This book offers a comprehensive account of social media as a tool for connecting the world, and how its amoeboid growth pattern has led it to where it is today. Fuelled by rapid advances in communication technologies, social media platforms are gradually revolutionising the way billions of users communicate and share content worldwide on the web. They have become the fulcrum of the interconnected world in the present century. The book articulates a specific theme, beginning with foundational concepts, followed by an in-depth analysis of the current scenario and its associated challenges.This book explores both the promise and the pitfalls of social media. From its role in participatory politics, crowd-sourced crisis response, and cultural promotion to its misuse in everyday life, it examines the expanding impact of social platforms. Through a thought-provoking analysis, it asks: How do we channel this power meaningfully in the age of relentless digital integration? It suggests that the solution is not to disconnect, but to reimagine connection – with responsibility, awareness, and purpose.The book will be specifically valuable for students teachers and practitioners of Communication and Media, Public Policy, Public Administration, Sociology, and General Management.
