Cover not available

In:The Pragmatics of Adaptability
Edited by Daniel N. Silva and Jacob L. Mey
[Pragmatics & Beyond New Series 319] 2021
► pp. 259–282

Get fulltext from our e-platform
JBE logo with link
PDF logo with download linkDownload Book PDF
authorization required

Chapter 12
How LINE users struggle to come to terms with the adaptability-adaptivity dilemma

 | Thammasat University
Published online: 17 March 2021
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.319.12int
Abstract
This article addresses the tension between the two contrasting forces of adaptation, introduced in Mey (1998, 2009). Many aspects of Thai people’s day-to-day interactions through/with LINE, a popular internet-based chat application, challenge the premises that humans should have control over technology (adaptability) rather than letting technology force limits on human’s affordances (adaptivity). My discussion will exhibit how Thai speakers operate LINE to achieve different purposes, both to the benefit and the detriment of themselves and one another, and despite unfavourable consequences from using or interacting with LINE, either known or unknown to them. These practices illustrate changes to various aspects of the Thai mindset and how relationships, identities and interactions among Thais in the modern world are constructed, negotiated and contested.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Getting acquainted with LINE
    • 2.1LINE and instant messaging
    • 2.2Key features and functionality
  • 3. Adaptation and its wider social implications
    • 3.1 Benefits from LINE
      • 3.1.1Multiple identity portrayal
      • 3.1.2Shaping new practices
    • 3.2 Adaptivity taking its toll
      • 3.2.1‘General’ secondary effects
      • 3.2.2Problems of communication
      • 3.2.3Reduced performance
      • 3.2.4 Online threats
    • 3.3Reacting to the challenges of adaptivity
      • 3.3.1Institutional intervention
      • 3.3.2 User reactions
      • 3.3.3Resilience
  • 4. Summary and conclusion
  • Acknowledgment
  • Notes
  • References
  • Appendix
References (57)
References
Adler, Ronald, and George Rodman. 2009. Understanding Human Communication (10th edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Akimoto, Akky. 2012. “Japan’s LINE Social Network Could Challenge Global Competitors.” The Japan Times, July 18, 2012. Retrieved from [URL]
Allington, Daniel. 2012. “English and Global Media.” In The Politics of English: Conflict, Competition, Co-existence, ed. by Anne Hewings, and Caroline Taggs, 219–258. Milton Keynes: The Open University.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Atkinson, Robert, and Daniel Castro. 2008a. “Challenging Moving Forward.” In Digital Quality of Life: Understanding the Personal and Social Benefits of the Information Technology Revolution, ed. by Robert Atkinson and Daniel Castro, 171–179. Washington, D.C.: Information Technology and Innovation Foundation.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2008b. “Communities.” In Digital Quality of Life: Understanding the Personal and Social Benefits of the Information Technology Revolution, ed. by Robert Atkinson and Daniel Castro, 147–157. Washington, D.C.: Information Technology and Innovation Foundation.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bushey, Ryan. 2014. How Japan’s Most Popular Messaging App Emerged from the 2011 Earthquake. Retrieved from [URL]
Business of Apps. 2019. Line Revenue and Usage Statistics. Retrieved from [URL]
Callerame, Steve. 2019. The LINE Phenomenon in Thailand – By the Numbers. Retrieved from [URL]
Central Intelligence Agency. 2015. The World Factbook. Retrieved from [URL]
Cherdchusilp, Phaphat, and Porntip Yenjabok. 2014. pʰɾɯť.ti.kam kaan tɕʰáj laaj tʰîi mii pʰŏn tɔ̀ɔ kʰwaam pʰɯŋ pʰɔɔ tɕaj lέ kaan tɕʰáj pɾa.jòot kʰɔ̌ɔŋ nák.sɯ̀k.sǎa ma.hǎa.wiť.tʰa.jaa.laj sǐi pa.tʰum [LINE Usage Behaviours that Influence Satisfaction and Usability of Sripatum University Students]. Bangkok: Sripatum University.Retrieved from [URL]Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Church, Karen, and Rodrigo de Oliveira. 2013. “What’s Up with WhatsApp? Comparing Mobile Instant Messaging Behaviors with Traditional SMS.” In Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services, ed. by Michael Rohs, Albrecht Schmidt, Daniel Ashbrook, and Enrico Rukzio, 352–361. New York: The Association for Computing Machinery. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
