot be physically
present with your community of friends? So maybe like your friends back in Dallas, when you can't
be present with them, how does social media provide you with social interaction?
Interviewee 1: It, um, it fills the void of me not being there, and it feels like I'm more there than I
am.
Michaela: How does online interaction using social media compare to like, face-to-face talking like
you would do in a third place like at the dining hall
Interviewee 1: I don't think it could replace it, cause, I mean, there's something to be said about
face-to-face, but I think it might be a good substitute. I think that people are too dependent on it,
and that's the issue is we're too comfortable communicating with the screen and not
communicating with people. So I think the art of communication is starting to get lost.
Michaela: Ok. Can you expound on that a little bit? So, why is it a bad thing that people are so
attached to social media as opposed to face-to-face?
Interviewee 1: Because I don't think we can get the whole story. I mean, we've learned body
language and stuff like that, and I don't think with, social media interaction like messaging on
Facebook, you can't understand all of the story they are telling you. I mean, I know the reason I have
Facebook is I have friends who were coworkers who lived in the UK and are abroad so I use that to
keep up with them and see how they're doing. And I know, I like my conversations with them, but
it's not as personal and intimate as I would like it to be.
33
Michaela: Ok, so with your friends back in Dallas, social media is a way to keep up with them and
stay in the loop.
Interviewee 1: Right.
Michaela: Do you feel like youre still a part of that community because you're able to talk with
them, or do you still feel somewhat disconnected from that community?
Interviewee 1: I still feel somewhat disconnected from it. I know when I go back, they tell me of
these thousand things that have happened since I've been gone, and I'm just like " I thought I was
keeping up with you, but apparently I'm not."
Michaela: Are those personal things that are happening, or are those things that happen within the
community as a whole?
Interviewee 1: Personal things.
Michaela: You kind of touched on this a little bit, but if you could do it again, or if you have any
extra: What do you feel is missing from social media that you enjoy about physical third places?
Interviewee 1: It just doesn't seem as, I mean you can't really connect with something that's cold
like a screen. The reason I like finding third places, I'm a very social person. I mean I can be a hermit
if I have to but I like people watching and just observing other people and listening to conversations
around me and it makes me feel more a part of the community and environment than a screen.

Interviewee 2:
Michaela: How much social media do you use, and with that, what type of social media do you use
most often?
Interviewee 2: Uh, probably a couple.
Michaela: A couple per day?
Interviewee 2: Yes. And mostly Facebook and Twitter. On my phone, pretty much 100 percent.
Michaela: When do you most often use social media?
Interviewee 2: When I'm bored.
Michaela: So, like between classes, at home?
Interviewee 2: Like on commercial breaks, if I get early to a class, if one of my classes is really
boring.
34
Michaela: Do you use it at all when you are walking to class or anything?
Interviewee 2 Yes. Admittedly so.
Michaela: When you use social media what are you looking to accomplish?
Interviewee 2: I post a lot of pictures because I want my friends to see what I'm doing. I look at
other people's pictures to see what they're doing. Most of the time I'm just bored so I'm trying to
have something to do. Well and like after one of my teams wins or something, I'll go on Twitter and
see what people are saying about it.
Michaela: Why do you think you go to social media to fill that void whenever you're bored?
Interviewee 2: Um, cause it's right there. It's so easy.
Michaela: Can you identify that third place for you, either if it's back home in Kansas City, or here
just wherever you feel like you have one of those third places?
Interviewee 2: Well, I mean, I have restaurants that we go to. Church.
Michaela: So keeping those things in mind and what you get out of those, how does social media
provide you with social interaction when you cannot be physically present with your community of
friends?
Interviewee 2: Well, I have friends that are at different colleges, and so we're not usually home on
the same weekends, so I catch up with them on Facebook and Twitter. Snapchat stories. I have a
friend that goes to K-State who updates her snapchat story like every hour. So I know what's going
on in her life.
Michaela: So do you feel like you're as connected with them as if they were physically present in the
same place as you, or still less?
Interviewee 2: Maybe as connected.
Michaela: How does online interaction using social media compare to the physical interaction you
have in your third place?
Interviewee 2: Well, I mean, you have to wait for response time, and I don't really do a whole lot of
direct communication with people. It's more like, they might see one of my pictures and comment
on it or something, so you're not actually having a conversation really. And you can't really laugh at
what they say, or you always have to have some sort of answer. You can't have a nonverbal answer.
So if you don't know what to say you're just like, uh, you just don't say anything. And it's kind of
awkward.
Michaela: What, if anything, do you feel is missing from social media that you enjoy about
traditional third places?
35
Interviewee 2: I guess... I guess that kind of nonverbal communication, like being able to add
emphasis to your words or sarcasm.
Michaela: What, if anything, does social media add to a sense of community that traditional third
places can not?
Interviewee 2: Well, I mean, if you go to the zoo, you're not going to just call up your friend and be
like "I'm at the zoo!" But if you take a picture of a giraffe, and post it on Instagram, your friends
know you're at the zoo.
Michaela: Do you talk about similar things when you're talking over Facebook as you do when
you're talking face-to-face, or are they different conversations?
Interviewee 2: I think they're different.
Michaela: Do they ever overlap?
Interviewee 2: Oh yeah. A lot of times we talk about what people post on Facebook.
Michaela: So it's kind of like, you can continue conversations that you've had.
Interviewee 2: Yeah. So like, "Oh did you see what so-and-so put on Twitter the other day" or
something like that.
Michaela: Is it typically talking about what you put on Facebook when you're face-to-face or do you
also talk about things that you've said face-to-face on Facebook?
Interviewee 2: I think it's mostly talking about what you put on Facebook, face-to-face, instead of
the other way around.

