Social media allows for online communities and networking on a global scale. It has changed how people socialize and participate in media. Examples of social media include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blogs. While old media like radio and television used to be social events, new media is more interactive and participatory, allowing users to have more control over what they watch and listen to on demand. Online communities form based on common interests, without requiring a physical relationship between members. Social networking sites like Facebook connect people all over the world by allowing them to share photos, posts, and comments.

1. What Makes Media
Social?
Hannah Brocken
Georgie Winter
Naomi Bowden

2. What is Social Media?
Examples of social media:
• Networking eg. Facebook, Twitter, Myspace
• Online communities eg. Youtube, Videojug
• Interactivity in games and videos eg. Outbreak
• Wikis, sharing knowledge online
• Multimedia sharing eg. Flickr
• Online Blogs eg. Blogger, Wordpress

3. How the Social Aspect Has Changed
‘Old media’ involved some social aspects, but not to the extent
that ‘new media’ has.
For example, listening to the radio used to be a social event, as
friends and neighbours would often gather to listen to music in
the evenings.
It could still be considered social, but the way we participate has
changed. The music is now largely controlled by the listener, who
can request songs by phone, text, email, Twitter and Facebook.
The same can be said for television, where the viewing used to
be structured and final, everything is now available for the
viewer on demand online complete with reviews and opinions.

4. Communities
Communities no longer require a physical
relationship with other people due to the
growth of the internet.
Communities can be formed by people who
have never met before through common
interests or goals.
Online communities are more flexible than the
real world as the internet is available to the vast
majority of people as and when it is required.

5. Networking
Online networking is a form of ‘new media’
which has literally bought the world together.
Facebook allows to connect to anyone in the
world, where you can then view their pictures,
see what people are writing on their ‘wall’ and
leave comments on their status updates. It has
changed the way people socialise as the
opportunity to connect online is simple and free
from most areas, taking away the necessity for
mobile phones and old fashioned invitations.

6. Networking
Twitter, although still networking, is very
different from sites like Facebook. Status
updates can be only 140 characters or less and
there is no option to comment or feedback.
While a great way to keep up with what
everyone else is doing, it’s not as social a site as
Facebook or Myspace due to its limitations in
participation.

7. To Conclude
Media has always been a social experience as it
has always been enjoyed with or around others.
It is the way in which we participate that has
changed, not the ‘socialness’ of media.