Contestable kinship: user experience and engagement on DTC genetic testing sites

Abstract

Direct-to-consumer genetic testing products and their participatory social media outlets provide users with new ways to understand ancestral identity, build community around shared results, and conceptualize the role of genetic determinism in their lives. In this article, I explore of role of user-generated information constructed with results from direct-to-consumer genetic scanning services such as 23andme, GEDMatch, AncestryDNA, MyHeritage. In particular, this paper considers how social capital is accumulated and disseminated utilizing these participatory tools in the communication practices of users. Through the sharing of genealogical knowledge, historical expertise, communication technology skills, access to genealogical services, selective behaviors such as cooperation, trust building, and a reliable presence on these social networking sites are examined. Thus this article aims to examine consumer contact practices and information sharing of social capital in the form of familial origin narratives, genetic ancestry estimations, and how this communication shapes user interpretation of genetic results.