Interviewee 3:
Michaela: How much social media do you use, and going along with that what type of social media
do you must often use?
Interviewee 3: Social media, mostly I use Facebook because I use it for business and for sociability
cause a lot of my organizations and groups I'm in, we keep track on Facebook because it can tell you
when someone's wrote a message, and it's easier just to post something on there than to try to call.
Sociability, I check on my friends, and just kind of... I don't really post a whole lot, I'm kind of just
the guy who's like "what's everybody doing?"
Michaela: Yeah, the one who just scrolls?
36
Interviewee 3: Yea. I do the same thing on twitter, I don't really tweet much unless there's a picture
of me tagged by my fiancee or something. iFunny, I consider that kind of social media because your
sharing memes and stuff. And I check that every day cause they update features every few hours.
Interviewee 3: Most often I use it just before bed, in between classes, or when I'm just on a break
and there's really no one to talk to. I prefer face-to-face interaction with people but when no one is
talking or there's no one around me I'll check on my Facebook or something.
Michaela: When you use social media, what are you looking to accomplish, especially when you use
it when you're bored and have nothing else to do?
Interviewee 3: Well when I'm not looking for something that's like information for an event going
on or with a group, I'm usually just using it to just see how my friends are doing, make sure
everyone's doing alright. And then, a lot of times I'll look for funny pages because I'm just trying to
get a laugh. It's just literally entertainment to kill time.
Michaela: Can you think of, either back in Sarcoxie or here, a place that you could consider your
third place?
Interviewee 3: I kind of have one for both. In Sarcoxie we would always go out to my buddy's field.
He had a pond out there. We would usually get together and have a big old fire, and just, we'd drink
a little bit and socialize and have a good time and it's just our time to get away from everything else.
Here, sometimes when we have concerts that's definitely where I want to be. But otherwise where I
go just to socialize, I go to 505 on Thursday nights, just to catch up with my friends. It's something I
look forward to every week cause I don't go out a lot, so I'll just go out on Thursday night, hang out
with a bunch of my friends, sing karaoke, socialize, and just forget about all the problems going on
in the world right now.
Michaela: So when you're at those third places, what do you typically talk about? Not specifically,
but are they more local issues, or more national kind of things, general sports?
Interviewee 3: Well it kind of depends on the mood. We never really get into talking about big
national issues because it's just another problem that we have to face in our everyday lives. A lot of
times, we'll talk about the funny things that have happened through our day, how our week's been
going, any funny stories that might have come up. We'll talk football and baseball, depending on
who's playing. Like I'm a Broncos fan, they're Chiefs fans. So one night on Thursday night football I
showed up, the Broncos had just spanked the Chiefs, so I came in and everybody hated me. We try
not to talk about anything too serious. Cause one, we're drinking, so we're being stupid. But back in
Sarcoxie that's when we'd get philosophical, those nights in the field. We'd talk about those events,
but here, not so much.
Michaela: Keeping that in mind, and the conversations and sense of a community you have in your
third place, how does social media provide you with social interaction when you can't be physically
present with those friends?
Interviewee 3: A lot of times friends, like with snapchat, snapchat's one of those where you take
snaps of what's going on around you and share the jokes, share in the camaraderie with your
37
friends if they can't be there. Or you sit there bugging them like "Hey, get here. You're missing out."
