Exploring Values Embedded Within Social Media Platforms: A Case Study of WeChat
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2024-01-03
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2320
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This qualitative study investigates embedded values within WeChat, employing a three-dimensional theoretical framework of cultural affordances. This study involved 31 semi-structured in-depth interviews, follow-up discussions, and observations, with data analysis following the grounded theory approach. The findings highlight the presence of embedded values manifested in WeChat’s design features, including offline status omission, mutual likes notification on Friends’ Circle, the absence of deletion notification, information symmetry, and the absence of read receipts. These design choices reflect the cultural affordances of WeChat that shape user experiences on the platform. The study also discusses users’ responses to these design features and explores their ethical implications. Ultimately, it proposes potential directions for further research in this domain. By uncovering the embedded values of WeChat, this study provides insights into the interplay between technology, culture, and user behavior, offering valuable implications for researchers and practitioners in social media studies.
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Critical and Ethical Studies of Digital and Social Media, cultural affordances, ethical design, qualitative research., social media, wechat
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10 pages
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Proceedings of the 57th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences
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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
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