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Brathwaite, Dissertation 2024.pdf (1.5 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Performative or authentic? How affordances signal (in)authentic digital allyship

Brathwaite, Kyla Noni
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1713449431172389

Abstract Details

2024, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Communication.
Millions of people use social media platforms to curate digital representations of themselves through the creation of profiles and sharing images and narratives about their daily lives. Social media are also increasingly used to amplify offline prosocial causes that grow and evolve into prosocial movements. Although social media platforms have been used to bring people together in solidarity and push for change in society through causes such as #MeToo, #BoPo, and #BLM (Jackson et al., 2020), some scholars contend that social media increasingly provide venues for users to engage in performative allyship (Wellman, 2022) that prioritizes the personal interests of users rather than the social causes they purport to advance. The vast number of sources—with different agendas and messaging strategies—who exist on social media platforms can create complexities related to promoting prosocial causes authentically and effectively. The current study examines how differences in two perceived affordances—persistence and visibility—affect how women viewers evaluate the authenticity of men who post allyship messages on Instagram. Additionally, I examine how viewer perceptions of comment deletion and comment restriction impact source evaluations. Results indicate that the more women viewers found posts to be persistent, the more they rated the men who posted as authentic allies, as having prosocial reasons for posting, and as having less self-interested reasons for posting. Greater perceived visibility of posts had a similar impact on these outcome variables. Moreover, comment deletion and restriction were found to partially affect how viewers evaluated the authenticity and motives of sources, providing additional support to warranting theory (DeAndrea, 2014; Walther & Parks, 2002). Implications for promoting prosocial messaging and digital allyship online are discussed.
David DeAndrea (Advisor)
Joseph Bayer (Committee Member)
Teresa Lynch (Committee Member)
114 p.
Communication
social media, digital activism, authenticity, impression management, affordances, instagram

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Brathwaite, K. N. (2024). Performative or authentic? How affordances signal (in)authentic digital allyship [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1713449431172389

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Brathwaite, Kyla. Performative or authentic? How affordances signal (in)authentic digital allyship . 2024. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1713449431172389.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Brathwaite, Kyla. "Performative or authentic? How affordances signal (in)authentic digital allyship ." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2024. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1713449431172389

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1713449431172389
223
© 2024, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.