Why We Need Information Researchers to Examine Social Network Sites

It is far too easy to believe that because we have years of experience using certain social network sites, each of us understands most of the benefits and limitations of those sites.  I somewhat foolishly believed that about myself until I read this week’s assigned reading about social network sites. (Boyd.D., Ellison, N.B. (2008). Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholar-ship.  Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1), 210-230.

This article, co-authored by Danah Boyd and Nicole B. Ellison, captured my attention right from the beginning with a discussion about how there is a difference between the term “social network site” and the term “social networking sites” under the Social Network Sites: A Definition section.  I was a bit startled when I read their explanation.  My first thought was simply, “Huh?  What?  They’re not the same???”  My second thought was an “ah ha” moment when I realized how different the two phrases are – one focusing on the technology interconnection and the other one focusing on the interconnection between people.

Further reading of this article helped me to develop a better understanding of how and why the detailed work Information Researchers do in examining the different forms of computer-mediated communication is so important.  It is more than just listing the number of users or the overall amount of money generated by social network sites.   We, as users, can get so caught up in the activity flow of the sites that we forget about the important interconnectedness between our social media culture and our business culture.

When Information Researchers study every aspect and feature, such as evolving adopter viewpoints and interface developments, is not just “playing around” with social media.  It is their research work helping us to view the bigger societal picture as a landscape of interconnectedness and separation.