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Is it still social?
Is it still social?
What Is Social Media?
What Is Social Media?
Social media platforms facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, and interests.
Key features include:
User-generated content
Interaction (likes, comments, shares)
Digital media (we will take a deeper dive into this shortly!)
Revisiting WWW History
Revisiting WWW History
Web 1.0: Read-Only Web
Web 1.0: Read-Only Web
Early websites were built primarily to deliver information, not interaction.
No comments or reviews
No blogs or social platforms
Limited interaction through message boards and chat rooms
Users were consumers, not creators.
Web 2.0: The Social Web
Web 2.0: The Social Web
In the early 2000s, the web shifted dramatically toward user-generated content.
This era introduced:
Blogging
Tagging
Reviews and ratings
RSS and content curation
Social bookmarking
Social networking and social media
Users became active participants, creating and sharing content rather than just reading it.
Explore this shift:
This is just a quick summary to give social media some context. Click here to go back and review the evolution of the World Wide Web.
From Social Media to Interest Media?
From Social Media to Interest Media?
Be honest: Are you social on social media?
Be honest: Are you social on social media?
Initially, social media focused on connecting with people you knew.
Today, many social media platforms operate more like interest media than social media:
Content is shown based on what you watch, like, and engage with
Algorithms prioritize interests over relationships
You often see posts from strangers before friends
We are watching social media evolve right before our eyes!
Social media has become less about who you know and more about what captures your attention.
This shift has implications for:
Information exposure
Mental health and attention
Digital ethics (which you’ve already explored)
Digital Bubbles
Digital bubbles are when algorithms not only show you content you are interested in, but that content can also continue to confirm what you already believe.
Social Media: The Stats
Social Media: The Stats
Before looking at the data, make a few predictions.
In your notebook, answer:
What three platforms do you think are most popular?
Are those platforms growing or declining?
Which platforms dominate different generations (age groups)?
Do factors like gender, income, race, or political affiliation affect usage?
Now compare your predictions: Pew Research Social Media Statistics
Social Media: The Impact
Social Media: The Impact
How has social media affected society positively or negatively?
Reflect in your notebook:
List potential benefits
List potential drawbacks
Social Media: Addiction?
Social Media: Addiction?
Take the “Am I Addicted to Social Media?” quiz by clicking here.
Reflect in your notebook:
Do you agree with the results?
Do you have social media habits you want to change?
About how many hours per day do you spend on social media?
Notebook ACTIVITY
Notebook ACTIVITY
Now that you dug a little deeper into Social Media, it's time to articulate your opinion on this question in your notebook:
Has social media been a positive or negative effect on society? You can't be wishy washy! Pick a side and share your reasoning.
There's no correct answer here, it's your opinion!
Why does this Matter?
Why does this Matter?
You spend hours on social media every day, but do you actually understand what it's doing to you? The algorithms decide what you see, what you believe, and who you interact with. Understanding how social media works and how it affects your mental health and worldview makes you a more intentional user. And in a world where social media shapes elections, careers, and relationships, that awareness is vital!
Intentional > Passive
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