So I’m contending that are 3 corresponding stages to what is taking place;
i) Stage one: Sociability or ‘being social’, where concern is to build up new points of contact and to maintain ‘old’ connections through interactions on SNSs.
ii) Stay two: Networkability or ‘being networked’, having built up networks of links these are then maintained through membership to an array of SNSs and across different social media hardware – so yes that wonderful piece of technology the iPhone!
iii) Stage three: Visibility or ‘being visible’, when networks of links are used to both cultivate and sustain interactions as well as to experience ‘being in touch’ with others. Social actions are confirmed by a ‘presence’ that is always contactable even if the user is ‘busy’ elsewhere.
