Social media is a blanket term for online services that encourage connection and sharing between users. Social media primarily relies on user-generated content to create interest in the site, and includes advertisements from companies that pay to have their content viewed by users. Modern social media emerged in the 2000s with sites such as MySpace and Facebook, but has since expanded to thousands of popular platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, SnapChat, and Pinterest.
With the widespread usage of social media sites user privacy is a concern, especially for users under the age of 18. Many states have passed laws to regulate who can access social media profiles, the selling of personal information by the platform, and protections against online harassment and cyberbullying. Social media has also had a large hand propagating in mis- and disinformation, conspiracy theories, and "fake news." This has had an impact on politics and elections, especially in the United States.
While social media allows like-minded people to connect, this has also led to the growth of hate groups and radicalization driven by algorithms that favor outrage and edginess for engagement. Social media itself can be addictive, and it can further impact mental health with the carefully curated feeds displaying only the best or more cultivated moments from people's lives.
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Social Media: A Reference Handbook by
This single-volume book provides a broad and easily understandable discussion of the evolution of social media; related problems and controversies, especially for youth; key people and organizations; and useful social media data.
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The Social Media Debate: Unpacking the Social, Psychological, and Cultural Effects of Social Media by
Provides an accessible insight into the latest research and most pressing concerns about social media platforms. Brings together research from different disciplines in order to provide a well rounded examination of various currents issues and debates.
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Social Media Law and Ethics by
In this new textbook, social media professor Jeremy Lipschultz introduces students to the study of social media law and ethics, integrating legal concepts and ethical theories. The book explores free expression, as it applies to students, media industry professionals, content creators and audience members. Key issues and practices covered include copyright law, data privacy, revenge porn, defamation, government censorship, social media platform rules, and employer policies. Research techniques are also used to suggest future trends in social media law and ethics. Touching on themes and topics of significant contemporary relevance, this accessible textbook can be used in standalone law and ethics courses, as well as emerging social media courses that are disrupting traditional public relations, advertising and journalism curricula. Case studies, discussion questions, and online resources help students engage with the complexities and ambiguities of this future-oriented area of media law, making it an ideal textbook for students of media law, policy and ethics, mass media, and communication studies.
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Rethinking Social Media and Extremism by
Terrorism, global pandemics, climate change, wars and all the major threats of our age have been targets of online extremism. The same social media occupying the heartland of our social world leaves us vulnerable to cybercrime, electoral fraud and the 'fake news' fuelling the rise of far-right violence and hate speech. In the face of widespread calls for action, governments struggle to reform legal and regulatory frameworks designed for an analogue age. And what of our rights as citizens?
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First published: Nov. 2023
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