Essay 2: Connectivity and interactivity 1900/2000
When talking about social media, we tend to think about “new” media of our time, such as Facebook or Instagram. However, social media has a history that goes further back. Compare contemporary social media with mediated social interactivity from 100 years ago, i.e. the turn of the 20th century. While doing so, discuss the following aspects:
the concepts of connectivity and interactivity,
what is “social” with social media,
the interplay between “old” and “new” media, and
the role experts play.
You are welcome to include other course literature or scholarly works, but you need to include Marvin, McKernan, Olsson and van Dijk in your answer.

Social media is often considered a new phenomenon, one that came to fruition in our era of Facebook and Instagram. However the concept of social media is one that may not be as new as we think. Though the introduction of these new media platforms has allowed for an unprecedented level of connectivity, notions of mediated social interactivity have been around since the turn of the 20th century. This essay will present