And so we use social media as an extension of "Sorry you can't be here, but hey, this is what you're
missing."
Michaela: Comparing the online interaction you have and what you talk about online compared to
what you talk about in your actual third places, how does that compare? Do you talk about the same
things or different things, and do you still feel a sense of community?
Interviewee 3: I think a lot of it depends on how you like using the medium to communicate as well.
So like personally, I don't like texting, and I'm not super big on Facebook messaging and all that. So
like I said, I kind of just get on there to scroll through. So it's completely different for me. When I'm
face-to-face, it's great, we're having great conversations, I enjoy the interaction. Facebook or some
kind of social media, just kind of conversation-based, it's super hard for me to stay with it. And I
don't get near enough out of it. Cause you can't share that emotion through text real well. And even
if you do know how, a lot of people don't. So it makes it difficult. Like in text messaging, you can
misunderstand someone's intent because it's just words on a page. You're not getting any inflection
in their voice, you're not showing any emotion. The pictures and stuff and the videos are cool, but
when it just to talking to people, I'd rather have it up close.
Michaela: Would you feel like that's something that's missing from social media as opposed to faceto-face interaction?
Interviewee 3: Absolutely, because if you look around today and look at the way people have
changed over the years, you have less and less social interaction in public because everybody's
tapped in to social media. You're too busy looking at everything else and talking to people who
aren't there, so you're not doing the face-to-face, but when you want to do the face-to-face, it's so
much more active and so much more fun. And I think if you could tie in that much more, like,
emotion into social media communication, I think it would be better. Like Skype, Skype is
wonderful, because you can actually video-chat and see the person you're talking to and they could
be thousands of miles away.
Michaela: What, if anything, does social media add to a sense of community?
Interviewee 3: I think it can. Because it can help you keep in touch with almost no work at all
between a group of people. Because literally, you make a group on Facebook of your old high school
friends, and you guys are always in that group unless you leave it. So there's always a way to
reconnect. And so, with the help of social media, those bonds will, they'll fade a little bit, but they're
still there and it's easier than like, "Oh man, did they change they're number?" They're gonna have
the same Facebook account, just, "Hey, how you doing. What's up?"
Michaela: Yeah, you can keep in touch with them easier. It's kind of like you can keep a bigger
community of friends.
Interviewee 3: Yeah.
Michaela: It may not be as close of one, but it's a bigger one.
Interviewee 3: Yeah. We have a group from the seniors of my high school right now cause we are
getting ready to start talking about our 5-year reunion, and then our 10-year reunion.So like the
38
page has been pretty quiet, but it's starting to pick up a little bit because we are all starting to talk
again. All the people that have moved away are talking about coming back.
Michaela: When you think about your community of people you see on a day-to-day basis here, and
the people you are friends with on Facebook, is it the same group or is it two different
communities?
Interviewee 3: Most of it's the same group, because I'm the guy who will go on Facebook, and if I
don't talk to you then I'm deleting you. Unless you're like a super good friend of mine. So mostly it's
the same group. The ones I talk to on Facebook more than in person are just the ones who are far
away. But the people here on campus, they're my best friends. I love them to death. I'll you
Facebook like, "Hey, I want to see you." Then we'll have a blast.

