The Societal Realism of Social Media

By: Mira El Moghrabi Marini

One of the few people who don’t require an introduction about their identity is Mark Zuckerberg due to his groundbreaking contribution to the internet world in general and social media platforms in specific. In 2014 Zuckerberg told the Wall Street Journal “There have been moments in history where the invention of new technology has completely rewired the way our society lives and works” (Tirosh, 2017 p.2). Although all media can be considered as social due to its ability in establishing, allowing and communication, the shapeshifting convergence from traditional media platforms such as the telecommunication, audio visual and print into computed networks, have refined and redefined the communication mediums, social sharing and relationships. Being consistently considered as effective audience rather than passive ones, is one of the many characteristics that social media provide for its users. However, many questions are raised on the commercialism, consumerism and neo-liberalism of social media companies. One of the most pondering questions that haunt sociologist and anthropologists as well as some of the users is “Are social media exploiting the social capital?

The complexity of the technological aspects of understanding the social media in terms of bits, bytes, software and hardware is so simple compared to the rhetorical analysis of its impact on society. Technologically, social media are different sets of programmable codes hosted by a meta-medium aka the computer and transmits it as social media platforms ranging from newly born, adopted and old media (Jensen, 2015 p.1). socially, the social media have been proposed as a sociological paradox due to its impact on the public and private spheres of society. Jensen (2015, p.2) highlight that the many to many communication trait of social media has transcended into a general resource that has shapeshifted the society as a whole.

The social media users are indulged in their one on one communications and interactions with different members of the public sphere for conflicting or complementary purposes. However, Hjorth (n.d. p.22) highlight an important reality about the term “User” having two main connotations as a controller and as controlled. Hjorth (n.d. p.22) explain that while apparently the user seems to be in control of their activity, the fact is that user in the social media arena is controlled by powerful web 2.0 tools which is creating specific content that addresses the same nature of the users’ activity.

Significantly, the social media owners and Web 2.0 facilitators gain the insights on the users’ information through their sharing activities. Quoted directly from the study of the Rhetorics of sharing ‘In our society, the protocols of communication are not based on the sharing of culture, but on the culture of sharing’, (Kennedy, 2013 p.3). Kennedy (2013 p.3–4) suggests that sharing is not an accidental feature of social media platforms but rather a constructed strategy. The conceptual functions of sharing are embedded as subliminal practices towards engaging users in networking, socializing and communication towards acting as cultural and social intermediaries

The notion of sharing that is practiced extensively between social media users can be understood based on its ability to creating and establishing friend bonds as well as cooperation, sharing knowledge, information, celebrating and experiencing joy and aspiring towards a sense of communal belonging and societal membership. Sharing simplified is the creation of a social capital.

However, the social capital created by social media sharing extends beyond communication and interaction. Giddens (2013, p.855) explains that The social capital is a symbolic form of generating capital whether cultural or economical directly through social networks. The Social capital is mainly inclusive of the relationships, communication and interactions value produced by the knowledge generated through collaborations with community and others. People attain a sense of reciprocity and trust through the support of maintaining interactions. Therefore, the social capital generated by social media platforms is mainly based on compromises and bargains in a pluralistic global community.

This pluralistic community is the same one that has supported Mark Zuckerberg become one of the wealthiest men of the 21th century. Therefore, there is an underlying algorithm on the power difference between users and developers (Baym, 2015 p.2). Social media are suggested to be the largest economic disempowerment tools that strive on users’ information, creative work and societal contributions to generate revenues.

Although social media has contributed positively to the world, its algorithms of generating economic profit based on a power hierarchy cannot contribute to a just and healthy society. Therefore, it is fair to highlight that social media are randomly exploiting the social capital for narcissistic, neo-liberal and capitalist purposes.

References

Baym, N.K (2015). Social Media and the Struggle for Society. Social Media + Society April-June 2015: 1 –2. DOI: 10.1177/2056305115580477

Fuchs (2014) ‘What is Social media’ in Social Media: A Critical Introduction, London, Sage.

Giddens, (2013). Social Capital. retrieved from: https://sites.hks.harvard.edu/saguaro/web%20docs/GarsonSK06syllabus.htm

Hjorth (n.d.). Understanding Social Media. Sage Publication. Retrieved from: https://elearn.lau.edu.lb/bbcswebdav/pid-291936-dt-content-rid-890214_1/courses/JSC_224_11_201920/Hjorth_Web2_0.pdf

Jensen, K.B (2015). What’s Social About Social Media? Social Media + Society April-June 2015: 1 –2. Retrieved from: https://elearn.lau.edu.lb/bbcswebdav/pid-289512-dt-content-rid-887320_1/courses/JSC_224_11_201920/Jensen_What%20is%20social%20about%20social%20Media.pdf

Kennedy (2013) ‘Rhetorics of Sharing’ in Loving, G & Rasch M. Unlike Us. Social Media Monopolies and their Alternatives, Institute for Network Culture, Amsterdam.

Tirosh (2017). Who benefits from the so-called New Media Revolution? Retrieved from: https://www.hiig.de/en/who-benefits-from-the-so-called-new-media-revolution/