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Chapter
Facebook rules and boundary demarcation
DOI link for Facebook rules and boundary demarcation
Facebook rules and boundary demarcation book
Facebook rules and boundary demarcation
DOI link for Facebook rules and boundary demarcation
Facebook rules and boundary demarcation book
ABSTRACT
In this chapter I outline the social media rules these teens use to guide their presentations. These rules decrease uncertainty about how their presentations will be received by their audiences and provide a framework for teens’ impression management work. Rule following solidifies group belonging, or at the very least ensures they are not out of the group. This is not necessarily a negative thing, as it allows them to visually confirm their answer to the “where do I fit in” question. Their conceptions of the self are bounded by the collective identity. The rules are both universal and specific; all the teens followed them, but they interpreted and applied the rules in unique ways. The chapter outlines the key rules I observed participants following. I use participants’ stories and images to illustrate the rules and the specific ways they follow them. I end the chapter by invoking Erikson’s (1980) conceptualization of adolescent social belonging to understand the ways they police rule violations; they are intolerant of mistakes as a means to confirm their social position. Social belonging is earned or lost, and they are hyper-aware that rule violation is a visual symbol of a lack of social understanding.