Interviewee 4:
Michaela: The first question is how much social media do you use, and what type?
Interviewee 4: Well, I use Twitter. And I use Facebook Messenger when someone sends me a
Facebook message, and I reply to it. And I use Twitter usually in the morning, and sometimes
throughout the day if I'm bored, and sometimes at night.
Michaela: What are you trying to accomplish when you use social media?
Interviewee 4: Well, with Facebook messenger, I talk with people that don't have texting or cell
phones, or that live out of the country that can't text because it costs outrageous. Twitter, I pretty
much follow people that post news articles or pastors that post, stuff like that.
Michaela: So kind of information?
Interviewee 4: Yeah, just information really.
Michaela: When you're bored and you use it, why do you go to that?
Interviewee 4: Cause it's the only app that will give me new information when I click on it. You
know what I mean? So, I usually check my email a lot too, like I just open mail and refresh. And it
never gives me any new emails, but I still do it. But Twitter, every time you drag it down there's
another one at least.
Michaela: And I guess the difference between that and regular news outlets is that it's something
you're kind of familiar with and you care about.
Interviewee 4: And it's short. I don't have to read an article, I just get a tweet.
Michaela: Can you identify a physical third place where you go to relax other than home or when
you're not at work?
39
Interviewee 4: Yeah, I mean, I pretty much just relax at home. Sometimes at Katy's house, but not
much.
present with a community of friends?
Interviewee 4: Well, it makes planning things easier because you can do group messenger on
Facebook. Like, I planned a camping trip, but we never met in person to do it. I just started up
Facebook Messenger. Or actually, I started a Facebook event or something. I used Facebook and we
could all talk on there and give packing lists and details and whatnot. And then, all my friends that
don't live around me, I can Facebook message them. I don't actually use Facebook, just the
messenger. If that makes any sense.
Michaela: Yeah, it does. Cause you use Twitter instead for if you want information.
Michaela: How does online interaction using social media compare to the physical interaction you
have in your third place?
Interviewee 4: Well, online interaction is less personal. And over text it's really hard to get your
emotions and your feelings about things. And so sometimes people will take it the wrong way.
They'll just read into it when your facial expressions could solve a lot of issues. So, it's convenient
because you can do it whenever, wherever. But then it kind of sucks cause sometimes it takes 4
times as long to, especially like to the international students cause they don't speak English. And
like, when they have to ask you multiple questions it just takes a long time to reply.
Michaela: Cause you're not face-to-face asking people the question.
Michaela: What, if anything, do you feel is missing from social media that you enjoy about face-toface talking?
Interviewee 4: Um, food. Like, I like to go out to eat with people to talk. And it's just really good to
bond when you're eating a meal. And sure, I could eat while Facebook messaging, but I'm still
Facebook messaging. And, I don't know, I think that's about... what's missing? Also, sometimes
whenever I have an event on Facebook I'd have to log in, cause I don't have the app. Do I'd have to
go to facebook.com. And they don't put anything in order. I tried to read a few of them and I was
like, "This happened 4 days ago." And then the next one happened 3 seconds ago. And so I don't use
it anymore, cause that's annoying. And then you refresh and you get the same ones again. I'm not
going to read that twice.
Michaela: What, if anything, does social media add to a sense of community?
Interviewee 4: Well, I can keep in contact with more people through it that I will not see again
probably, or that would be very difficult to see. And even like my parents at home. I can post a
picture or whatever and they can see it and see what's happening. Same with my friends, in Texas
40
or Georgia, all over the place, all over other countries too. You can just keep in contact with them
easier.

