Social Media Communication Notes

Social Media Communication

Definition of Social Media

  • Social media are means of connecting and interacting actively.
  • Social Networking Services (SNSs) examples: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and many more.

Principles of Social Media

  • Social media blur production and consumption.
  • Social media alter conceptions of space.
  • Social media invite supersaturation.
  • Social media encourage multitasking.

Social Media Blur Production and Consumption

  • Social media are increasingly produced and consumed by the same people, and most of them are not media executives.
  • The line between producers and consumers has become blurred as people create personal blogs/YouTube channels, etc.
  • The term "prosumer" is used to describe this phenomenon.
  • There are no more gatekeepers in the traditional sense.

Social Media Examples

  • Pictures: SmugMug, flickr
  • Social Bookmarks: Bagik, blog, aikyo
  • Comment & Reputation: DISQUS, answering, hubdub
  • Crowdsourced Content: Wiki, TWiki, wetpoint
  • LiveCasting-Video and Audio: Blog Talk Radio, ODEO, lest from, USTREAM, kyte
  • Blog Platforms: Ask
  • Blog Communities: Gaggin, Google, ashyfur, blogged, Buitter
  • Music: Zoochr
  • Events: Zvents, socialize, MASDELI, Actevi
  • Documents: Cossive, Skribd, The Conversation
  • Video Aggregation: You Tube, Riddler, Klip.Ly, Video, Pask
  • Micromedia: identi.ca, scurthang, Brian, Sola and JESS3
  • Lifestreams: facebook @ureteamdo LIFE21, yoodeer Swurl, In Treet Som, Ping
  • Twiler Specific to Twitter: Tuamas, Lawizpla, pinger, ojot
  • Location: yelp*, Google
  • Social Networks: Linked in, facebook, cbo, Ning, plaxo, hi5
  • Niche Networks
  • Customers
  • Service Networks
  • SMS/Voice

Social Media Alter Conceptions of Space

  • Examples: Netflix to watch movies, socmed to stalk people, awani to get news.
  • We view space as distinct from the people, objects, and events that happened within it.
  • A set of relations that is produced through the process of interacting.
  • Cyberspace is a fluid, emergent process of connecting that grows out of interactions, not merely the context.
  • Cyberspace is social space in which dynamic actions and interactions actually constitute the environment.
  • It does not exist prior to interaction but after interaction.
  • Example: library for air conditioning, Google, information on internet.

Social Media Invite Supersaturation

  • Social media give us unprecedented access to information.
  • We are saturated with information to the extent that we may feel overwhelmed and stressed by the information available to us.
  • Social media give others greater access to us than ever before.
  • We can practically leave the physical world of face-to-face relationships and live in the virtual world of online contacts.
  • Examples of negative consequences of supersaturation: stress, suicidal thoughts, focusing on beauty standards and achievements.
  • "Doom scrolling" and "brainrot" are mentioned in the context of information overload.

Social Media Encourage Multitasking

  • Doing multiple tasks at the same time.
  • During classes, students often take notes while also texting and watching videos.
  • Some play games while listening to a forum.
  • Doing tasks not at the same time but doing each one very quickly.
  • "Continuous partial attention" is a term used to describe this.
  • Multitasking can lead to more mistakes.

The Myth of Multitasking

  • Acknowledges the common perception and potential drawbacks of multitasking.

Use of Social Media in Specialization of Communication

  • Crisis communication (e.g., MH370).
  • Public relations: Improve a brand’s or client’s reputation and keep in touch with stakeholders.
  • Advertisement: Increase brand awareness and increase sales.
  • Journalism: Produce timely news articles and report on issues.
  • Broadcasting: Livestreaming where media executives can engage directly with the audience rather than one-way communication by traditional/mass media broadcasting.