This talk presents the first results from a study exploring how social media users take responsibility for their own contributions in order to manage potential conflicts and uphold civility in online interactions. While the prevalence of online conflicts and incivility has attracted significant scholarly attention, recent research has increasingly focused on the constructive and positive aspects of social media interactions (e.g., Tanskanen 2021; Canute et al. 2023; Biri & Tanskanen 2025). This investigation is part of that emerging trend. The talk specifically examines instances that can be labelled as self-condemnation, i.e. cases where users explicitly assume accountability for their contributions as potential transgressions. Users can, for instance, modify or edit their contributions or confess to having uttered an inaccuracy or untruth. These instances are particularly interesting because according to previous research, actual self-condemnation is very rare in interaction; people typically evaluate their own transgressions more leniently than those of others (Szabados 1979; Valdesolo & DeSteno 2007). From an interactional perspective, the reactions to self-condemnations are equally interesting, and, where possible, these have been analysed as well in order to shed light on the dynamics of accountability in online discourse.
Next talk in the OSSO + DDI online talk series is on April 17, 14 - 15 EEST. Join us for Sanna-Kaisa Tanskanen's lecture "My bad: the metapragmatics of accountability on social media"
Join the Zoom room:
tinyurl.com/talkosso
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@ylvabiri.bsky.social @lulind.bsky.social
