Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, & the Modern Revolution

by Lightning Guides

Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, and the Modern Revolution, explores the myriad ways in which social media has influenced, created, and exposed some of the 21st century's most pivotal moments. From the early days of social networking to the Arab Spring and its winter, the idea of the technoself and the ways that technology has helped both individuals and groups shape their own identities to the issues of privacy and permanency in a digital world, Social Media evaluates everything from Twitter fails to the Occupy movement, and how the evolution of social media has impacted the evolution of society.

130 pages, Paperback

Published June 10, 2015

Reviews

[Sabrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not what I thought it was going to be. I thought it would go over the different platforms and be informative. However, this one is older so not all of what we currently use is largely talked about but this guide cover how social media is used to give the other side of stories we see in the news and the ability for government and business to use propaganda and spying. The back cover says it is a neutral point of view but I just really got the conspiracy theory... what your back vibe from it.

[Nd Rakib ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Ashley Rolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, & the Modern Revolution explores the impacts on the evolution of media and how it affects society as a whole today. It begins with addressing commonly asked questions and skepticism regarding social media, transitioning into a brief history of the most pivotal moments in social media. The 21st century has seen revolutionary shifts in the way society consumes news and connects with people, as highlighted by the majority of the book. Although this is pretty much common knowledge the guide specifically talks about the development of social media, including examples of innovations like hashtag that transformed the ways in which people of common interest can connect and express their opinions and concerns. Social Media may be informational, but it’s arguments, both positive and negative toward social networking, deliver a unique perspective, which helped me both stay interested in the book, and develop an argument of my own. One of the most interesting claims is that technology in general aids individuals in developing a positive self image, while attesting to the fact that the consummation with one’s personal device and online image is quite destructive. Social Media analyzes a wide spectrum of online conflict from “Twitter Fights” to coverage of uprisings in the middle east, making me realize that social media and technology as a whole are much too broad a topic to take a solid stance on. Most interesting to me was not the vanity that comes with social media or the potential health problems that may arise from excessive screen time in the future. Social Media geared my interest towards social media as it is related to communication and social change. The guide points out the fact that social networking sites, specifically Twitter and Facebook are highly underestimated by the majority of the population. But it is in fact an increasingly important aspect of media coverage and business procedures. The guide argues that connecting with individuals through social media platforms creates more conversation and awareness, and speculates about the future of these sites in comparison to where they began. Social Media was an incredibly interesting read, broadening my knowledge on sites that I thought were not necessarily necessary to society that now has a huge presence. I hope to explore further with other sources that are mentioned in the back of Social Media to further my knowledge about social media and communication.

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting point but as a young person who has grown up with social media a lot of this was already known. Still interesting and the snippets of history showing the build up to social media and its developement made for a good introduction.