Sociology

Aim of this dissertation
This dissertation seeks to understand better the effect of social networks on mass communication, advertising styles and economics growth trading over the internet.

Objectives
To understand growing popularity of social networks
To understand its effect on communication styles of people
To study advertising patterns on social networks
To understand further purchase behavior online

Background information Understanding the situation better
The internet is a changing, exploding landscape and we are all more than aware of how it has snowballed from being just something we did on the side, to completely absorbing our selves in all possible ways now. It is a powerful medium which finds usage across a gamut of activities like communication, media, sharing, information, business and commerce. While it had initially started out as just a source of data search and then keeping in touch, it now has implications on almost all that we do.

At the same time, social networks too have been capturing public imagination since times immemorial. Right from farmers groups to bridge clubs, social networks have often been the threads holding the fabric of society together. In fact, gossip too is like a social network which has found enough uses in both the personal and professional world. Social networks have ensured that individuals stay positive at work and at home, and common interests are developed.

However, it is the potent combination of these two, i.e. the internet and social networks that has actually led to an absolute explosion and which warrants a study from the media point of view. In fact the concept of online social networks has helped in strengthening the concepts of sharing, and these networks act as powerful tools to connect, share information and even find relevant content (Alan et al. 2007). So now just as information is available at the touch of a mouse, so is the ability to keep in touch with friends old and new.

Social networks have indeed taken the world by storm. Everyone wants to share what he or she is up to through the social network medium. There is a movement from merely serving as communication tools to a place where common interests can find a voice (like in communities) to now when it has even become largely about the self. So, you want to tell the world what you are upto, and what is happening in your life. You want people around you to know that you went for a holiday to Bali, or that your birthday bash was the best in the city. The sense of an almost exhibitionist display has crept in, and it is interesting to note that it is actually changing the way we communicate. Our communications could be said to be bordering on the self obsessed variety on these social networks.

Social networks have also changed the scale of our communications. With just the click of a button, information goes out to our entire network, and before we know it 500 people would know what is happening in our life. This of course means that everyone is so much more informed, but it also means that we live in a time of information explosion. How does one decide what is the needed information and what is just clutter filling up our already chaotic lives

As expected, this wave of growth in social networks is stemmed largely from the early adopters of technology and all things new, which are the youth. The internet boom has especially enabled the youth of the world, and their involvement with online social tools is no different. The usage of sites like Myspace or Facebook has skyrocketed in the recent past, often leading to an alarm wherein parents feel that too much time is being spent on these websites. Indeed kids across the world have been spending more and more time on the net, and needless to say as part of their increased internet usage patterns, social networking does have a prominent piece of the pie. However, the general impressions guardians may have of youngsters using the internet to make new friends may be a little premature at this stage. In America for example, nearly all teens and pre-teens believe that they simply use these networks to strengthen already existing networks of friends, and rarely are they being used to forge new ties (Pew survey 2006). In that sense there probably is an evolution that will be seen in times to come.

Of course, this spurt of activity online, and increasing popularity of social networking websites has had several commercial implications as well. Online networks are big business now. Business can happen online in two different ways. Firstly a number of people have started using the internet and social networking for professional uses as well. So it is not just all fun and games in these networks. Individuals and even corporations have realized that there exists a healthy mass of audience which is largely receptive to new information, and they are using the same to further their business pursuits. So everyone wants to talk about their new venture, or their small scale business online, and use the power of their social networks to get free eyeballs and visibility, and at the same time hope to generate real business. Writers and photographers might want to upload samplers of their art on their networks, not just for some valuable feedback, but also in the hope that someone might notice their work and give them their big break. So in a sense, these social networks are not just enabling more people to reach out to others for business, but they are also enabling the kind of business networking online which is both difficult and expensive in the real offline world (Jones c. 2009). Imagine getting 500 people in a room from all over and showcasing a few of your personal paintings