Interviewee 5:
Michaela: How much social media do you use?

Interviewee 5: I don't know, maybe like 20-30 minutes or so.
Michaela: Per day?
Interviewee 5: Probably, yeah.
Michaela: What type of social media?
Interviewee 5: Facebook, and Twitter, and Instagram. I think that's it.
Interviewee 5: Sometimes for work, specifically Facebook. Or just when I'm bored.
Michaela: When you use social media, what are you looking to accomplish?
Interviewee 5: See what's going on in friend's lives, that's the main thing usually. Or communicate
something to people or amazing people with my wit.
Michaela: Can you identify your physical third place?
Interviewee 5: For me, it's probably actually church. So I don't go specifically to form, I don't know,
how did you put it specifically, to...
Michaela: Form a community.
Interviewee 5: Form a community. So, yeah, that's not the explicit reason, I mean that's a part of it,
but that's not the sole reason. But yeah, that's probably my main one.
present with your community of friends?
Interviewee 5: It's usually interacting over events, either sports or news or things like that, or
commenting on things they share. So, yeah, it's a lot of times the things that we have in common
that we are interacting with without being physically present.
Michaela: So with the sports and news, is that more local or is it more national news and sports?
41
Interviewee 5: It varies. It varies greatly. In the case of sports, it's usually going to be the Royals and
the Huskers. Or if it's just like a funny sports story that isn't necessarily a team or a sport that I
follow, so that would fall under more than one category, more just general news, not because I have
an affinity for that particular team.
Michaela: How does online interaction using social media compare to physical face-to-face
interaction?
Interviewee 5: It's shallower in the sense that I generally have time to craft what I put forth in social
media whereas face-to-face, what you say and what you are is what you say and what you are.
There's no edit button in your real-world conversations. It's probably more superficial in the sense
that I can self-edit and only put the best parts of me forward versus being physically present.
Michaela: What, if anything, do you feel is missing from social media that you enjoy about third
places?
Interviewee 5: Just the realness of the interaction. It's always better to be together. There's just this
social connection that doesn't happen online that happens in person. Because you feel the pressure
to self-edit and not be yourself. Yeah, the realness of it is missing. So you don't have the good and
the bad... I don't mean bad in the bad sense, but like the less than perfect that we wouldn't share on
Instagram. I mean, no one takes a selfie of their zit or talked about the time they accidentally stole
someone else's taxi or something like that.
Michaela: What, if anything, does social media add to a feeling of, a sense of community, that maybe
a physical third place cannot?
Interviewee 5: There aren't time restrains. So, in a physical third place, if someone can't physically
be there, they're missing out and in social media, that's not the case. You can look at it on your time
and interact on your time. Like I'm in a fantasy football league with some family members. We made
comments on it, and we're not going to get together and discuss fantasy football but because it's not
timed down, we're all able to interact when we're able to in a way that wouldn't be realistic for
something as trivial as a fantasy football league.

