Multifaceted Internet Ethnography in Studies of Everyday Life with an Emphasis on Social Networks

Extended Abstract
 
Introduction and Objectives: In recent decades, studies of everyday life in the social sciences and humanities have undergone major transformations due to technological change and the pervasive penetration of the Internet and social networks. On the one hand, contemporary everyday life has become increasingly entangled with digital media, mobile devices, and online spaces; on the other hand, classical ethnographic methods are no longer sufficient to capture and describe these emerging realities.
This article, recognizing such a methodological gap, rethinks ethnographic approaches within the context of the Internet and seeks to offer a new pathway for studying everyday life through social networks. The main objective is to integrate the strengths of classical ethnography with the possibilities offered by digital environments in order to produce a multidimensional and multi-sited analysis of everyday experience.
Drawing on a multi-methodological synthesis grounded in diverse field experiences, the study proposes both a theoretical and practical framework for what it terms “Multifaceted Internet Ethnography.” This approach highlights the importance of the researcher’s simultaneous engagement with both physical and online fields, as well as the dynamic interconnections between them.
The article critically reviews domestic and international literature—ranging from classical works to contemporary research by scholars such as Christine Hine, Robert Kozinets, Sarah Pink, and others—to demonstrate how the boundary between “online” and “offline” life can be reconceptualized. This redefinition enables a more nuanced understanding of social, cultural, and technological dynamics and transforms the classical ethnographer into an active, creative, and boundary-crossing researcher proficient in multiple fields of inquiry.
Methodology: The study adopts a qualitative meta-synthesis approach, allowing the researcher to collect, compare, and reinterpret findings from previous studies in order to construct a novel conceptual model. The process began with a systematic review of research on Internet ethnography, netnography, digital ethnography, and mixed-method approaches. By identifying shared methodological principles and points of divergence, the proposed model of Multifaceted Internet Ethnography was developed.
This model recommends that researchers avoid confining their fieldwork exclusively to either physical or online spaces. Instead, they should engage in a continuous movement between the two. Practically, this may involve maintaining both real and pseudonymous accounts on social media platforms (e.g., Twitter, Instagram, Clubhouse) to observe, participate, and collect data through screenshots, audio/video recordings, hashtag tracking, and monitoring of trending events.
Field presence in relevant physical spaces and conducting in-depth interviews—both online and offline—complement this process. Such an approach requires ethical sensitivity, flexibility, and the ability to navigate multiple researcher roles (e.g., covert observer, active participant, or “fly on the wall”). Through this methodology, the study delineates both the theoretical capacities and the operational procedures necessary for conducting research across interconnected physical and digital fields.
Findings: The results indicate that Multifaceted Internet Ethnography effectively addresses the limitations of traditional ethnographic approaches that treat physical and online spaces as separate domains.

First, this method enables “thick description” (in Geertz’s sense) of everyday life in contexts where social, cultural, and economic relations are deeply interwoven with digital technologies.
Second, simultaneous presence in both online and offline environments enriches data quality and allows the researcher to trace the cyclical reproduction of meaning across virtual and physical spaces.
Third, when dealing with phenomena such as trending hashtags, viral events, or online community formations, this approach provides a powerful analytical tool for examining collective action and social reality construction.
Fourth, the proposed method combines classical ethnographic techniques (participant observation, in-depth interviews, textual analysis) with modern digital tools (archiving, screen capture, big data analytics), thereby fostering a more holistic understanding of the dynamics of networked everyday life.

Ultimately, the research shows that depending on study objectives, the researcher can adjust their level of involvement and type of online identity, employing localized engagement strategies to build user trust and participation.
Discussion and Conclusion: The study argues that in contemporary contexts, the boundary between online and offline realities has become fluid and indeterminate; both realms are in a constant dialectical process of mutual redefinition. Consequently, classical ethnographic methods alone are insufficient to grasp this complexity.
Multifaceted Internet Ethnography, as a flexible, creative, and innovative approach, responds to this need by acknowledging the “back-and-forth” nature of fieldwork. It enables researchers to collect and analyze rich, multilayered data that keep pace with rapid technological and cultural transformations.
Theoretically, this approach bridges the divide between classical anthropology and digital media studies, contributing a new dimension to the literature on digital ethnography. Practically, it offers a versatile framework applicable to diverse fields of social science—from cultural and communication studies to political sociology and media research.
Moreover, by emphasizing researcher creativity and methodological boldness, this framework opens new horizons for interdisciplinary inquiry, encouraging scholars to experiment with innovative methods suited to evolving research terrains. Thus, Multifaceted Internet Ethnography is not merely a method for studying everyday life in the networked age—it is also a model for future research in the humanities and social sciences, aimed at capturing and analyzing “what is happening as it happens.”