Social Media Communication

Examines the social media mechanism and how it is transforming communication in an increasingly networked society

Social Media Communication: Trends and Theories explores how social media is transforming the way people think and behave. Providing students with an in-depth understanding of the mechanism underlying social media, this comprehensive textbook uses a multidisciplinary approach to examine social media use in a wide range of communication and business contexts. Each chapter is based on original research findings from the author as well as recent work in communication studies, neuroscience, information science, and psychology.

Divided into two parts, the text first describes the theoretical foundation of social media use, discussing the impact of social media on information processing, social networking, cognition, interpersonal and group communication, the media industry, and business marketing. The second half of the book focuses on research-based strategies for effectively using social media in communication and business such as the news industry, heath care, and social movements. Offering detailed yet accessible coverage of how digital media technology is changing human communication, this textbook:

• Helps readers make the best use of social media tools in communication and business practices
• Introduces more than a dozen theories in the areas of communication, psychology, and sociology to highlight the theoretical frameworks researchers use in social media studies
• Identifies a variety of trends involving social media usage, including the app economy and patient care
• Addresses the relation between social media and important contemporary topics such as cultural diversity, privacy, and social change
• Presents 14 imperative social media topics, each with the power to change the ways you see and use social media

Social Media Communication: Trends and Theories is the perfect textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses in communication, business, journalism, business, and information science and technology. It is also an invaluable resource for researchers, educators, journalists, entrepreneurs, and professionals working in media management, advertising, public relations, and business marketing.

BU ZHONG is Professor of Journalism and Communications, Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, Pennsylvania State University, USA. His research centers on information processing mediated by digital media technology, particularly how judgment, decisions, and behavior may be altered by social media information. Before joining academia, Professor Zhong worked as a journalist for over a decade in Beijing, Washington D.C., and Atlanta.