Social Media Use and Its Impact

Social Media Use

• Social media has revolutionized how the world operates.
• The rapid adoption of new media platforms has changed how people interact and communicate in social, economic, and political spheres.
• MySpace was a pioneer in the social media landscape.
• Social media platforms have seen exponential growth in user numbers, evident with the popularity of TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The rise and fall of social media platforms like Hi5, MySpace, and Friendster show that survival depends on continuous evolution and adaptation to user needs and interests.
• Facebook is a leading social media platform with the highest user numbers, followed by India, the United States, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico, and the Philippines.

Social Media Use Statistics

• A 2017 report revealed that 42% of people use social media to connect with friends, while 39% use it for news and current events.
• Other reasons for social media use include filling leisure time, networking, entertainment, sharing photos and videos, expressing opinions, meeting new people, and researching or finding products.

Responsible Social Media Use

• Treat all individuals with dignity and respect, even if you disagree with their views.
• Avoid using social media for harassment, intimidation, or bullying.
• Social media platforms are designed for connecting and communicating with people in a genuine way.
• It's crucial to use these technologies responsibly and not present a false version of oneself.

New Media

• New media encompasses highly interactive digital technologies that are easily processed, stored, transformed, retrieved, hyperlinked, searched, and accessed.
• New media platforms include blogs, social media, online newspapers, virtual reality, and computer games.

Language in New Media

• Language used in new media is often called Computer-mediated communication (CMC).
• Other terms used for language in new media include Netspeak, Computer-mediated discourse, Digital discourse, Electronic discourse, e-communication, Digitally mediated communication, and Keyboard-to-screen communication.

Types of Discourse in CMC

• Vernacular Discourse: uses language common to people regardless of age, social class, gender, or race (e.g., acronyms, initialisms, emoticons/emojis, expressive punctuations).
• Interpersonal Discourse: focuses on relationships rather than subject matter, characterized by turn-taking, topic development, back-channels, and repairs.
• Spontaneous Discourse: unplanned, unstructured, and impulsive, giving rise to new words and expressions like "b4n," "f2f," "trolls," "meme," "hashtag," and "meh."

Characteristics of English Language in New Media

• Brevity: emphasizes concise writing, reflecting the preference for brief content in online environments (e.g., "2 MIN READ").
• Multimodality: combines multiple forms of digital media, acknowledging that words are only one part of communication, involving semiotic resources beyond text.
• Ideologically-Motivated: inherently ideological, influencing and being influenced by political and economic structures, often seen in the power of news media.

Communication Planning

• Informative communication
• Persuasive communication
• Prevention of misunderstandings
• Presentation of viewpoints or reducing communication barriers

Communication Strategies in Tech-Based Communication

• Keep it simple: use straightforward language.
• Emphasize key ideas: focus on essential information.
• Show what you can't say: utilize visuals for better understanding.
• Manageable image count: keep visuals concise and relevant.
• Variety with coherence: combine diverse media while maintaining consistency.
• Large lettering: enhance readability.