“ARE WE DATING THE SAME GUY?”: COLLECTIVE SENSEMAKING AS A MORAL RESPONSIBILITY IN FACEBOOK GROUPS

Abstract

Hinge to happily ever after is an arduous process in which dating apps place the burden of risk management on users. Women across the U.S. have joined regional “Are We Dating the Same Guy?” private Facebook groups to manage the ambiguities of dating, crowdsource information on men, and provide social support to other women experiencing the tribulations of modern dating. Using discourse analysis, this study analyzes the collective sensemaking practices of AWDTSG groups in relation to constructing knowledge, managing privacy boundaries, content moderation, and providing social support. Preliminary analysis reveals three major findings: Facebook groups provide a space of empowerment, however anticipated acts of moderation shape how knowledge claims are formed and legitimized. Second, group level moderation enacted by admins is understood by members as a means of community protection against platform interventions and interpersonal conflict with the outgroup. Third, social support is an integral part of knowledge creation, resisting cultural logics that socialize women to see each other as competitors in the dating sphere. These findings contribute to our understanding of how ICTs may be used in the service reclaiming gossip as a mode of resistance through the act of collective sensemaking.