Facebook in Jujuy: The Use of Social Networks and a Discussion between the Public and the Private

Abstract

In recent decades, communication technologies have been transformed by the emergence of the Internet.

This paper is the third presented within the framework of a research project that seeks to establish the blurring of the boundaries between the public and the private as spheres of individual interaction. These spheres have been transformed in different ways since the emergence of virtual social spaces, where images assume a predominant role as constructors of new identities, forms of representation, and technological textualities.

Distinguishing between the public and the private in cyberspace is no minor issue. The publication of images and comments about third parties on one’s own and others’ walls leads to a reconsideration of the distinctive theories offered by the fields of Law and Communication.

This research establishes the use that 60 students from a private university made of Facebook during 2010, according to data collected through a random sample of first-year students. The study analyzes knowledge and lack of knowledge regarding the rights to one’s image, honor, and privacy. This quantitative and qualitative study seeks to establish how this sample uses Facebook, enriching the analysis with data obtained on frequency of Internet use, e-mail accounts, websites consulted, and other related topics.