Exploring questions of both exploitation and empowerment, Understanding Social Media provides a critical conceptual toolbox for navigating the evolution and practices of social media. Taking an interdisciplinary and intercultural approach, it explores the key themes and concepts, going beyond specific platforms to show you how to place social media more critically within the changing media landscape. Updated throughout, the Second Edition of this bestselling text includes new and expanded discussions of:Qualitative and quantitative approaches to researching social mediaDatafication and algorithmic culturesSurveillance, privacy and intimacyThe rise of apps and platforms, and how they shape our experiencesSharing economies and social media publicsThe increasing importance of visual economiesAR, VR and social media playDeath and digital legacyTying theory to the real world with a range of contemporary case studies throughout, it is essential reading for students and researchers of social media, digital media, digital culture, and the creative and cultural industries.