In 1967 sociologist Harold Garfinkel
asked his students to conduct a spring break experiment: spend fifteen minutes to an hour imagining
they were a boarder in their home, rather than a family member, and then act if that assumption was
true. Garfinkel’s intention was for the students to violate some of the social norms we take for
granted (“social breaching”) and
consequently make such “background expectancies” more apparent. In this case, when the students were
polite and respectful, as if they were staying in a stranger’s home, some parents thought the
students were mocking them or ill!
The following experiments can be used in the digital age so as to expose and understand
contemporary norms. Are the subjects of the experiments able to explain what it is they think you
did something wrong and explain why it is wrong? For example, see this course assignment.
Experiments
- Chatty Instagram/Flickr: Sign up for an account on a social photography site
and find users you do not know. Try to start a conversation with them by commenting on their images.
Try varying the kind of image you comment on from those that are very personal (wedding, kids
birthdays, etc.) to those that are very impersonal (buildings, landscapes) and see how the reactions
vary. Note that you may have to post a lot of notes and comments to get any reaction. You may have
to try different and creative strategies to get people to respond to you.
- Instagram Annoyer: make more than one post a day about mundane things; use lots
of hashtags.
- Prolific Instagram Streamer: Frequently stream yourself, including while doing
mundane activities, on Instagram.
- Sneaky Snappchatter. Take a screenshot of every snapchat you receive. Others
will receive a notice that you are doing so and likely wonder why.
- Message a Stranger. Use a chat service (e.g., Google, MSN, and AIM) to begin
conversations with people that you don’t know (or don’t know very well). Vary the kinds of things
you say to see if you can get them to start a chat conversation with you. Describe what kind of chat
message will successfully get a stranger to chat. Remember to be polite and respectful at all times.
Note: You may have to try to this a lot before you get someone to respond to you; do not keep trying
the same people if they do not respond.
- Emoji Excess. Never use an emoji in conversations were you normally do. Or, use
odd emoji to react to others’ posts.
- Formal messanger. Use formal language in an informal medium.
- Way Off Topic. On Facebook or Instagram leave a large number of comments that
are all completely and obviously off-topic and not relevant to the post over a period of three days.
For this to work, there can be no relation between the reply and the topic at all; just start
talking about something else. If you like, address some of them to the wrong person as well.
- Facebook Wall Inquisitor. On Facebook, friend five strangers – people you don’t
know (maybe friends of friends). Once they accept your friend request, post a public comment to
their wall introducing yourself and asking them about themselves. In your posts, do not refer to any
friends that you have in common; just talk about yourself and ask them about themselves. Try to get
information from them about themselves.
- Facebook Picture Creeper. On Facebook, go through an acquaintance’s photo
albums and comment on at least 15-20 photos older than six months over a period of 3 days. Write
only positive comments (e.g. “cute photo!”). Check back and see if anyone else has commented on the
photos after you have.
- Media Monad. Choose one popular communication technology. Only use that
technology for 3 days. (E.g. Use Facebook direct messages for ALL communication even when it is
obviously inappropriate or impractical.)
- Media Mixer: For 3 days, always “mix” media – always respond to a communication
using a different medium of communication than the one that was used to contact you. (Example: if
you get a phone call, let it go to voicemail then SMS them. If you get an email, send a picture to
their phone, etc. Respond to your twitter @’s in person.)
- The Oversharer. Pick either an acquaintance you don’t know that well or a
parent. In a 24 hour period dramatically increase the amount of information you send this person
using a text-based mobile communication technology that you know they can receive (like IM on your
phone, text/SMS, or e-mail on your phone/PDA). For example, you could communicate with them every
time you do anything (“hi I am getting on the bus”, “arrived in class,” “class is boring,” “having
lunch,” “talking with friend.”)
- Laptop abuser. In a public place, ask to borrow a stranger’s laptop “for a
second” to check something and then spend an excessive amount of time using it to do things on
YouTube or some other site. If you get no reaction or the overall experiment is very short, repeat
the experiment with another person. Note: be careful about entering your password into anyone
else’s computer.
Sources
Also see
