It changed our methods of communication. It altered the dynamic of influencing others. It revolutionized marketing strategies. It rendered mailing nearly obsolete. But what exactly is it?
Though social media is such a crucial part of our daily lives, it’s so difficult to define. What exactly are the benchmarks in order for something to be considered “social media?” What is the difference between “social media” and “social networking?” Does our generation misuse the term “social media?” So many questions surround the topic that makes up such a great portion of our lives, yet they all can be answered only subjectively.
First things first, we can all agree that social media involves communicating online. Sorry, mouths and magazines, but you do not qualify as social media. But can online communication still be considered social media if it does not share information?
That’s where social media ends and social networking starts. Social media involves spreading new media, i.e. posting an article to Twitter, publishing a blog, or sharing an informative video. At its core, social media is about content that can provoke interactions via comments, shares, or likes.
Social networking, on the other hand, involves interacting with others, such as communicating through Facebook Messenger, Viber, Skype, etc.
“Social media” and “social networking” are often used interchangeably, but there is more of a difference between the two than simply their parts of speech. As such, my interpretation of the definitions of the two terms are as follows:
Social media
- Must occur online or through websites, applications, etc.
- Must create or share content
Social network
- Must occur online or through websites, applications, etc.
- Must involve interacting with others
Since the two terms are evidently similar, it comes as no surprise that people often misuse them. But in certain cases, either term could be used correctly. For instance, Facebook could be considered either a form of social media or a social network since it both creates/shares content AND involves interactions.
Generally, companies set out to be social networks, but achieve the title of “social media” if they become popular. Back in 2009, Twitter asked its users, “What are you doing?” Now, however, it asks, “What’s happening?” This change symbolizes the shift of Twitter from a social networking site to both a social networking site and a form of social media. Twitter now encourages its users to share their opinions on what’s going on around them, which is exactly what social media is all about.
So next time that you hear someone complain about how social media is ruining our communication skills or how social networks are changing our perceptions of beauty, tell them to get their facts straight! Those people have the terms “social media” and “social networking” backwards. Luckily, you won’t be one of them.