Interconnected World, Lost Connections: The Amoebic World of Social Media

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.

Table of Contents:
1. Social Media and the New Social Contract 2. Taming the Leviathan: The Complexities of Regulation 3. Challenges to the Right to Privacy 4. Connecting Jokes and Memes with Politics 5. Rising Mistrust in Information Age 6. Socio-Political Networking for Festivals 7. Crisis Communication and Response Through Social Media During Disaster 8. New Currency of Life 9. Empowering Governance Through Social Media 10. Infinite Web, Limited Education 11. Lost Connections in an Interconnected World 12. The Complex World of Social Media: A Way Forward Annexure

About the Author :
Sanjeev Kumar Mahajan was Professor of Public Administration at Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, India. He was also awarded the Panjab University gold medal for standing first in MA and M.Phil. along with the Best Teacher Award – 2021 by Himachal Pradesh University. Vinay Sharma is Professor at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee. He was awarded with National Teacher’s Award 2024 conferred by the Hon’ble President of India on 5 September 2024. The Academy of Marketing Science has acknowledged one of his theories. Rabindranath Bhattacharyya is Professor of Political Science at the University of Burdwan. He was appointed Australia Awards Ambassador for 2014–15 by the Australian High Commissioner to India Himanshu Shekhar Mishra is Senior Editor in NDTV India. He has covered key diplomatic visits, including Prime Minister’s official visits to the UNGA (New York, 2003), the Indo-Turkish Summit (Ankara and Istanbul, 2003), Pakistan (January 2004), and Afghanistan (August 2005).