What is the Nature of Social Media?

Ever since the Barrack Obama era we’ve been immersed in Social Media.  Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram – these sites aren’t simply the online distractions they once were, they’ve become the staging ground where all social, cultural, and political behaviour occurs.  The bulk of online activity is filtered through their paradigm, and yet we have no idea what this paradigm is.  On the surface they sell themselves as simple and straightforward services: chat with friends on Facebook, read t...