d’Haenens, Leen, Sophie Vandoninck, and Verónica Donoso. 2013. “How to Cope and Build Online Resilience”? EU Kids Online. London: School of Economics & Political Science.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Drouin, Michelle, Daren Kaiser, and Daniel Miller. 2012. “Phantom Vibrations among Undergraduates: Prevalence and Psychological Characteristics.” Computers in Human Behavior 28: 1490–1496. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Fischer, Eric. 2014. Cybersecurity Issues and Challenges: In Brief. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research Service.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Flores, Suzana. 2014. Facehooked: How Facebook Affects Our Emotions, Relationships, and Lives. Tiburon, Calif.: Reputation Books.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Giles, David, and John Maltby. 2004. “The Role of Media Figures in Adolescent Development: Relations between Autonomy, Attachment, and Interest in Celebrities.” Personality and Individual Differences 36: 813–822. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Goffman, Erving. 1956. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. New York: Double Day.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gorayska, Barbara, and Jacob L. Mey. 2004. “Introduction: Pragmatics of Technology.” In Cognition and Technology: Co-Existence, Convergence and Co-Evolution, ed. by Barbara Gorayska and Jacob L. Mey, 1–22. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Harper, Richard, Tom Rodden, Yvonne Rogers, and Abigail Sellen. 2008. Being Human: Human-Computer Interaction in the Year 2020. Cambridge: Microsoft Research.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hong, Fu-Yuan, Shao-I Chiu, and Der-Hsiang Huang. 2012. “A Model of the Relationship between Psychological Characteristics, Mobile Phone Addiction and Use of Mobile Phones by Taiwanese University Female Students.” Computers in Human Behavior 28: 2152–2159. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Igarashi, Tasuku, Tadahiro Motoyoshi, Jiro Takai, and Toshikazu Yoshida. 2008. “No Mobile, no Life: Self-Perception and Text-Message Dependency among Japanese High School Students.” Computers in Human Behavior 24: 2311–2324. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Johansson, Marjut. 2014. “Reading Digital News: Participation Roles, Activities, and Positionings.” Journal of Pragmatics 72: 31–45. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Junco, Reynol, and Shelia R. Cotten. 2012. “No A 4 U: The Relationship between Multitasking and Academic Performance.” Computers & Education 59: 505–514. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kulchitjuervong, Supasil. 2013. “laaj ɾûup bɛ̀ɛp kaan sɯ̀ɯ sǎan bon kʰwaam sâaŋ.sǎn kʰɔ̌ɔŋ sa.máat foon kʰɔ̂ɔ dii lέ kʰɔ̂ɔ tɕam.kàt kʰɔ̌ɔŋ Ɂέp.pʰli.kʰee.tɕʰân. [‘LINE, Communication Medium on the Creativity of Smartphones: Benefits and Shortcomings of an Application’]”. Executive Journal 33: 42–54.Retrieved from [URL]Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Line Corporation. 2015. LINE Corporation Announces 2015 Q3 Earnings.
. 2017. LINE’s Unsend Feature Launched Today. Retrieved from [URL]
Livingstone, Sonia, and Kjartan Ólafsson. 2011. “Risky Communication Online.” EU Kids Online. London: School of Economics & Political Science.Retrieved from [URL]Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Luxton, David, Jennifer June, and Jonathan Fairall. 2012. “Social Media and Suicide: A Public Health Perspective.” American Journal of Public Health 102: S195–S200. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
MacKenzie, I. Scott. 2013. Human-Computer Interaction: An Empirical Research Perspective. Amsterdam: Elsevier.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mey, Jacob L. 1998. “Adaptability.” In Concise Encyclopedia of Pragmatics, ed. by Jacob L. Mey, 5–7. Oxford: Elsevier.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
