On Social Media and Mediatization

Abstract

Ever since the emergence of digital technology at the end of the twentieth century, human communication has been mediated by digital alternatives, including social media. In the light of digital technology-based communication, this paper poses the question: what has transformed in human communication at the advent of digital age? By using qualitative method, this article discusses technology-infused human social urgers as reflected in digital storytelling, virtual communities, and other social media practices. The findings are 1) mediatization is the result of digital technology, especially that of the Internet, however 2) gathering and exploring digital data continue to be a challenging issue. The goal of this paper is to argue social media mediated communication is not just a form of mediation by, more critically, a form of mediatization. The paper aims at offering a critical review that summarizes research and discussion across the past decade and opens up opportunities in further exploring digital humanities approach on research in social media topics.