Date of Award

12-1-2012

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Specialization

Communication and Leadership

School or Department

School of Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Dr. Carolyn Cunningham

Abstract

YouTube, a public video-sharing site, is attracting people who crave a sense of community, and is allowing individuals – specifically women – to maintain social relationships through its web-based system. Groups of these women vloggers document their efforts to conceive, their pregnancies and parenting challenges, which some critics argue are very personal experiences that should not be shared publicly with strangers. Using social penetration theory and elements of communication privacy management theory, this thesis analyzes how self-disclosure through computer-mediated communication converts superficial relationships with strangers into close, social connections by examining the extent to which breadth and depth of self-disclosure occur online between members of the community, and how privacy issues affect social penetration. Using the method of ethnographic research, including vlog viewing and interviews, the analysis reveals the reasons women share intimate moments online and how this type of self-disclosure fosters friendships through computer-mediated communication. According to participants, friendships developed through the social network site are valued as much as real-life relationships with friends and family. YouTube has become a platform for group formation and fellowship where broadcasting intimate moments online creates a platform for debate, discussion and greater understanding, especially for members of the trying to conceive community.

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