Tag Me Maybe: Perceptions of Public Targeted Sharing on Facebook

TL;DR

This study explores how users perceive public tagging on Facebook, revealing that it enhances relationships, offers control over content visibility, and facilitates exposure to new information, with implications for platform design.

Contribution

It provides qualitative insights into user perceptions of targeted sharing via tagging, highlighting its social and algorithmic implications.

Findings

Users believe tagging strengthens relationships.

Tags give users control over content visibility.

Tagging exposes users to new information and contacts.

Abstract

Social network sites allow users to publicly tag people in their posts. These tagged posts allow users to share to both the general public and a targeted audience, dynamically assembled via notifications that alert the people mentioned. We investigate people's perceptions of this mixed sharing mode through a qualitative study with 120 participants. We found that individuals like this sharing modality as they believe it strengthens their relationships. Individuals also report using tags to have more control of Facebook's ranking algorithm, and to expose one another to novel information and people. This work helps us understand people's complex relationships with the algorithms that mediate their interactions with each another. We conclude by discussing the design implications of these findings.