The Evolution of Social Media: Splitting Into Social and Media

That changed when social networking became social media around 2009, between the introduction of the smartphone and the launch of Instagram. Instead of connection—forging latent ties to people and organizations we would mostly ignore—social media offered platforms through which people could publish content as widely as possible, well beyond their

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But gradually, social-media users became more comfortable sharing intimate details of their lives with strangers and corporations. ... They became more adept at putting on performances and managing their personal brand—activities that might impress others but that do not deepen friendships in the way that a private phone conversation will.  On... See more

The obvious takeaway is that the medium of social interaction transformed from being a physical to a digital place; but a more nuanced analysis reveals that the medium, for the first time, is no longer a locus of commerce. Social media networks create a completely new medium — an entire digital territory — for modern social interaction that use obj... See more