Do social media strengthen social capital?

What is social capital?

One benefit of human interaction is referred to as social capital. Positive results can be material or intangible, including opportunities for the future, helpful information, creative ideas, and favors. Social capital is not something that an individual possesses; rather, it exists in the potential that exists between social network connections between people. From a for-profit organization (business) perspective, it can be used to characterize the success of an organization that can be linked to networks and personal relationships both inside and outside of the organization. It can also refer to the interpersonal interactions among coworkers that foster mutual respect and trust, which improves productivity (Kenton, 2022).

Video "Pierre Bourdieu: Theory of Capital (Social and Cultural Capital)." Source: Olivia Kon.

Types of social capital

Researchers recognize three main types of social capital: bonding, bridging, and linking. Social capital formed within a group with common interests and objectives is called bonding. An excellent illustration of how bonds form is found in neighborhood associations. Conversely, bridging is the process of establishing social capital between different groups. When bridging is effective, members of the two groups identify common interests and objectives and collaborate to pursue them. Bridging occurs when a neighborhood association connects with the local police department. Like bridging or linking forges connections between groups, these connections cut across socioeconomic divides. Evidence shows that connecting increases the likelihood of upward social mobility (Chetty et al., 2022).

Social capital in social network sites

As you can see, the three types of social capital can be embedded in social network sites. Social capital has been transformed by the internet, making it possible to make an almost limitless number of social connections. Kenton (2022) illustrated some examples. Users of Uber, Airbnb, and eBay can use social capital to choose based on previous users' reviews. When they subsequently post their own reviews, the same individuals increase social capital. Reviews are a vital part of the quality control programs run by the companies that own those websites. Social networking sites like Meta (formerly Facebook) help people bond over common interests like hobbies, experiences from the past, hometowns they share, or jobs they had in the past. In addition, social media serves as a major source of social capital for small business owners, who can use it to market their goods and services more affordably and effectively than larger corporations can. Social groups and demographics from all walks of life have been able to interact and work together in virtual online worlds through immersive gaming environments like massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), frequently with the help of in-game avatars. These people frequently form bonds and friendships that transcend the game's boundaries and enter the real world.

The research line of social capital analysis in social media platforms

Regarding some heavier topics such as hatred and racism, social media platforms such as Twitter also play an important role as an online platform for the online discussion of Twitter's users, as the study by Guo & Liu (2022). These are some research lines that can make you more interested in thinking about how to apply social network analysis to racism movements in the future. The network agenda-setting studies that Guo and McCombs (2011) started showed that news media can change how important the connections or relationships are between attribute agendas. Other research (Z. Chen et al., 2019) looked at whether the network agenda-setting effects on social media happen from the top down (from influencers to individuals) or the bottom up (from individuals to influencers). Instead of looking into whether social media influencers can set the public's agenda for an issue network, Guo & Liu (2022) looked at how the work of both mass media accounts and individuals during an online movement could continue and affect similar actions taken by groups. These are some research lines that can make you more interested in thinking about how to apply social network analysis to racism movements in the future.

You can see BTS's contribution to Stop Asian hate movements. Source: Good Morning America.

References: Chen, Z., Su, C. C., & Chen, A. (2019). Top-down or bottom-up? A network agenda-setting study of Chinese nationalism on social media. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 63(3), 512–533. https://doi.org/10.1080/08838151.2019.165 3104

Chetty, R., Jackson, M.O., Kuchler, T. et al. Social capital I: measurement and associations with economic mobility. Nature 608, 108–121 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04996-4

Guo, J., & Liu, S. (2022). From #BlackLivesMatter to #StopAsianHate: Examining Network Agenda-Setting Effects of Hashtag Activism on Twitter. Social Media + Society, 8(4), 20563051221146182. https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051221146182

Guo, L., & McCombs, M. (2011, May). Network agenda setting: A third level of media effects [Paper presentation]. Annual ICA conference, Boston, MA.

Kenton. (2022, November 27). What Is Social Capital? Definition, Types, and Examples. Investopedia. Retrieved February 27, 2024, from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/socialcapital.asp#:~:text=Social%20capital%20is%20not%20held,within%20and%20outside%20an%20organization.