The Internet and Social Media

internet

a global network of interconnected computers that communicate freely and share and exchange information

digital computer

a computer that processes data reduced to a binary code

binary code

information transformed into a series of digits 1 and 0 for storage and manipulation in computers

protocols

common communication rules and languages for computers linked to the Internet

host

computers linking individual personal computer users to the Internet

mainframe computer

a large central computer to which users are connected by terminals

minicomputer

a relatively large central computer to which users are connected by terminals; not as large as a mainframe computer

terminals

user workstations that are connected to larger centralized computers

microcomputer

a very small computer that uses a microprocessor to handle information (also called a personal computer or PC)

operating system

the software that tells the computer how to work

multimedia

advanced sound and image capabilities for microcomputers

WAN (wide area network)

network that connects several LANs in different locations

ISP (internet service provider)

company that offers Internet connections at monthly rates depending on the kind and amount of access needed

world wide web

a tool that serves as a means of accessing files on computers connected via the Internet

URL (uniform resource locator)

the designation of each file or directory on the host computer connected to the Internet

domain name

on the World Wide Web, an identifying name, rather than a site’s formal URL, that gives some indication of the nature of a site’s content or owner

browsers

software programs loaded on personal computers and used to download and view Web files

search engines

Web-search software providing on-screen menus

social media sites

websites that function as online communities of users

dual-factor model of social media use

social media use is motivated by the need for acceptance and the need to belong

idealized virtual identity hypothesis

social media users tend to show idealized characteristics not reflective of who they really are

extended real-life

predicts that we use social media to communicate our actual identities

finstas

second (“f” for fake) Instagram accounts offering less-curated, more natural versions of self to a trustworthy circle of friends

second (“f” for fake) Instagram accounts offering less-curated, more natural versions of self to a trustworthy circle of friends

second (“f” for fake) Instagram accounts offering less-curated, more natural versions of self to a trustworthy circle of friends

digital natives

people who have never known a world without the Internet

manosphere

online home to men who harbor and express ill will toward women

surveillance capitalism

an economic system dependent on the buying and selling of people’s personal data, the capture and production of which relies on mass surveillance of the Internet

generative AI

artificial intelligence-powered language models capable of understanding and processing natural language input from humans

slacktivism

derogatory name of online activism

citizen witnessing

speaking out about war crimes and atrocities via social media

truth decay

the diminishing role of facts and analysis in public life

deep fake

artificial intelligence-enhanced video and audio designed to present people saying or doing things that they never actually said or did

fair use

in copyright law, instances in which material may be used without permission or payment

dataveillance

the massive electronic collection and distillation of consumer data

opt-out 

consumers requesting that companies do not sell personal data

opt-in

consumers giving permission to companies to sell personal data

click stream

the series of choices made by a user on the Web

cookies

an identifying code added to a computer’s hard drive by a visited website

radio frequency identification (RFID) chip

grain-of-sand-size microchip and antenna embedded in consumer products that transmit a radio signal

internet of things (IoT)

everyday objects having built-in network connectivity, allowing them to send and receive data

facial recognition technology

technology capable of identifying or verifying the identity of an individual from a digital image or video source

network neutrality

granting equal carriage over phone and cable lines to all websites

technology gap

the widening disparity between communication technology haves and have-nots

digital divide

the lack of technological access among people of color, people who are poor or disabled, and those in rural communities

municipal broadband

publically provided low-cost, high-speed Internet access