Contentious content on messaging apps: Actualising social affordances for normative processes on Telegram

Abstract

The physical and digital spaces we spend time in during our everyday life sub- stantially shape our interactions and social norms of behaviour and vice versa. For example, the presence of doors in an office setting can foster a norm where colleagues always leave their door open unless they do not want to be dis- turbed. This does not mean doors holds an intrinsic social norm not to disturb (Heras-Escribano & de Pinedo, 2016). The office inhabitants themselves have made doors hold this normative significance. So too with platforms. As Bucher and Helmond (2018: 21) state about objections against changing platform features, these features have been attributed a significance beyond their original purpose. Already in 1999 Lawrence Lessig indicated that social norms and architecture are closely tied to each other (Lessig, 1999). They are two of the four forces that regulate individuals, besides the market and the law. This mutual shaping of spaces and norms of social behaviour is also taking place in everyday digital life (Postigo, 2016; Van Dijck, 2013).