Interviewee 6:
Michaela: How much social media do you use and what type of social media do you most often use?
Interviewee 6: I use all of it. I use mainly Facebook for like, connecting with friends and things. But I
use Twitter for just catching up on things. And of course, "Insta" for photos and everything else.
Michaela: How much, would you say, you use? Hours per day, just approximately.
Interviewee 6: I'd probably say at least 6 hours a day? I mean, I'm constantly on it all the time. So,
it's like attached to me, my phone.
Michaela: So do you must often use it on your phone or on a computer?
42
Interviewee 6: Phone.
Michaela: When do you must often use social media?
Interviewee 6: When I'm bored in class. It's really bad! But... yeah, when I'm bored in class. Or like,
when I'm just not doing anything and I kind of wonder what everybody's doing.
Michaela: So class... what about between classes or anything like that as well?
Interviewee 6: Oh, for sure.
Michaela: Ok. When you use social media, what are you looking to accomplish? Especially when
you're using it when you're bored?
Interviewee 6: I guess something to just preoccupy my time. And also to catch up with what my
friends have done over the weekend if I haven't been hanging out with them. Or like, a break or
something like that. I mean, I look at a ton of puppy videos, and Matt Bellassai on "Whine about it
Wednesdays" from Buzzfeed. So, he's kind of my spirit animal.
Michaela: So you use it both for information and for entertainment purposes?
Michaela: Can you think of either here in Pittsburg or back in Galena a physical location that would
be your third place?
Interviewee 6: Yeah, it's my sorority house.
Michaela: Can you kind of describe... Do you mostly socialize with the girls there, or what goes on to
make that sense of community there?
Interviewee 6: Well we socialize. We have a huge dining room table and in our dining room we have
TVs. So we'll watch TV together or hang out in our formal room. Sometimes we'll take communal
naps. So, two people climb in a bed, and you leave the doors open and its like, "Ok, and everybody
nap!" It's kind of fun. And we do different things too. We have game nights that we do. We
encourage, especially a lot of the new members, to come over so they get that sense of, "Oh, I'm
bored in class and I don't want to drive home, because I just got out of class but I have to meet my
group in 20 minutes. I'm going to go hang out at the house." We do a lot of different things at the
house.
Michaela: How does social media provide you with social interaction when you can't be physically
present with that group of friends?
Interviewee 6: It kind of makes you feel like you're there. Especially if they have a picture and then
they tag you and then you're not in there and they're like, "Wish you were here." And then it's a
conversation starter, so it's like, "Oh my gosh what have you guys been doing since I haven't been
there?" So an example was, I wasn't here for formal recruitment, I was actually on a boat in the
Caribbean for my birthday. So I got to get on Facebook whenever I had wifi or something. I'd hop on
and be like, "How's recruitment going? How are the girls? Do we like a lot of people? What's going
43
on? Is it a good group?" And they're like, "Yeah, we miss you." And they'd post photos and it tags
me, and I'm like, the stool in the corner in the photo and I'm like, "Thanks guys. Feeling the love."
Michaela: Comparing social media, what you talk about on social media and what you talk about
when you're actually with that community of friends, do you normally talk, like do the
conversations go from Facebook to the physical discussions, or do they mostly go from the physical
discussions into Facebook. Like, does Facebook extend the conversation, or does your physical
conversations extend the Facebook conversations?
Interviewee 6: It depends. Like on some things, it starts out physical and then somebody posts a
photo or something about it and it escalates it in there. Especially cause we have a page for our
chapter. So any really important things like Greek Week or Homecoming or things like that that we
have to do, we have a chapter page that we post on. So everybody and see it. And then if somebody
has a question, it carries on there. And then if we get to meeting, and they're like, "Hey, I posted on
the Facebook page. I was unsure about this." Or things like that. And then sometimes we talk about
it in meeting or we'll talk about it just at the house or whatever and then it will go onto Facebook,
our Facebook page.
Michaela: What, if anything, does social media add to a community that maybe the physical location
of the sorority house cannot?
Interviewee 6: I think it adds that ubiquitous outreach. So no matter where you are... I know if I'm
headed somewhere, like we have to meet at a place and I'm like, "Oh crap. I don't remember where
this is. I don't have time to go find somebody to talk to and I don't have time to text somebody cause
I know they're not going to respond quick enough, I can just go on the page, "Ok, that's where it is."
Load it in my GPS and go. Or, let's see what else... tough question... I guess just having that
information readily available. Cause we post stuff at the house and things like that, but it's not like
"Oh hey, remember such and such is at this place."
Michaela: Looking at your group of friends, your community within the sorority house, being your
third place, and the group of friends you have on Facebook or Instagram, or any social media, are
they typically the same people or are they typically different people?
Interviewee 6: They're typically the same people. Except I do have, on Facebook, some of my friends
- well, not my friends - but some of the people that I went to high school with who were a little bit
nutty and run in a very different crowd. And I'm like, "Ok, you do you over there. I'm gonna do me,
but I'm still nosy and I want to see what your doing over there." But typically, they run about the
same. I haven't really noticed an influx I guess... I'm not one of those weird people who just goes and
adds random people on Facebook. I'm like, "I don't know you? Ok that's fine." I want to proceed to
not know you.
Michaela: Do you feel like you have a sense of community on Facebook that is separate at all from
the community you have at the sorority house?
Interviewee 6: Hmm...
Michaela: Or is it really just kind of the same community, same issues, same everything?
44
Interviewee 6: Yeah, it's kind of the same. Because it just flows. And even my friends who aren't
greek, it's the same thing. It just kind of flows of, "Hey, we're talking about this on Facebook." And
then we get together, and then we talk about it. And so, I guess for my friend group, it's just a
continuous social media, physical being there. Social media, physical being there. And there's like,
the transitioning of the two.

