CS 371 Blog Post #2 - Social Media Usage Giving Google a Run for its Money

In this course we all took a survey based on our social media use. In class, the results showed how active many of us are on popular social media sites such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. Although these social media sites are made for interaction and entertainment they also provide other useful tools. An article done by the New York Times mentions how users are turning to social media sites such as TikTok over Google for a discovery tool and engine search. Other social media sites such as Instagram are being used to stay updated on current events and Snapchat for location and local business finding purposes. A senior vice president of Google, Parbhakar Raghavan states to the New York Time that “In our studies, something like almost 40 percent of young people, when they’re looking for a place for lunch, they don’t go to Google Maps or Search. They go to TikTok or Instagram,”. I think the new use of social media demonstrates Baym’s concepts for understanding the affordance powers of communication technologies. Although interactivity and social cues are demonstrated obviously, I think that as the digital world continues to evolve, new tools are being discovered with communication technologies. I think the concepts of storage and reach allows for platforms such as TikTok to be considered the new “search engine”. I know that I have found new uses for social media platforms other than interaction, for example Snapchat maps has become my GPS and I use TikTok to look for restaurants and activities recommendations when I'm traveling.


Have you found new uses in the social media you engage with? Let me know below :)


Erika P.


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