Theory, Sort of…

A majority of the analysis will come under the theoretical framework already laid out by Jenkins and Rheingold. Henry Jenkins has been a tremendous influence on my work for the past couple of years. “Convergence Culture” is a strong theoretical work and an exemplar of praxis in the field. Jenkins explains the connection between new media and society surrounding the media. Also, he makes the argument for Levy’s “Collective Intelligence” as a method of socialization and coping with the onslaught. This literature should connect with my theoretical and thematic discussion of using Facebook as a coping mechanism. Rheingold also expands on the work of Levy, while at the same time focuses on the informal socialization that occurs online and how this method of socialization transfers to real-world interaction. I believe that adding these two theorists and their work to the analysis will lead to a more in-depth discussion regarding the research and the research questions.