Expectations and Perceptions Responsiveness, content and the issue of Mobile Instant Messaging norms

Today’s undeniable presence of social media and mobile devices has impacted ways of communicating. In communication, norms exist on which expectations may be based and to which people try to adhere. Adhering or not adhering to certain expectations can result in issues or misunderstandings. However, through the omnipresence of today’s mobile devices, these expectations are constantly present. WhatsApp’s introduction of blue ticks sparked a discussion about norms and expectations towards Mobile Instant Messenger (MIM) platforms. While studies have focused on social media, responsiveness, and Instant Messaging platforms, the topic of expectations towards responsiveness on MIM platforms has remained untouched. The question remains what the existing norms are regarding responsiveness, and what consequences these norms have. Based on these questions, two research questions and three sub questions were formulated. The question central to this study was: what are the expectations of young Dutch people (16-24 years old) regarding responsiveness on Instant Messaging platforms and what consequences does this have on IM usage and relationships? The goal of this study was to identify these expectations and consequences and relating them to age, gender, platform, and social tie strength. This explorative study used semi-structured in-depth interviews as a method. Sixteen participants between the ages of sixteen and twenty-four were interviewed. The transcripts of the interviews were coded and analyzed using Boeije’s (2002) Constant Comparative Method. It was found that a pattern of expectations existed on which responsiveness seemed to be based. Part of this was one’s WhatsApp identity – a personalized expectation largely based on previous behavior. On top of that, it was found that urgency was key and could overrule other influences in creating the expectation of a fast response. WhatsApp was chosen as the number one platform over Facebook. On top of that, tie strength also strongly influenced expectations towards responsiveness, based on a known or unknown WhatsApp identity and knowledge of one’s situation. Age was found to have an influence on responsiveness as well as expectations towards responsiveness. The influence of gender was smaller, yet it was found that women were more emotionally affected by patterns of responsiveness that did not fit their expectation.