Secondly, larger corporations have realized that this largely captive audience is already neatly segmented in terms of their tastes and preferences and this kind of niches are hard to find in the real world. The virtual world, partly because of its anonymity, and partly because of its free access policy has social groups of an extremely specific nature. Where else would you find for example, an Elvis impersonator club with members from Kentucky to Kathmandu And with the rise of special groups online, comes the opportunity to serve their specific interests as well. Imagine a left handers college goes network. This would in itself offer a wonderful business opportunity to someone selling special writing instruments, or exam boards and drafters meant for the southpaws. Or take for example the homosexual community. Everyone keeps talking about the power of pink money, but the internet and special social networks could insure that if you have a specific product for them (like gay themed special holidays), you could have your advertising, with too much of a load on the pocket, and the fear of talking to the wrong people All this specialization has of course influenced the nature of advertising online. Since the kind of consumers that are present online and on social networking sites has increased manifold, and as discussed are usually neatly segmented as well, the online model is being seen as a viable business opportunity. More and more advertisers are making inroads with innovative campaigns and are utilizing a range of new media for their campaigns. So there are videos, games, virals, and special downloads all vying to engage the consumer in a fun, involving but hopefully non-intrusive manner.

Not just that it is interesting to note that a good amount of online activity is being channelized towards social networks and advertisers are realizing the potential this holds. In fact, more than 21 of all online ads now talk to users of social networks (comScore Ad Metrix, 2009). And this is a figure that will only go up, as advertisers online realize the merits of using social networks vis--vis a more conventional online campaign with the usual web banners across popular portals and microsites. The opportunity to innovate and truly break the clutter would come from work done on the social network front.

Advertising is just art if doesnt translate into real business. Are people buying more online True, e-commerce is growing as never before, and people are buying online, and using it as a medium to shop for a plethora of products, ranging from movie tickets and holidays to cosmetics and flowers. But is this growth really driven by the growth of online social networks I am not too sure about that, and in my mind buying online comes with unmatched convenience and the comforts of getting work done while you lounge at home. With the concept of the middleman completely removed, this is indeed the way business will be it times ahead too. Clearly there were some gaps, and indeed still are in the online buying model. But with the passage of time, these are getting ironed out, and buyer confidence has been increasing. More businesses are joining the online selling bandwagon, and consumer confidence is on the rise.

But will this trend spurt with the rise of social networks It is quite a possibility, what with the special niches waiting to be exploited, and for bigger, more mainstream business the potential of creating a buzz that a network offers. The elusive buzz is what big brand across the world chase and something that can take many years. Or it can be done with one great campaign idea. The internet offers this possibility to brands. If there is a great brand idea that gets liked by the public, then the presence of networks will ensure that the idea gets shared and free publicity is gotten in no time.

Also the possibility of a consumer using a product or service and greatly liking it, and then telling others about it is huge. Imagine someone getting flowed by the impeccable service of a bank and talking to a few friends about it in the real offline world. And imagine him talking about it, even casually in the virtual world. The positive word of mouth can do wonders for any business. And it is the possibility of developing such advocators, or consumers who love you that will hold a potential for brands.

From a media and communications point of view, the field of social networking and its implications online on advertising and buying is an interesting and insightful study. With the passage of time, and the further development and evolution of these networks, business opportunities can only grow. And a change in lifestyles across the globe will fuel this trend even more. With real time interactions reducing, and mankind spending less time with people, and more with his computer, he will be relying on it to stay in touch, and meet new people, and do business. And his changing behavior online is indeed extremely topical and offers a wealth of information to the researcher. It is this landscape that this dissertation seeks to understand and grasp more, and with this current scenario overview in mind it would be perfect to take up this challenge and get into this research.

Literature review
A literature review will kick start this project, and will involve an intensive study of various secondary sources, both online and offline. A variety of researches have been done in the field of internet usage, and given the topical nature of the issue there would also be enough material to find and go through in newspapers and magazines. The internet would provide a minefield of information on this subject.  Basis on our findings we will be able to formulate certain hypotheses, which will then be tested using primary research techniques.

The following areas would require a literature review to help us to form the hypotheses
What is the effect of social networks on mass communication and how has thins changed over a period of time

How has the increased usage of internet changed the communication styles of people Are they talking differently, more, less and what trends does it throw up

What are the various advertising models through social networks online Do they find favor with their audiences, are they effective and what do they say about the development of new age media Is this a viable model of communication and does it make enough business sense

How has buying over the internet change What are the various purchase intentions through the internet and buying behavior when it comes to the internet What role could social networks have in online buying, and are there any trends to be picked up in this

Research Plan
Overall research objectives
The research plans to test certain hypothesis regarding the dissertation topic and see if some of them can be validated using both a qualitative and quantitative research methodology. The hypothesis that will be tested will emerge from the literature review.

