Master Thesis 30 hp (Vårterminen 2013) Submitted May 27th 2013 #SharingIsCaring: An Exploratory Study of Content of Tweets, Situation of Tweeting and Motivations to Use Twitter while Watching Television Series By Linda Isabelle Skibbe Supervisor: Sven Ross Stockholm University - Department for Media Studies I Abstract I. Abstract The internet and social media have had a significant impact on recipients’ media consumption. As the converging media environment recipients face today offers not only more media products but also new practices of using certain media products, this study focuses on how the social micro-blogging service Twitter impacts the watching of television series. The presented study aims at explaining a new form of media reception by employing a multi- method approach. A content analysis case study of tweets about the US-American series “Homeland” and the German series “Tatort” will give insight into the Twitter content on two different series. Further, qualitative semi-standardized interviews and a survey will shed light on the situational aspects and motivational factors to use Twitter while watching television series. The uses and gratification theory is used as a backdrop to study the motivations to use Twitter while watching television series. The results of the content analysis on the two series indicate that there is a strong focus on the series itself within the tweets. Nevertheless, both series provide somewhat differing Twitter content. While tweets on “Tatort” are more critical and realistic towards the series, tweets about “Homeland” are more likely to be referential. The situation of tweeting while watching television series seems to be characterized by the usage of a second screen. The major motivational factors identified in this study are socializing at a distance and exchanging social information. All in all this study presents a fascinating new form of media reception and furthermore offers description and explanation of its application. Additionally it provides suggestions as to how to approach such a fast-changing, new media environment. Keywords: Twitter, Uses and Gratifications Theory, Television Series, Homeland, Tatort, Reception Studies i II Table of Contents II. Table of Contents I. Abstract .............................................................................................................................. i II. Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. ii III. List of Tables .................................................................................................................... iv IV. List of Illustrations ........................................................................................................... v 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Knowledge Gap ........................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Aim and Research Question ........................................................................................ 2 2 Background ....................................................................................................................... 4 3 Theoretical Frame and Literature Review .................................................................... 5 3.1 The Uses and Gratifications Theory - Introduction ..................................................... 5 3.1.1 Active Audience ................................................................................................... 5 3.1.2 Competing Media ................................................................................................. 6 3.1.3 Motivations to Watch Television ......................................................................... 6 3.1.4 Uses and Gratifications in New Media Contexts ................................................. 7 3.1.5 Interim Conclusion I ............................................................................................. 8 3.1.6 Criticism of the Uses and Gratifications Theory .................................................. 8 3.2 New and Old Media Intersecting ................................................................................. 9 3.2.1 Convergence Culture ............................................................................................ 9 3.2.2 Television as a Social Experience and Need ...................................................... 11 3.2.3 Social TV ............................................................................................................ 12 3.3 Emotions .................................................................................................................... 13 3.3.1 Emotions in Media Reception ............................................................................ 13 3.3.2 Primary Emotions and their Influence on the Entertainment Experience .......... 14 3.3.3 Escapism ............................................................................................................. 15 3.4 Interim Conclusion II ................................................................................................. 15 4 Methods and Materials .................................................................................................. 16 4.1 Content Analysis ........................................................................................................ 16 ii II Table of Contents 4.1.1 Materials Content Analysis ................................................................................ 16 4.1.2 Codebook ........................................................................................................... 18 4.1.3 Pretest ................................................................................................................. 19 4.1.4 Reliability and Validity of Content Analysis ..................................................... 19 4.2 Qualitative Interviews and Survey ............................................................................ 20 4.2.1 Qualitative Interviews Implementation .............................................................. 20 4.2.2 Survey Questionnaire ......................................................................................... 21 4.2.3 Survey Implementation ...................................................................................... 22 4.2.4 Reliability and Validity Survey .......................................................................... 22 5 Results ............................................................................................................................. 23 5.1 Content of Tweets about “Homeland” and “Tatort” ................................................. 23 5.1.1 General Information about Tweet ...................................................................... 23 5.1.2 General Content of Tweets ................................................................................. 23 5.1.3 Content: Specifically Related to Series .............................................................. 25 5.1.4 Emotions ............................................................................................................. 31 5.2 Results Survey ........................................................................................................... 32 5.2.1 Sociodemography ............................................................................................... 33 5.2.2 Reflections of Tweeters on the Contents of their Tweets .................................. 33 5.2.3 Situation of Tweeting while watching Television Series ................................... 36 5.2.4 Motivation to Tweet while Watching Television Series .................................... 38 6 Interpretation and Discussion of Results ..................................................................... 51 6.1 What are the tweets about .......................................................................................... 51 6.1.1 Influences on Tweet Content .............................................................................. 51 6.1.2 Tweeters’ Perception of What They Like to Tweet during TV Series ............... 53 6.2 Situation of Tweeting ................................................................................................ 53 6.3 Motivation to Tweet .................................................................................................. 55 7 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 57 8 Limitations and Potentials ............................................................................................. 59 iii III List of Tables Bibliography ........................................................................................................................... 60 Secondary Sources ............................................................................................................... 60 Primary Sources ................................................................................................................... 64 Appendix A – Twitter Popularity of “Homeland” & “Tatort” 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I Appendix B – Tables .............................................................................................................