In the first chapter of “The Culture of Connectivity : A Critical History of Social Media,” Jose van Dijck explores the relationship between technology and society, and emphasizes the point that carefully programmed and curated online environments have evolved concurrently with contemporary society.

As social media sites have become more geared towards the user, the usage of these platforms has become more casual and comfortable, with friends talking, exchanging gossip, and sharing pictures. Dijck argues that these comfortable internet interactions have had a major impact on the value of an individual’s words saying, “casual speech acts have turned into formalized inscriptions, which, once embedded in the larger economy of wider publics, take on a different value” (7). Small pieces of gossip and photos from the family vacation can have far-reaching effects when posted on a digital domain, they become part of a user’s digital footprint. This observation of Dijck raises questions about the role that social media plays in democracy, and promoting the voices and narratives of individuals, and the spread of misinformation that occurs when everyone has access to a microphone. Dijck vaguely references the shift from the hypodermic needle model of communication technology to a model where computer networks promote “‘peer-to-peer adhocracy’ and ‘expressions of true self’” (10), for the purpose of user empowerment.

Dijck goes on to describe the branding and nature of social media platforms, describing them as “dynamic objects” as opposed to finished products. They interact with and adapt to the needs and actions of the users. This leads to a sort of digital ecosystem where platforms evolve, develop niches (picture or video sharing, pinning, posting status updates, etc.), and fight to survive. Dijck continues to explore the fact that these platforms fight to maintain relevance after the initial burst of user enthusiasm, and often utilize algorithms and “automated connectedness” to do so. Dijck describes this process as commoditizing relationships and making connectivity rooted in the power of coding technologies.