网络社区交流中距离的作用——以新浪微博为例

信息通信技术的快速发展丰富了人们的交流方式,也逐步影响人们的社交网络。本文通过分析新浪微博用户在网络社区中与本地人/外地人、熟人/陌生人的交流差异,探讨空间距离与社会距离在网络社会空间中的作用。在问卷调研中,结合新浪微博用户的网络“痕迹”,较为可靠的获取南京成年人微博用户与本地人/外地人、熟人/陌生人在网络社区中的交流差异。研究表明：①在网络社区中,相较于外地人与陌生人,受访者更倾向与本地人以及熟人交流,网络社区中空间距离与关系距离的作用仍然存在;②受访者在网络社区中与本地人/外地人、熟人/陌生人的交流差异受社会经济属性、居住环境、微博使用频繁程度影响;③虽然理论上网络社区使得用户能够克服距离阻力,延伸其关系网络,但空间距离与关系距离的存在使得实际生活中的社会关系网络仍然扎根于用户在网络社区中的交流。

The role of distance in online social networks: A case study of Sina micro-blog

The rapid development of information and communication technologies has brought numerous electronic communication modes ((mobile) phone, short message service, email, and recently the popular online social networking sites) that have been expected to influence the role of spatial and relational distances in interpersonal interactions. Based on online "traces" of Sina micro-blog users' interactions in the last two weeks, respondents in our questionnaire survey were required to record and answer questions of (1) who did you interact more often, locals or non-locals and (2) who did you interact more often, acquaintances or strangers in real life. Answers were used in our analysis of the role of spatial distance and relational distance in online social networks. Our findings show that (1) there is a clear tendency of respondents interacting with locals and acquaintances in their real life; (2) respondents' tendency to interact with locals and acquaintances is impacted by their socioeconomic traits, living environment, and information and communication technologies use; (3) theoretically online social networking sites enable users to overcome the distance decay effects and thereby to enlarge their social networks. However, spatial and relational distances sustained the social networks in real life in interpersonal interactions in online social networks.