Defining Social Media: Part 2

 

Graham Meikle (2016) has 3 more defining concepts of social media. The second one is that Social Media use a particular set of business models and corporate practices that optimize and individualize each user’s experience (Meikle, 2016). A common corporate practice in Social Media corporations is the collection and analysis of user data, and business models are built based upon these analyses (Meikle, 2016). Hinge tracks the tendencies of its users regarding their preferences, account options, interest ratios etc., and filters what type of people they display to your feed to match your preferences. The third defining characteristic from Meikle (2016) is the inclusion of a particular set of business organizations. The internet allows businesses to collaborate efficiently in a manner that was not possible prior (Meikle, 2016). What brings these businesses together so seamlessly is the networked communication, organization, and mobilization made possible by digital media (Meikle, 2016). The last defining feature of Social Media is to own a particular set of cultural habits, practices, and expectations (Meikle, 2016). Facilitating this allows for limitless controversies, whether cultural or political, both on a public, and personal communication level (Meikle, 2016). This allows users to express themselves and personalize their experience, which social media tend to excel at in comparison to other forms of media.

References

Meikle, G. (2016). Social Media: Communication, Sharing and Visibility (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315884172