What is Social Media?

Question: Social media or ‘social networking’ are very broad terms and can be interpreted many different ways, depending on internet searches. How does the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health define ‘social media’ and/or ‘social networking?

Answer: Great question! As a national resource center that focuses on health and well-being, we are thinking broadly about how to define social media. This is because our goal is to help a wide range of families and clinicians supporting children from infancy and toddlerhood (when YouTube is often used) through childhood (where social games like Roblox are popular) and into adolescence. We therefore think of social media as platforms where:

1. Users can interact with other people through chat, voice, or video, and share content with each other; and
2. Automated systems like algorithms decide what user-generated content, videos, games, or ads users see or what other contacts users are prompted to connect with.

Based on this definition, a simple texting app or video streaming service wouldn’t fall under our definition of social media. 

Social media includes many platforms (e.g., TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Roblox, Discord, YouTube, Fortnite, Reddit, WhatsApp, etc). Social media is not all the same: different platforms have varying “design affordances,” design features or actions that users can take: 

• Text-based posting (e.g., Reddit, Twitter) 
• Image/video sharing (e.g., Instagram, TikTok) and the ability to livestream 
• Content that is saved or that disappears after a certain time (i.e., is brief) 
• Features like upvotes/downvotes, “likes” and other emojis, the ability to block/report users, and the ability to give feedback on content 
• Privacy features like whether your account is visible to others  
• The ability to make purchases, give creators gifts, or other monetary designs 
• End-to-end encryption, which increases the privacy of messages 

These design features have not been stable over time. Take a look at how designs have evolved since 1997: 

  
How is social media described in research studies? 

Similar to the broadness of our definition, research and other health-related organizations don't always agree on a single scholarly definition of social media. Here are several definitions of social media from other groups, reports, and evidence bases: 

• American Psychological Association: Social media are forms of digital communication through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content.  
• US Surgeon General’s Advisory: Internet-based channels that allow users to opportunistically interact and selectively self present, either in real-time or asynchronously, with both broad and narrow audiences who derive value from user-generated content and the perception of interaction with others. 
• National Academies of Science Consensus Study Report: Interactive technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks, including social networking, gaming, virtual worlds, video-sharing sites, and blogs. 
• The Common Sense Census: Social media was defined in the survey as being sites such as Snapchat, Instagram, Discord, Reddit, or Facebook; platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Twitch were considered online video sites.

A systematic literature review looked at the definitions of social media between 1994 and 2019, and found that “social media” was used to include a wide variety of online platforms such as blogs, business networks, collaborative projects, enterprise social networks, forums, microblogs, photo sharing, product review, interactive gaming, social networks, video sharing, and virtual worlds. The review found that early definitions focused on how people interact, while later definitions (after around 2010) often switched the term “people” to “user,” highlighting a shift from interpersonal connections to an emphasis on creating and sharing content for an audience. This switch could also be due to the growing role of anonymity online – it was easier and easier to hide behind a profile with no true identifying information. 

Thus, the focus of social media changed from interacting or networking mainly with close or loosely connected friends (who knew each other in person first) to a more widespread, powerful tool used by big companies, celebrities, and influencers to reach wide audiences.  

How is social media defined legally?

Legislation about social media defines it much more narrowly. For example, a Utah bill says that a social media platform is an online forum, created by a company, that allows a user to make a profile, upload posts, see other users’ posts, and interact with other users. In contrast to our definition and many above, this legal definition doesn’t include direct messaging of text, photos, or videos (i.e., “DMs” on Instagram), interactive gaming, photo editing, and entertainment that is streamed online but not user-generated. 

How does the definition of social networking compare to social media?

According to research, the term social networking is usually a more generalized term in comparison to social media. A 2008 definition of a social network is 3 or more entities communicating or sharing information. Original definitions took on many forms: a social network could be a research group, a Girl Scout troop, a church community, or any other relationships formed around common goals and social bonds. However, the Internet has transformed social networks by linking people across distances and time, which has made the definition parallel to social media in some ways. A social network now means individuals using the Internet and Web applications to communicate in manners that weren’t possible in the past. A 2014 explanation of online social networking sites describes them as web-based apps that let individuals create public profiles, gain followers or friends, and view other profiles of those who they may not know personally. These apps allow users to become content creators and also to participate in discussions on the Internet or accessible mobile devices. 

Ways to learn more: 

• News Feeds, Old Content: A Brief History of Algorithmically Curated Feeds on Facebook and Twitter describes how the role of algorithms on social media have progressed historically.  
• When Did Short-Form Video Become Popular? Charting the Ascent of Reels, Shorts & TikToks takes an analytical lens to explore how short-form videos impact influencers, virtual challenges, global culture, advertising, and marketing. 

References 

• Aichner, T., Grünfelder, M., Maurer, O., & Jegeni, D. (2021). Twenty-Five Years of Social Media: A Review of Social Media Applications and Definitions from 1994 to 2019. Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking, 24(4), 215–222.   
• Pham, A. V. (2014). Navigating Social Networking and Social Media in School Psychology: Ethical and Professional Considerations in Training Programs. Psychology in the Schools, 51(7), 767–778.  
• US Department of Health and Human Services. (2023, February). Youth mental health and social media: A public health advisory from the Surgeon General. 
• Utah State Legislature. (2023). Senate Bill 152: Youth protection amendments. 
• Weaver, A. C., & Morrison, B. B. (2008). Social Networking. Computer, 41(2), 97–100. 

Age: 5-17

Topics: social media, social networking, differences between social media and social networking

Role: Other