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300+ Social Media Research Topics

Social Media Research Topics

Social media has become an integral part of our lives, and it has transformed the way we communicate, share information, and interact with each other. As social media platforms continue to evolve and gain popularity, they have also become a rich source of data for researchers. Social media research is a rapidly growing field that encompasses a wide range of topics , from understanding the psychological and social effects of social media to analyzing patterns of user behavior and identifying trends in online conversations. In this era of data-driven decision-making, social media research is more important than ever, as it provides insights into how we use and are influenced by social media. In this post, we will explore some of the most fascinating and relevant social media research topics that are shaping our understanding of this powerful medium.

Social Media Research Topics

Social Media Research Topics are as follows:

  • The effects of social media on mental health
  • The role of social media in political polarization
  • The impact of social media on relationships
  • The use of social media by businesses for marketing
  • The effects of social media on body image and self-esteem
  • The influence of social media on consumer behavior
  • The use of social media for education
  • The effects of social media on language use and grammar
  • The impact of social media on news consumption
  • The role of social media in activism and social change
  • The use of social media for job seeking and career development
  • The effects of social media on sleep patterns
  • The influence of social media on adolescent behavior
  • The impact of social media on the spread of misinformation
  • The use of social media for personal branding
  • The effects of social media on political participation
  • The influence of social media on fashion trends
  • The impact of social media on sports fandom
  • The use of social media for mental health support
  • The effects of social media on creativity
  • The role of social media in cultural exchange
  • The impact of social media on language learning
  • The use of social media for crisis communication
  • The effects of social media on privacy and security
  • The influence of social media on diet and exercise behavior
  • The impact of social media on travel behavior
  • The use of social media for citizen journalism
  • The effects of social media on political accountability
  • The role of social media in peer pressure
  • The impact of social media on romantic relationships
  • The use of social media for community building
  • The effects of social media on gender identity
  • The influence of social media on music consumption
  • The impact of social media on academic performance
  • The use of social media for social support
  • The effects of social media on social skills
  • The role of social media in disaster response
  • The impact of social media on nostalgia and memory
  • The use of social media for charity and philanthropy
  • The effects of social media on political polarization in developing countries
  • The influence of social media on literary consumption
  • The impact of social media on family relationships
  • The use of social media for citizen science
  • The effects of social media on cultural identity
  • The role of social media in promoting healthy behaviors
  • The impact of social media on language diversity
  • The use of social media for environmental activism
  • The effects of social media on attention span
  • The influence of social media on art consumption
  • The impact of social media on cultural values and norms.
  • The impact of social media on mental health
  • The impact of social media on mental health.
  • The impact of social media on body image and self-esteem.
  • The use of social media for political activism and social justice movements.
  • The role of social media in promoting cultural diversity and inclusivity.
  • The impact of social media on romantic relationships and dating.
  • The use of social media for customer service and support.
  • The impact of social media on mental health and well-being among young adults.
  • The impact of social media on political polarization and partisanship.
  • The use of social media for health communication and behavior change.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards vaccination.
  • The impact of social media on political participation and civic engagement.
  • The impact of social media on political polarization and echo chambers.
  • The use of social media for political campaigning and the manipulation of public opinion.
  • The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards vaccination and public health.
  • The impact of social media on news consumption and trust in journalism.
  • The use of social media for promoting sustainable fashion practices and ethical consumption.
  • The role of social media in influencing beauty standards and body image.
  • The impact of social media on the music industry and the role of social media influencers.
  • The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among healthcare professionals.
  • The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards gun violence and gun control policies.
  • The impact of social media on social activism and advocacy.
  • The use of social media for promoting cross-cultural communication and intercultural understanding.
  • The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards climate change and environmental policies.
  • The impact of social media on public health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The use of social media for promoting financial literacy and access to financial services for low-income individuals.
  • The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards immigration policies and refugee crises.
  • The impact of social media on political activism and social movements.
  • The use of social media for promoting digital literacy and technology education in developing countries.
  • The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards gender and sexual orientation.
  • The impact of social media on consumer behavior in the food and beverage industry.
  • The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among first responders.
  • The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards racial justice and police brutality.
  • The impact of social media on privacy concerns and data security.
  • The use of social media for promoting interfaith dialogue and religious tolerance.
  • The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards income inequality and economic justice.
  • The impact of social media on the film and television industry and consumer behavior.
  • The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among military personnel.
  • The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards privacy and data security.
  • The impact of social media on the hospitality industry and consumer behavior.
  • The use of social media for promoting intergenerational communication and understanding.
  • The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards animal welfare and animal rights.
  • The impact of social media on the gaming industry and gamer behavior.
  • The use of social media for promoting digital literacy and technology skills among seniors.
  • The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards renewable energy and sustainability.
  • The impact of social media on the advertising industry and consumer behavior.
  • The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among children and adolescents.
  • The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards online privacy and security.
  • The impact of social media on the beauty industry and consumer behavior.
  • The use of social media for promoting cultural preservation and heritage tourism.
  • The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards criminal justice reform.
  • The impact of social media on the automotive industry and consumer behavior.
  • The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among marginalized communities.
  • The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards sustainable development goals.
  • The impact of social media on the fashion industry and consumer behavior.
  • The use of social media for promoting intercultural communication in the workplace.
  • The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards mental health policies.
  • The impact of social media on the travel industry and sustainable tourism practices.
  • The use of social media for health information seeking and patient empowerment.
  • The role of social media in promoting environmental activism and sustainable practices.
  • The impact of social media on consumer behavior and brand loyalty.
  • The use of social media for promoting education and lifelong learning.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards mental health issues.
  • The impact of social media on the fashion industry and fast fashion practices.
  • The use of social media for promoting social entrepreneurship and social innovation.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards gun control.
