1. Relationships and digital communications

2. Good or bad for socials relationships?
In small groups come up with at least 3 positive effects and at least 3 negative effects that social media has on relationship from your own personal experiences or people you know. (Naming no names!).

3. Thinking about your own relationships
We are going to try an analysis of your online relationships using the 4 key criteria of what makes a relationship have “strong ties” below:
The amount of time spent together (we can include frequent, long online chats/exchanges of some kind, where meaningful information is exchanged).
The emotional intensity of the relationship.
The level of intimacy.
The degree of reciprocity (how much the other person responds in a similar way back)

4. So….take your favourite social network
How many followers/following roughly?
Separate them out into 3 groups:
those who fulfil all 4 criteria – strong ties
those who fulfil 3 – medium ties
those who fulfil less than 3 - weak ties
Rough numbers will do.

5. The analysis
Rough numbers will do. How many do you have the categories?
Who are those in the strongest ties section? Are they people you see on a regular basis or only online?
What does this tell us about the strength of online relationships?
How does this compare to off line relationships?
Is there overlap?

6. Carousel activity
I have picked out some key names and studies on relationships that you need to know. You will be given one name to find and summarise the information. When complete you will move around the room and learn about each key study from each other.

7. Relationships and digital communications key names
Granovetter
Zhao
Kraut
Feld
Miller
Clayton in Vincent (The Independent)
Shaw and Gant

8. Homework
Summarise all of the studies used in this lesson.