Social Media: A Critical Introduction

by Christian Fuchs

Now more than ever, we need to understand social media - the good as well as the bad. We need critical knowledge that helps us to navigate the controversies and contradictions of this complex digital media landscape. Only then can we make informed judgements about what′s happening in our media world, and why. Showing the reader how to ask the right kinds of questions about social media, Christian Fuchs takes us on a journey across social media, delving deep into case studies on Google, Facebook, Twitter, WikiLeaks and Wikipedia. The result lays bare the structures and power relations at the heart of our media landscape. This book is the essential, critical guide for all students of media studies and sociology. Readers will never look at social media the same way again.

Genres: Nonfiction, Social Media, Sociology, Communication, Technology, Academic, Social Science

304 pages, Paperback

First published December 6, 2013

About the author

Christian Fuchs is a leading critical theorist of communication and society. He is a Professor at the University of Westminster, co-editor of the open access journal tripleC: Communication, Capitalism and Critique, and the author of Digital Demagogue (Pluto, 2018) and Social Media: A Critical Introduction (Sage, 2017) amongst other works.

Reviews

[Jaq · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for the social media researcher.

[Tim Penning · Rating 1 out of 5]

Crap. Typically critical theory infused with Marxist propaganda. Criticisms of social media are valid, but exaggerated beyond hyperbole. Author ignores positive externalities of social media by assuming they must be universal to be worthwhile. Ignores that criticisms of social media could also be levied against mainstream media and the coffee shops of Habermas' public sphere. Alternatives offered are either already partly in existence or so idealistic as to be fantasy. In short, favors what sounds nice over what actually works.

[Sarphan Uzunoğlu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christian Fuchs'un "Social Media: A Critical Introduction" isimli kitabının Notabene tarafından özenle yapıldığı belli olan bu çevirisi akademik olarak bir ders kaynağı olarak da kullanılabilecek türden. Özellikle sosyal ağlara ilişkin özgün ve Marksist temelli bir kavrayış oturtmak istiyorsanız bana kalırsa mantıklı bir başlangıç olacaktır.

[Cassey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Discusses so much that I want to examine in my research. The recommended readings and exercises at the end of each chapter is a great tool.

[Göksal Caner Malatya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sosyal medyanın sadece bir "iletişim ve özgürlük alanı" olduğu illüzyonunu yıkan, Facebook, Twitter, Google gibi devleri Marksist ekonomi-politik ekseninde inceleyen harika bir çalışmadır. Fuchs, bu platformların iş modelinin, kullanıcıları gözetleyip verilerini metalaştırmak ve bu "ücretsiz emeği" reklam verenlere satmak (dijital artı-değer) olduğunu net bir şekilde kanıtlar. Sosyal medyanın Gezi, Arap Baharı gibi eylemlerdeki rolünü (pozitif ve sınırlayıcı yönlerini) sınıf mücadelesi bağlamında tartışır. Siber-ütopyacılığa karşı, internetin de ancak kapitalist mülkiyet ilişkilerinden kurtarılarak (sosyalist bir internetle) özgürleşebileceğini savunan güçlü bir manifesto niteliğindedir.

[Charlotte Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lacks a counter argument imo. Uni reading. Full notes on notion.

[Myles Gerber · Rating 1 out of 5]

Holy snoozefest

[Medar Acar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sosyal medya endüstrisi üzerinden yazılan, kapitalizm eleştirisi içeren akademik bir eser. Sosyal medyanın ekonomi politiğine giriş kitabı olarak nitelenebilir. Sosyal medyaya bedava/gönüllü olarak aktarılan emeğin nasıl kapitalizmin ocağına yakıt olduğuna dair teorik ve pratik değerlendirmeler içeriyor.

