Social Networks: A Critical Introduction

Interactive technologies enabling content sharing and expression through online communities.

Interactive, Web 2.0, Internet-based applications.

User-created content (posts, photos, videos) is essential.

Users create profiles for social media apps/websites.

Builds online social networks connecting user profiles.

Social media platforms prioritize user activity and community.

Accessed via web-based apps on devices (desktops and mobiles).

Provides interactive platforms for sharing, co-creating, discussing, and modifying online content.

Approximately 3.96 billion people used social media globally in 2022.

The number of social media users has increased from 3.6 billion in 2020 to an anticipated 4.41 billion in 2025.

A leading social networking service with 2.91 billion active users in January 2022.

A popular video-sharing platform with 2.56 billion active users in January 2022.

A messaging app with 2 billion active users in January 2022.

A photo and video-sharing social networking service with an estimated 1.48 billion users in January 2022.

A Chinese social media platform with 1.26 billion active users in January 2022.

A phase of the internet characterized by user-generated content and social interaction.

A shift in communications research focusing on the ethical and societal impact of media, especially social media, rather than just technical aspects or journalistic ethics.

The increasing extent to which media outputs and expectations are woven into our daily lives.

Social media platforms are significantly influencing economic activity (e.g., by boosting demand and creating value-generating data).

Social media platforms' value is increasingly tied to collecting and analyzing user data to help organizations generate economic value.

The constant tracking of online behavior and interactions by social media platforms.

Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of social media to make a neutral judgment on its effect.

How social media is shaping our understanding and experience of "social" interaction, relationship or community.

Exploring how media influences and defines concepts of social connection.

Social media emphasize interaction and conversation, viewing media as both representations and spaces of interaction.

A view of communication as a shared experience that brings people together in commonality, similar to a sacred ceremony.

Communication is a process through which people collectively create and actively engage with their world through shared dialogue.

A traditional view of communication focusing on sending information, often comparing it to moving objects across space.

Studying social media as a complex and important object of contemporary research.

Social media platforms go beyond simply transmitting messages; they build spaces for collaborative creation and interaction.

Data gathered from user interactions, including conversations, fuel social media business models and are critical for state surveillance.

Considering skepticism toward social media alongside rigorous investigation of their functionalities and impacts.

Examining if the role of media is merely to spread information or if it should also consider safeguarding privacy, space, and distance.

Power in communication extends beyond media effects and encompasses the influence of those who design and shape conversations.

The role media plays in shaping our understanding of society and social interaction. How media forms social behaviors, norms, and expectations.

The design of social media platforms actively influences how users interact and collaborate.

The perceived obligation to engage and participate in social media activities.

Social media platforms reveal how people work together to create and reshape their world through shared experiences and dialogue.

A significant cultural shift that affects social attitudes, norms and overall interactions.

The designers, moderators, and administrators of social media platforms hold significant power in shaping online conversations.

Social networks are online platforms that connect people through shared interests, activities, or relationships.

Social networks facilitate communication, collaboration, and information sharing among users.

Social networks typically offer features like profile creation, content sharing, messaging, and community building.

Social networks can promote social connections, inform people, facilitate business opportunities, and support activism.

Social networks can also lead to privacy concerns, spread misinformation, foster addiction, and promote social comparison.

Critical thinking helps us evaluate information, identify bias, and navigate the complex world of social media.

Social networks have become integral to communication, information access, and social interaction, influencing our daily lives and shaping our perceptions.

Social networks are constantly evolving with new technologies and changing user behaviors, shaping the future of online communication and social interaction.