ABSTRACT
The present chapter addresses how the materiality of communication protocols and algorithmic filters of Facebook influence the lifecycle of networked movements, with an emphasis on collective identity, organizational settings, and the potential for mobilization. Drawing on a case study of the anti-Berlusconi protests in Italy between 2009 and 2012, the chapter applies a socio-technical approach grounded in theories of materiality. Such perspective allows the analysis to consider activist communication not merely as a socio-cultural process, but also as a techno-commercial one which considers how marketing-oriented design affects patterns of interaction. The chapter suggests a cycle of depression as a sensitizing tool to understand the transformation of the temporal dimensions of networked movements. Whereas the algorithmic distribution of information on Facebook promotes short-term mobilization by real-time mass-sharing, on a medium-/long-term basis, it negatively affects collective identity and organizational processes, ultimately hindering mobilization itself. Finally, the study suggests incorporating leadership and collective identity as additional dimensions of analysis to overcome the limitations of existing lifecycle frameworks.
