Why Don't We Post (Like We Used To)?: Multidimensional Context Collapse and Teenagers' Generative Responses to the Original Paradigm of Social Media

Abstract

With insights from original, multinational research and analysis of key social science studies, this paper deepens our understanding of how and why social media is changing. We explore the evolution of social media and “public broadcasting” over the past two decades, arguing that teen participants have shifted away from the original social media paradigm and towards more private and ephemeral forms of sharing. Building on existing theories of “context collapse”, we examining how traditional boundaries of audience, time, and meaning blur on social platforms. Rich ethnographic research shows how teen participants have adapted to multidimensional context collapse through multilayered, generative strategies that challenge the perceived passivity of their “empty profiles”, allowing them to reclaim social media as a place that reflects their generation's values.