Publication: Topic shifts in a multi-party text exchange : a case study of WhatsApp messaging
Date
2014
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Abstract
While Short Messaging Service (SMS) used to be the most popular form of communication in the past, in recent years, we have seen the proliferation of instant mobile messaging applications that are rapidly gaining popularity. Among them, WhatsApp messaging is increasingly becoming the preferred mode of communication with over 250 million users worldwide. The inexpensive cost of download, free messaging and the rich features like allowing messages to be exchanged between individuals or a group, account for the appeal of WhatsApp messaging. With many using WhatsApp messaging to communicate, it is worth exploring the communication patterns in this domain. There has been a rich body of research pertaining to SMS but little has been explored in communication using WhatsApp messaging.<br><br>The purpose of this study is to examine the characteristics of topic shifts in a multi-party text exchange using the WhatsApp medium. In this study, topic shift is defined as an attempt by participants to move to a new topic in a conversation. Conversation Analysis (CA) is used an approach to analyse the data. Its concepts are recognised and applied in many disciplines as they help to provide a detailed account of structures and of language in interaction and the actions that such regularities bring about (Antaki, 2011). A total of 1533 WhatsApp messages exchanged over a period of one week between 6 participants were analysed. The participants were a group of tertiary students between the ages of 18-24.<br><br>This dissertation first examines the literature in CA as an approach to study social interactions which are viewed as highly structured phenomena with their own set of rules and systems. Participants align themselves to these rules depending on their aims in the interactions. The study also draws on early CA work on topic shifts like stepwise transitions by Sacks (1995), topic generating sequences by Button & Casey (1984, 1985) and pre-shift tokens by Jefferson (1993) to structure the current study.<br><br>The findings show that both boundaried and stepwise topical shifts were evident in WhatsApp exchanges. Participants also marked their utterances using pre-shift tokens before proposing a new topic. Complex topical movements were also noted and discussed in relation to the contextual factors of communication in this medium. The presence of multiple participants and the rule of “first-received-first posted” rule in communication in this domain results in what appears to be chaotic exchanges and interferences to topical maintenance. However, participants were able to manage the topical movements and exchanges effectively.