Interviewee 7:
Michaela: So when you use social media, what are you looking to accomplish?
Interviewee 7: With Facebook, it's just I'm bored and I just scroll through and see who posted what
pictures. Sometimes I do run into family stuff and I'll go through that. Cause then I get to see that
and what's going on. So, I guess with that one, just to kind of stay connected with what everyone's
doing throughout the day, maybe. Snapchat, kind of entertainment. Cause, watching the stories and
then if it's actually one sent to me. Just funny friend snaps that make you laugh throughout the day.
And Instagram, I use that one less, and it's more of just like scrolling through. I do that one less
because it's basically on Facebook.
Michaela: Can you identify your physical location that is a third place? If you have one.
Interviewee 7: It would be Cru. Because if I'm not either at work or at home, I'm at Cru. Cause that
mainly makes up my week. Or so it'd be on the campus, mainly.
Michaela: So thinking about Cru, and the community you that you have there, how does social
media provide you with social interaction when you can't be with that group of friends?
Interviewee 7: I'll see if they're doing something, then the next time I see them I can be like, "Oh,
how'd this go?" Like with the corn maze, seeing the picture you guys put up on the Pitt Cru page,
and I remembered, oh, how'd that go? You guys had a decent group and everything and it looked
like fun. Just kind of stay connected with what they're doing when I'm not with them. If I'm at work
or something.
Michaela: When you're interacting online, through social media, how does that compare with faceto-face conversations and interactions?
Interviewee 7: It's a little harder, because face-to-face you can tell the emotions people are having
and you can read their body language and how they're responding to you and what you're talking
about. On social media, it's just words and you can sometimes mistake it for how it's being... the
context, you can mistake it and it won't be what you think sometimes.
Michaela: So do you feel like you mainly connect with a community face-to-face and then you just
kind of extend that feeling of a community online.
Interviewee 7: Yes.
Michaela: What, if anything, do you feel is missing from social media that you enjoy about physical
third places and communities like Cru?
45
Interviewee 7: That actual physical contact and just the energy that bounces off people from having
a good time or talking about things that you've been going through. And like, you don't get that
through social media. You're looking at a screen, you're not looking at the person. You can't see how
they feel about something. That kind of stinks.
Michaela: Yes. And along those lines, when you think of your community of friends on social media,
the majority of them, are they the friends that you see day-to-day and do you communicate with
them more often on social media or do you communicate more often with people that you don't see
everyday? Is it the same community or a different one on social media?
Interviewee 7: I think just a little bit different. There's those few people that I might want to see
how their day's going, like, random snapchat, like "Hey, good morning." And then, you know, the
other group that I see all the time I would see and talk to them about weekly.

Interviewees 8 and 9:
Michaela: How much social media do you use, and what type of social media do you most often use?
Interviewee 8: I would say I probably use it maybe a total of 45 minutes a day, which is more than I
should. A lot of times I'm just scrolling but I'm sure that adds up through the day. I think I mainly
use it, honestly, if I see something I like and I don't want to forget about it, so I'm like, "Im gonna
make a post of this."
Michaela: Like sharing something?
Interviewee 8: Yeah, but I share it so I don't forget.
Interviewee 9: Yeah, I would say I use it probably close to 45 minutes to an hour, that I'm actually
on it. And I think basically it gives me a good place to get information about other people. Which
kind of sounds weird,
Michaela: People stalking?
Interviewee 9: Pretty much, but you just see what people are up to, just a good way to keep
updated.
Michaela: Do you mostly use Facebook or is there another one that you use more?
Interviewee 8: I would say Facebook for me. I do have an Instagram, but I don't really use it.
Interviewee 9: I would say, as far as keeping up with friends and stuff, snapchat stories are a pretty
popular one with a bunch of my friends. Facebook. And then, I use Twitter more for public accounts,
I guess. Like ESPN or Cru stuff, or famous people, inspiration quotes, I use Twitter for that.
46
Interviewee 9: Right before class.

