ABOUT — Everyday Conversation

My name is Caitlin Begg and I am the Founder of Authentic Social and a Sociological Researcher, focused on technology’s effect on conversation. Below you can find updates on my research and publications.

RESEARCH UPDATES

03.21.23 - As of March 2023, my research has been accepted at numerous academic and industry conferences across the United States, Europe, and Asia. I will begin presenting my research and speaking at said conferences in mid-May.

Past / Upcoming Conference Presentations:
- Everyday Conversation: The Effect of Asynchronous Communication and Hypercommunication on Daily Interaction and Sociotechnical Systems

- The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Everyday Human Conversation and Social Interaction

- A Sociotechnical Approach to Digital Communication Dysfunction Avoidance in Remote and Hybrid Work Settings

- Joint Optimization of Social and Technical Systems to Effect Organizational Change

- Connecting Law Firms' Digital and People Strategies: A Sociotechnical Approach

Google Scholar | ORCID | ResearchGate

ABOUT EVERYDAY CONVERSATION

01.2023 - “Everyday Conversation” explores how technology affects the way we speak to each other. The forthcoming publications and presentations will follow my 2016 undergraduate thesis, “Virtual Impressions: The Effect of Digital Communication on Millennial Social Interaction”.

To supplement my research, I explore several analog projects (what I refer to as “PROGRESSION TO ANALOG”):

Shooting film of everyday life - I have been capturing film weekly since August 2022 with a focus on the everyday vs. the spectacle. Besides my larger film collection, I have curated two film series thus far: “AFTER THE SPECTACLE” and “PHONES AND THE EVERYDAY” (both exhibited at the January 19th event).

Sourcing and scouring through old and often out-of-print technology magazines across seven decades, and compiling relevant advertisements and information from said materials.

Getting a landline (to supplement, not replace, my cell phone) feedback pending...

& more to come

ABOUT THE JANUARY 19TH EVENT

01.2023 - On January 19, 2023, I hosted forty-four people for an intimate launch of “Everyday Conversation”. The event was at my residence in Lower Manhattan, and featured kava beverages from Nothing Special.

As mentioned above, I also exhibited the two film series “AFTER THE SPECTACLE” and “PHONES AND THE EVERYDAY”, in addition to a wall of curated advertisements from old or out-of-print technology magazines. Guests were encouraged to practice “intentional technology use” during the event, and enjoyed pizza from Joe’s and Double Zero, Nothing Special kava, various craft alcohol beverages, and other non-alc options.

All this aside, the main “objective” of the event was simply to bring a group of people together either directly or tangentially connected to technology and its ethical applications in a setting designed for conversation and connection.

ABOUT MY ONGOING SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH

Technology’s Effect on Conversation: Sociotechnical Systems and Digital Identity

My ongoing sociological research focuses on technology’s effect on conversation, sociotechnical systems, digital identity, and ethnomethodology. It seeks to both develop theories and provide workable large-scale solutions to the following problems:

ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATION (conversations with a time lag between messages, such as through social media and other related mechanisms such as iMessage) and its impact on conversation, verbal communication skills, relationships, and professional success. Can re-engineering sociotechnical systems architecture, perhaps through subversive techniques, help solve this?

HYPERCOMMUNICATION, or excess inbound and outbound communication precipitated by technology, and its subsequent effect on social conditioning and impact on myriad areas of life (especially personal and professional relationships).

A LACK OF CENTRALIZED OPEN-SOURCE, ACCESSIBLE, AND ENGAGING YOUTH-FOCUSED DIGITAL IDENTITY FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES. The lack of such forums for navigating the digital communication landscape prove especially concerning amidst the ever-increasing separation between the digital and real-world self.

I have been conducting this research since March 2022. I sourced literature and designed both curriculum and research methods. I conduct everyday reading and writing, engage in ongoing formation of functional thesis repository, data collection, and am currently developing formal papers for forthcoming publications. I also integrate research into processes and methods for Authentic Social - this research is done in addition to my core role as founder.

More about my research (including some of my sources) at caitybegg.com