Social Normativity in the Transition of New Media: the Case of Facebook in Vietnam

Abstract

In recent times, with the prominent emergence of social networks, online cultural and behavioural standards are gradually formed and re-formed in the online sphere, raising the demand to investigate the rules and the development of online social behaviours, as well as the approaches to foster its healthy practice towards cyber civilization. In Vietnam, Facebook is the most popular social media platform, posing as an important space for online discussions and social relations in Vietnam’s cyberspace. Therefore, this study aims to examine how normativity and netiquette are reflected on Facebook, how groups’ subculture on Facebook empowers the conformity of users’ behaviour, and the current situation of ‘Netiquette’ and related rules and regulations in Vietnam. The research seeks to understand how social norms are tested and reformed in online social networks, ultimately impacting beliefs and actions both online and offline. Based on the findings, this study proposes additional approaches to promote a behavioural culture and establish standardized user behaviour on social networks.

Keywords: New Media, Facebook, Social normativity, Netiquette.