Understanding Social Media and Its Potentials

Sileshie Semahagne Kumlachew 1 *
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1 Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia
* Corresponding Author
Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, Volume 4, Issue 3, pp. 203-213. https://doi.org/10.29333/ojcmt/2482
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ABSTRACT

These days, we repeatedly hear the phrase ―social media‖ from different sources, ranging from our nearest friends to the mass media we follow. We also hear that social media catalyzed and organized demonstrations in countries where recent revolutions broke out. But the actual role social media played in such socio-political contexts is, in most circumstances, blurred. To avert such problems, comprehending the theoretical ideals that can help us to understand such media‘s overall potential has a paramount significance. This paper thus aimed at assessing the theories of mediation and mediatization as alternative ways of conceptualizing the role of social media by reviewing some literatures (Schultz, 2004; Lundby, 2008; Hjarvard, 2008; Thumin, 2009; Couldry, 2008; Stromback, 2008).

CITATION

Kumlachew, S. S. (2014). Understanding Social Media and Its Potentials. Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 4(3), 203-213. https://doi.org/10.29333/ojcmt/2482