Kitap 2014 basımı. Pratik örneklere ilişkin aktarımlar eski ve özellikle yapay zeka teknolojilerinin sosyal medya üretim ve sömürü biçimlerine etkisi yönüyle bu zamanda eksik kalıyor. Sosyal medyadaki her aktivitemiz eskiden bir reklam pazarlama çalışmasının "big data"sı olarak yağmalanırken, simdi neredeyse kârlı her sektöre bilgi üreten yapay zeka motorlarının "big data"sı olarak yağmalanıyor.

Yani ne kapitalizm değişti ne de Marks hata yaptı.

Bilmediğim şeyler öğrenmedim ama bildiklerimi teyid ettiğim bilir kitap oldu. Mesudum. 😀

[Elisabet Roselló · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es un manual muy interesante para aproximarse al análisis cualitativo de las redes sociales. Se estructura en temas importantes para el mundo académico, si bien el lenguaje está enfocado también para trabajadores del Social Media que quieran ir más allá. Trata incluso temas sobre el poder y el control, lo cual es de muy agradecer.

En el final de cada capítulo propone ejercicios y lecturas complementarias, como si fuera un libro para profesores de Social Media de estudios superiores, aplicable para debates en grupo, lo cual puede ser muy enriquecedor.

Tiene análisis muy interesantes y me ha servido estos meses para abrir mi apetito sobre el estudio en Social Media, y profundizar en la aplicación de la sociología y la antropología sobre este ámbito, con adaptaciones metodológicas. Sin embargo, es un poco intransigente con algunos autores (especialmente con Manuel Castells), otras veces ofrece críticas muy interesantes sobre autores bestselleros sobre lo digital que se toman como palabra de santo y son muy sesgadas sus aportaciones, lo cual siempre es positivo para enriquecer nuestra visión sobre la Sociedad de la Información.

Advertir que es un arduo defensor de la escuela marxista, ofreciendo aplicaciones congruentes -al menos ahora me lo parece- en los estudios de Social Media, introduciendo conceptos de análisis socioeconómicos también muy apropiados, si bien en ocasiones puede parecer un poco reiterativo, especialmente hacia la segunda mitad.

Es un libro que debe considerarse como un manual para ir trabajando y tenerlo para consultar.

Lo recomiendo encarecidamente para trabajadores Social Media que quieran ir más allá de lo que ya se hace :)

[Aree · Rating 3 out of 5]

was a listed reading for Uni
slightly outdated and also mildly pessimistic
I would agree with others in the reviews that it lacked counter argument which is what makes this book feel less objective and more opinionated.

But it still introduces all social + media related topics and theories that can be critically researched further by the reader. There's tons of listed readings in it for that too!

And I do agree with the argument in the book that the current internet is class-divided because of the capitalistic nature of our society.

[MrColdStream · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly well-written and entertaining book that effectively presents a different view on the world of social media.

[Jared · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emphasis on the "critical" :)

Fuchs is an amazing scholar and this works shows it in great detail. Just be aware that this work is highly critical of social media and big tech corporations, just as Fuchs has always been very critical of capitalism more broadly. It focuses a lot on economic perspectives.

I would consider assigning selections from this to a class on social media, but I would likely balance it with readings coming from other perspectives and theoretical backgrounds as well.

[Rich · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my wheelhouse. I would not have tackled this were it not for an assignment. I will admit, though, that the assignment left five chapters untouched, which I could not abide and so I finished the book on my own. I did learn some things about the internet and social media platforms, but wow - this critical theory literature is beyond my ken. Didn't like it.

[Siri Baastad · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very biased. The author thinks that Social Media is the latest evil invention of Capitalism. It can be summarized in one sentence «We all work for Google». I gave the book two stars because it has some interesting discussions.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a world that people always look at the benefits of social media we must and we need to look on the other side of the social media.this book discuss about the disadvantage of the social media and I think everyone should read this book because we need the critical mind to prevent dogmatism

[ASC Library]

302.23 Fuc

[Saida Benammar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting book, that's help me a lot in my PhD studies
it talks about sociology of web 2.0 and the power of each social network sites
....I recommended it for social media researchers