SOCIAL MEDIA

Chapter 4b

It is not uncommon today for teens and young adults to flock towards the latest and trendiest social networking sites. This is evident in the enormous successes of social media giants like Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace. What sets these social networking sites (SNS) apart from regular Web browsing is that they provide users with an increased sense of control of their online experience.

Often, users can choose their profile picture and add filters on who can see it, which friends to add in their network and who to block. Unfortunately, this sense of control is misguided. “For every moment in which agency is passed over to users and consumers, power is also centralized in ways that have become more
disturbing with time. The ownership of commercial media, communications channels and software platforms is becoming alarmingly concentrated” (Jenkins, 2004, as cited in Cope & Kalantzis, 2009, p. 173).

Interestingly, Van de Walle (n.d.) argues that affordances on today’s Web work in a “publisher-driven way rather than a user-driven way” (p.1). That is, the content publisher holds the reins when it comes to deciding what hyperlinks the user will have at his or her disposal. This ability to choose can serve to be more powerful than one would think as they can direct how the user engages with the digital platform and consequently control what content they are exposed to. For instance, if a user was to click on Facebook’s Like button for a specific rock band, Facebook will compile this data, package it up and sell it to advertisers (Dwyer, 2011). Shortly after, the user will likely find more news feeds and advertisements featuring the band and its work.

Curious to see what data Facebook has of you?

Click here to see your data

Can you really delete Facebook data? Watch the video below to find out.

In midst of the intense scrutiny that Facebook is dealing with, this video discusses whether it is time to delete the popular social media platform. Click here to find out.