Social Media Archaeology: Studying Digital Culture Through Online Artifacts and Interactions

EasyChair Preprint 14271

Abstract

Social media archaeology is an emerging field that examines digital culture through the lens of online artifacts and interactions. This interdisciplinary approach combines elements of digital humanities, sociology, and media studies to uncover the historical and cultural significance of social media content. By analyzing posts, profiles, and interactions across platforms, researchers can trace the evolution of digital communication practices, social trends, and identity formation. This abstract outlines the key methodologies and theoretical frameworks used in social media archaeology, including data mining, network analysis, and ethnographic observation. It highlights how social media artifacts—ranging from memes and hashtags to digital narratives and visual content—serve as primary sources for understanding contemporary cultural phenomena. The paper also addresses the challenges of preserving and interpreting ephemeral online content, considering issues of privacy, data ownership, and platform-specific constraints. Through case studies, the paper demonstrates how social media archaeology contributes to a deeper understanding of digital culture, offering insights into how online interactions shape and reflect societal values and practices.

Keyphrases: Social media archaeology, Studying digital culture, online artifacts and interactions

@booklet{EasyChair:14271,
  author    = {Ralph Shad and Axel Egon and Kaledio Potter},
  title     = {Social Media Archaeology: Studying Digital Culture Through Online Artifacts and Interactions},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint 14271},
  year      = {EasyChair, 2024}}