sparr | Social Media vs Social Network (Reply)

Last week I had a disagreement with some folks about what "social network" means, and my latest attempt to use alternatives to Facebook has really driven home how the distinctions here have been lost in both our language and the tools available to us.

A "social network" is a website (or app or other tool) that allows you to connect with people based on existing interpersonal connections, and form new ones. People you know, love, grew up with, work with, commute with, etc.

A "social media" platform allows people to interact with [usually] [mostly] strangers about specific pieces of content, like news articles, videos, screenshots, etc.

Of course, there is plenty of overlap, but the design of any new social-whatever site tends to lean strongly toward one or the other of these options, and that affects how people can and do use it.

I will quickly be pruning from my list of sites to follow the ones that focus on "influencers" and "celebrities" and "channels"; I don't need yet another way for random popular people on the internet to get my attention. My new year resolution to replace Facebook use with use of other platforms is meant to be about social networking; places I can interact with the same individuals repeatedly, develop connections, keep in touch, learn about my friends, organize events and discussions, etc.

PS: A few times I have tried and failed to start a wiki to categorize and discuss and inform about these sorts of distinctions and how they affect the ways we communicate with each other. Here's the initial skeleton of something I tried last year and might pick up again this year: https://www.modesofdiscourse.com/