Interviewee 8: I would say during, right before class, during something that I'm bored in.
Interviewee 9: At night.
Interviewee 8: Yup. Before bed. Gotta get that scroll on.
Interviewee 9: Yup.
Michaela: When you use social media, what are you looking to accomplish? What are the purposes
for using it?
Interviewee 9: Yeah, getting information.
Interviewee 8: I would say also getting information but I think the majority of it is just to use up
time. It's like, I have no objective, I honestly don't. Matter of fact, lately I've been on it and it's like,
who can I unfriend? It's bad, but it's like, what are these things, I don't want to see this.
Michaela: Can you guys identify, either here or back home, a third place?
Interviewee 8: Places to relax, I think just going back home, would probably be the YMCA. Only
thing, it's like not really a good place to socialize, but just working out in general. Up here I think
one place would be the Mine lands north of town because it's just kind of wilderness-ish area. Just
going hiking.
Interviewee 9: Yeah, mine would, at least around here, is the lake, the president's lake. Whenever I
have free time, that's where I'll go and sit in a hammock and stuff. Back home, it's a nature center, a
really nice garden pretty much, in the center of town. And there's not many people there.
Michaela: How does social media provide you with social interaction when you can't be physically
present with a community of friends?
Interviewee 8: I would say it doesn't. I mean, for me personally. I really don't get anything, I think
any social interaction out of it. Yeah, no.
Interviewee 9: I think the only way that I would get interaction out of it is like, it gives you a chance
to continue conversations or inside jokes you had with them when you were in person with them.
And you can continue that on Facebook in a pretty easy and simple way. Whether that's sharing
videos or stories that relate or something.
Michaela: Do the conversations you have on Facebook, do they ever go into a face-to-face
conversation? Or is it always just the other way around?
Interviewee 9: It's usually the other way around. Cause usually things don't start on Facebook and
then... They usually start in person, I feel like for me at least. And then they go onto Facebook.
47
Michaela: Both of you guys both think that you don't get the same social interaction from online
compared to...
Interviewee 8: Not even close.
Michaela: What do you feel is missing from social media that you enjoy about a physical community
of people?
Interviewee 8: I would say the fact that it's in person. Cause I would say like, doing the stuff, like,
Face-time is, I guess, more enjoyable. I think the fact that you're in a physical location with
someone, I feel like that's what actually makes it worth it, I guess you could say. Cause you're
actually there to talk to them, you can kind of read their reactions to stuff. It's more, it's more of an
intimate thing to talk to someone in person over any kind of social media. Whereas, there's an
ability essentially for stuff to be like, pre-made up. You can like, double-check all their stuff so it's in
a way perfect. But when you're in person it's kind of more like, this is what I am.
Interviewee 9: And I think that makes it a little bit more, like, they can see you more as a human
being than just this perfect person who always says the right thing because they have 10 minutes to
think about it on Facebook. It makes it more real and especially with friendship, it shows them that
you have faults and that they have faults. You get more out of the conversation when you can read
their facial expressions and their mannerisms and stuff. And you can't always do that with
Facebook.
Michaela: What, if anything, does social media add to a community that a physical place cannot?
Interviewee 9: I would say, just an easier way to connect, like relay information, getting news.
Planning, organizing is a whole lot easier cause you don't have to be right there with that person. I
would say that's the main thing.
Michaela: When you think of your community on Facebook of friends, are those the same friends
that you see on a day-to-day basis, or are they different. Are they old friends from back home?
Interviewee 9: Like, when you say Facebook community, is that like, people that you talk to on
Facebook?
Michaela: Yes.
Interviewee 8: I would say almost completely different. Cause I guess there are people that I do talk
to that I see on a daily basis. But I would say the majority of people I communicate with on
Facebook, I do not see at all.
Interviewee 9: Yeah, I was going to go with that. Like people that I worked with this summer, I'll
talk to them on Facebook or text them. But people around here, the only time I would talk to them is
if we're planning an event or something. But then it would almost be as easy to see them the next
day or something.
Michaela: So it's more useful for people that you don't see as often?

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Running

head: EXPLORING THE ROLE OF THE VIRTUAL COMMUNITY

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

Exploring the role of the virtual community:

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

Oldenburgs Third Place

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

1988). Dimensions of interactivity include playfulness, choice, connectedness, information

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

benefit it provides a continuous connection within an established community can be examined.

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

Appendix 1 Interview Guide:

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

Appendix 2: Interview Transcriptions

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

Michaela: How much social media do you use?

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

Interviewee 9: Right before class.

BUILDING A COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINING ESTABLISHED TIES

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