Platform Perspectives: Analysing ‘Like and Reaction’ Mechanisms in Social Media
This internal project, under the guidance of Professor Michael Arnold Mages from Northeastern University (Boston), is an independent endeavour. The project involves the selection of a system and the creation of a detailed mapping utilising both visual representations and textual content.
WHY SOCIAL MEDIA SYSTEM?
Social media system refers to the complex network of different social media platforms and technologies that help in creating, sharing and exchanging information, data and content among users. This system includes different social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn etc. and all of these platforms offer unique features which cater to a wide range of users.
In the past few years, the social media system has been rapidly growing and has experienced transformative development. It has been characterised by different areas such as the rapid rise of various new platforms, changes in people’s behaviours, and how people have started using social media in their everyday lives.
But in today’s time, social media is more than just scrolling through people’s pictures and posts. It is a whole system that is constantly changing. First of all, the focus of these platforms is to keep their users hooked and that is the reason why they are always adding new features to keep their users’ engagement. But it’s always not about fun. There are some serious issues like privacy issues and fake messages. Both of these problems may affect someone’s mental health. Also, social media is a place where you can buy and sell stuff (social commerce). Understanding these crucial developments might have a huge impact associated with social media in contemporary society.
KEY CONCEPTS
After thinking about different ideas and checking out research online, I decided to narrow down my focus on specific things within social media. These chosen ideas can be drawn out visually and might be interesting to others looking from the outside. These are the two ideas that stood out to me — 1) The Evolution of Social Media Platforms and 2)Focusing on the Like and Reaction Feature.
The Evolution of Social Media Platforms: I began by checking online articles that talked about both old and current social media platforms. It was really interesting because I discovered a few platforms I didn’t know about and learned more about them. I then started mapping out a timeline to see how these platforms changed over the years and what events happened each year.
Focusing on the Like and Reaction Feature: This topic caught my interest because we use these features every day, thinking they’re simple, but they have a big impact on the whole system. Every social media platform has this Like and Reaction feature, and each one has different ways of using it. I tried looking at the most popular social media platforms worldwide and started gathering data based on them.
After looking at a few things, I chose to focus on mapping the Like and Reaction feature on various social media platforms. I found it unique and interesting, aligning well with my interests.
DIFFERENT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS WITH LIKE AND REACTION FEATURE
I began by using different social media platforms and taking screenshots of screens with the like and reaction feature. Then, I sorted them into different parts like post likes, comment likes, story likes, and short-video likes. I also included platforms like Shein and Spotify, which have a like icon for our personal use, like making playlists. This is different from other platforms where these features are visible to others. For example, Snapchat doesn’t have a like or reaction feature; instead, we interact by sending snaps and maintaining streaks. Dating apps have a liking feature too, but the way it works is different, like swiping left or right to accept or reject someone’s profile.
After examining the screenshots, I began organizing everything into different categories such as short video user engagement and 24-hour visible content user engagement. I tried to identify common patterns from the data. Additionally, I paid attention to the visual differences in the icons or buttons, noticing how each platform has its unique style.
FINAL VERSION OF THE MAP
After numerous attempts, I successfully created a visual representation that conveys information in a clear and visually appealing manner.
I divided the visual into four categories: User engagement metrics (it measures the level of interaction and involvement users have with a platform’s content and features), Monetisation (it involves converting platform activities into revenue, often through methods like ads, subscriptions, or partnerships), Emotional Expression (it involves users conveying their feelings and reactions through features such as likes and reactions on social media platforms), and Content Visibility (it refers to how easily and widely platform content is seen by users, impacting its reach and accessibility).
To showcase where each platform stands in a particular category concerning the like and reaction features, I used notations for high level, medium level, and low level. The varying size of the boxes corresponds to these levels, and the text inside the boxes is self-explanatory.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, this project delved into the intricate landscape of social media platforms, specifically focusing on the ubiquitous “like” and “reaction” features. By visually mapping these features across various platforms and categorising them into user engagement metrics, monetisation, emotional expression, and content visibility, a comprehensive understanding was gained. The analysis highlighted the unique nuances of each platform, shedding light on their distinctive approaches to fostering user interaction and content dynamics. Through meticulous exploration and categorisation, this project aimed to unravel the subtle complexities of these seemingly simple features, contributing to a nuanced comprehension of their impact on the broader social media ecosystem.
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*To have a look at my designs, please visit my design portfolio. It showcases my body of work and highlights my skills and abilities as a designer — https://yutis-portfolio-cba333.webflow.io/