2009. “Adaptability in Human-Computer Interaction.” In Concise Encyclopedia of Pragmatics (2nd edition), ed. by Jacob L. Mey, 7–13. Oxford: Elsevier.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Norman, Donald. 1999. The Invisible Computer: Why Good Products Can Fail, the Personal Computer is So Complex, and Information Appliances are the Solution. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Nickerson, Raymond S., and Thomas K. Landauer. 1997. “Human-Computer Interaction: Background and Issues.” In Handbook of Human-Computer Interaction (2nd completely revised edition), ed. by Martin G. Helander, Thomas K. Landauer, and Prasad V. Prabhu, 3–31. Amsterdam: Elsevier. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Park, Seongwon, Kwangsu Cho, and Bong Gyou Lee. 2014. “What Makes Smartphone Users Satisfied with the Mobile Instant Messenger?: Social Presence, Flow, and Self-Disclosure.” International Journal of Multimedia and Ubiquitous Technology 9: 315–324.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Pierce, Tamyra. 2009. “Social Anxiety and Technology: Face-to-Face Communication versus Technological Communication among Teens.” Computers in Human Behavior 25: 1367–1372. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Schegloff, Emanuel A., and Harvey Sacks. 1973. “Opening up Closings.” Semiotica 8: 289–327. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sagynov, Esen. 2012. “The Story behind LINE App Development.” Retrieved from [URL]
Saito, Mari. 2012. “Born from Japan disasters, Line App Sets Sights on U.S., China.” Reuters, August 12, 2002. Retrieved from [URL]
Solove, Daniel. 2007. The Future of Reputation: Gossip, Rumor, and Privacy on the Internet. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Spencer-Oatey, Helen. 2008. “Face, (Im)Politeness and Rapport.” In Culturally Speaking: Culture, Communication and Politeness Theory (2nd edition), ed. by Helen Spencer-Oatey, 11–47. London: Continuum.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Statista. 2016a. Number of LINE App’s Registered Users from December 2011 to October 2014 (in Millions). Retrieved from [URL]
. 2016b. Number of Registered LINE App Users in Selected Countries as of October 2014 (in millions). Retrieved from [URL]
Sutcliffe, Kathleen, and Timothy Vogus. 2003. “Organizing for Resilience: Overview.” In Positive Organizational Scholarship: Foundations of a New Discipline, ed. by Kim Cameron, Jane Dutton, and Robert Quinn, 94–110. San Francisco, Calif.: Berret-Koehler.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2008. “The Pragmatics of Resilience.” In The SAGE Handbook of New Approaches in Management and Organization, ed. by Daved Barry and Hans Hansen, 498–499. Los Angeles, Calif.: SAGE Publications. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Tansupong, Sakkarin. 2014. “pàt.tɕaj tʰîi sòŋ pʰŏn tɔ̀ɔ kaan jɔɔm ɾáp Ɂέp.pʰli.kʰee.tɕʰân laaj [Factors influencing the acceptance of the LINE application].” Independent research paper.Retrieved from [URL]
Takahashi, Toshie. 2014. “Youth, Social Media and Connectivity in Japan.” In The Language of Social Media: Identity and Community on the Internet, ed. by Philip Seargeant and Caroline Tagg, 186–207. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Taylor, Kimberly Hayes. 2011. Beware Text Neck from Too Much Gadget Use. Retrieved from [URL]
Theron, Linda, Linda Liebenberg, and Michael Ungar (eds). 2015. Youth Resilience and Culture: Commonalities and Complexities. Dordrecht: Springer. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Tingsabadh, Kalaya, and Arthur Abramson. 1993. “Thai.” Journal of the International Phonetic Association 23: 24–28. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Toto, Serkan. 2012. “LINE app Gets More Social with ‘Home’ and ‘Timeline’ Features.” Retrieved from [URL]
Tracy, Karen, and Jessica Robles. 2013. Everyday Talk: Building and Reflecting Identities (2nd edition). New York, N.Y.: The Guildford Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ungar, Michael. 2015. “Resilience and Culture: The Diversity of Protective Processes and Positive Adaptation.” In Youth Resilience and Culture: Commonalities and Complexities, Linda Theron, Linda Liebenberg, and Michael Ungar (eds), 37–48. Dordrecht: Springer. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wang, Shaojung Sharon. 2015. “More than Words?: The Effect of Line Character Sticker Use on Intimacy in the Mobile Communication Environment.” Social Science Computer Review June: 1–23.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Weick, Karl, and Kathleen Sutcliffe. 2015. Managing the Unexpected: Sustained Performance in a Complex World (3rd edition). Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wolf, Alecia. 2000. “Emotional Expression Online: Gender Differences in Emoticon Use.” Cyberpsychology & Behavior 3: 827–833. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Yozzo Co. Ltd. 2015. “Thailand’s Telecom Market end of 2015.” Retrieved from [URL]
Zhang, Wei, and Cheris Kramarae. 2014. “‘SlutWalk’ on Connected Screens: Multiple Framings of a Social Media Discussion.” Journal of Pragmatics 73: 66–81. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue