Social media

Abstract

This chapter reviews the current and the prospective research on social media, which refers to a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content. The phenomenon of social media directly impacts the private, the professional, and the academic world. In the chapter, we present a brief history of social media and classification of social media applications, including: collaborative projects, (micro)blogs, content communities, social networking sites, virtual game worlds, and virtual social worlds. Finally, the thematic and the macro-level discussion of the social media research covered will lead to a research agenda with regard to the next couple of years.