Digital Media and Social Networks

Our social interactions and relationships are important. Who we communicate with, how we communicate, and the quantity and quality of our social relationships all have an impact on our psychological well-being. Today, many of our interactions and relationships play out online in digital media, like social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) and smartphones. In this course, we will explore (1) how communication behavior and social networks shape our lives online and offline, (2) the influence of personality and well-being on social life, and (3) social network approaches to studying interactions and relationships. By combining theory and research from communication and media psychology with social network analysis, we can understand how media platforms impact our psychological experiences and social environments. With communication technology playing an ever-increasing role in society, understanding how social interactions and relationships impact our lives has never been more critical.