Qualitative research
Objectives
Through this research we intend to gauge
Internet usage patterns
Role of social networks as influencers
General opinion of online social networks and the internet
Advertising trends online
Buying habits online
Identifying and defining target audience
Though most internet led activities have a large youth skew, it would be interesting and insightful to also study social and online habits of an older group as well. So we will talk to different groups and try and cover diverse demographics.
Some sample groups that we could look at for this research could be
Pre-teen girls
College boys
Housewives
Retired men
Young couples

The filter that we will put while recruitment for our field research is as follows
Should be part of a social network
Should have access to, and use internet for at least 10 hours a week
Should have indulged in some sort of business activity online

Research design
Since qualitative research will form a large part of the field for this, there could be three different kinds of research we will do

Focus group discussions
These will essentially consist of around 8 participants and a discussion will be held to understand social networks behaviour, advertising online and buying behaviour online. Group structure will be homogenous and consist of one particular type of consumer. For example an FGD with housewives, or working women or salaried men. A minimum of 4 FGDs are proposed. A sample discussion guide (DG) is included in this proposal to give an indicative idea of the flow of questioning. (See Annexure 2)

Direct interviews
Direct interviews intend at getting more pointed, specific information, and try and see if there are any specific hooks that emerge from the focus groups that we might want to explore further. Also, this gives a chance to interact with a consumer on a 1-on-1 level, and he is usually off guard and more comfortable talking and sharing information.

It would be worthwhile to hold direct interviews with the following respondents
An extremely networked individual with presence in several social networks
A blogger
A heavy internet user ( 35-40 hours of usage per week)
An advertising professional who has used the online medium
A new age media expert, or subject specialist
An entrepreneur who is doing some online business, or any model of e-commerce
The last three DIs are actually more like expert interviews since they will be with certain information specialists. Also, depending on any particular themes that emerge from the literature review we could look at adding more individuals for direct interviews.

Friendship triads
Since we are researching on the subject of social networks, it is important to also study first hand the interactions that happen in such a group and the ramifications of such an interaction. A friendship triad is an extremely insightful research tool that will come in handy for us. This will be composed of a set of three individuals who are friends and essentially belong to a similar demographic and social structure. In this case they will also have a shared social network space.

Some examples of friendship triads that I intend to conduct are
Pre- teen girls
Boarding school classmates  boys
Club members
Car pool buddies
Around 4 triads would be conducted.
     
So it an all the entire qualitative research design will be
4-5 FGDs
4-5 DIs
4-5 Friendship triads

Expected output
The expected output from these diverse and comprehensive research units will be a rich collection of information about the dissertation topic and a lot of valuable insights that can be further explored. Also, certain themes will be identified, and we will be able to validate at least some of the hypotheses that we have developed.

Quantitative research

Objectives
Post the conduct of the field work for the qualitative leg of the project, the quantitative part will begin which is going to essentially provide data to substantiate the case and further check our hypotheses.
Also it will help in getting more pointed information in a quick easy come easy go fashion.

Identifying and defining target audience
The target audience for this is again expected to be diverse and from a representative set of backgrounds. The same filters that we used earlier will apply here too for the respondent recruitment

Should be part of a social network
Should have access to internet
Should be using the internet for at least 10 hours a week
Should have indulged in some sort of business activity online

Research design
This questionnaire survey will be administered either telephonically or personally to at least a 100 people.

Prior to the actual instrument, a few iterations could be made to ensure that it stays as meaningful and close to the subject matter as possible.

Expected output
The expected output from this will be factual information on the topic we are studying, and actual data on the usage patterns, which will be a part of the final analysis and overall outcomes.

Data synthesis and analysis

All the information and data from the three sources, i.e. literature review, qualitative research and quantitative research will be collated and then one will be able to see the larger picture with clarity.
While the literature review and qualitative bit will help in adding more meat to the hypotheses proposed, and also the body of the research, the quantitative survey results will be interpreted using statistical tools and analysis.

The data thus worked on will help us get answers to our questions and add more depth to the study.

Project management

This project will be managed by me, and overseen by my project guide. It will also get regular inputs from my other teachers and members of the media cell and department of Sociology.

To ensure that it stays on track, we will do a monthly review to check on progress. Also, all research instruments to get inputs and approval of the project guide prior to start of any fieldwork.

Documentation

Documentation will form an important part of this project. The following documents will form a part of the final thesis
Project report
Letter citing originality of the project
Copies of instruments used for field work
Research design
Sample copies of filled questionnaires