  • The impact of social media on the mental health and well-being of adolescents.
  • The use of social media for promoting intercultural exchange and understanding.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards climate change.
  • The impact of social media on political advertising and campaign strategies.
  • The use of social media for promoting healthy relationships and communication skills.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards police brutality and racial justice.
  • The use of social media for promoting financial literacy and personal finance management.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards LGBTQ+ rights.
  • The impact of social media on the music industry and fan engagement.
  • The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among marginalized populations.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards immigration and border policies.
  • The impact of social media on the professional development and networking of journalists.
  • The use of social media for promoting community building and social cohesion.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards healthcare policies.
  • The impact of social media on the food industry and consumer behavior.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards gender equality.
  • The impact of social media on the sports industry and athlete-fan interactions.
  • The use of social media for promoting financial inclusion and access to banking services.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards animal welfare.
  • The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among college students.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards privacy and data security.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards income inequality and poverty.
  • The use of social media for promoting digital literacy and technology skills.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards renewable energy.
  • The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among elderly populations.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards online privacy and security.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards criminal justice reform.
  • The impact of social media on online activism and social movements.
  • The use of social media for business-to-business communication and networking.
  • The role of social media in promoting civic education and engagement.
  • The impact of social media on the fashion industry and sustainable fashion practices.
  • The use of social media for promoting cultural diversity and inclusion.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards police reform.
  • The impact of social media on the mental health and well-being of frontline healthcare workers.
  • The use of social media for promoting financial literacy and investment education.
  • The role of social media in promoting environmental sustainability and conservation.
  • The impact of social media on body image and self-esteem among adolescent girls.
  • The use of social media for promoting intercultural dialogue and understanding.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards immigration policies and refugees.
  • The impact of social media on the professional development and networking of healthcare professionals.
  • The use of social media for promoting community resilience and disaster preparedness.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards the Black Lives Matter movement.
  • The impact of social media on the music industry and artist-fan interactions.
  • The use of social media for promoting healthy eating habits and nutrition education.
  • The role of social media in promoting mental health and well-being among college students.
  • The impact of social media on the entertainment industry and consumer behavior.
  • The use of social media for promoting workplace diversity and inclusion.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards climate change policies.
  • The impact of social media on the travel industry and consumer behavior.
  • The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among military veterans.
  • The role of social media in promoting intergenerational dialogue and understanding.
  • The impact of social media on the professional development and networking of educators.
  • The use of social media for promoting animal welfare and advocacy.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards reproductive rights.
  • The impact of social media on the sports industry and fan behavior.
  • The use of social media for promoting financial inclusion and literacy among underprivileged populations.
  • The role of social media in promoting mental health and well-being among LGBTQ+ populations.
  • The impact of social media on the food and beverage industry and consumer behavior.
  • The use of social media for promoting interfaith dialogue and understanding.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards gun ownership.
  • The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among caregivers.
  • The role of social media in promoting sustainable tourism practices.
  • The impact of social media on the gaming industry and gamer culture.
  • The use of social media for promoting cultural heritage tourism and preservation.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards public transportation policies.
  • The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among homeless populations.
  • The role of social media in promoting mental health and well-being among immigrants and refugees.
  • The use of social media for promoting financial literacy and entrepreneurship among youth.
  • The use of social media for political mobilization and participation in authoritarian regimes.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards immigration policies.
  • The impact of social media on the professional development of teachers and educators.
  • The use of social media for emergency communication during public health crises.
  • The role of social media in promoting LGBTQ+ rights and advocacy.
  • The impact of social media on body positivity and self-acceptance among women.
  • The use of social media for public diplomacy and international relations.
  • The impact of social media on the mental health and well-being of marginalized communities.
  • The use of social media for crisis management and disaster response in the corporate sector.
  • The role of social media in promoting environmental activism and conservation.
  • The impact of social media on the professional development and networking of entrepreneurs.
  • The use of social media for medical education and healthcare communication.
  • The role of social media in promoting cultural exchange and understanding.
  • The impact of social media on social capital and civic engagement among young adults.
  • The use of social media for disaster preparedness and community resilience.
  • The role of social media in promoting religious pluralism and tolerance.
  • The use of social media for promoting healthy lifestyles and wellness.
  • The use of social media for fundraising and philanthropy in the non-profit sector.
  • The role of social media in promoting interfaith dialogue and understanding.
  • The impact of social media on the travel and tourism industry and consumer behavior.
  • The use of social media for customer engagement and brand loyalty in the retail sector.
  • The impact of social media on the political attitudes and behaviors of young adults.
  • The use of social media for promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment.
  • The use of social media for promoting animal welfare and adoption.
  • The role of social media in promoting mental health and well-being among the elderly.
  • The impact of social media on the art industry and artist-fan interactions.
  • The use of social media for promoting healthy food choices and nutrition.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards income inequality.
  • The use of social media for promoting political satire and humor.
  • The role of social media in promoting disability rights and advocacy.
  • The use of social media for promoting voter registration and participation.
  • The role of social media in promoting entrepreneurship and small business development.
  • The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among incarcerated populations.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards gun violence prevention.
  • The use of social media for promoting cultural heritage and preservation.
  • The impact of social media on mental health and well-being.
  • The relationship between social media use and academic performance.
  • The use of social media for emergency communication during natural disasters.
  • The impact of social media on traditional news media and journalism.
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion and discourse.
  • The use of social media for online learning and education.
  • The impact of social media on the fashion and beauty industry.
  • The use of social media for brand awareness and marketing.
  • The impact of social media on privacy and security.
  • The use of social media for job searching and recruitment.
  • The impact of social media on political polarization and extremism.
  • The use of social media for online harassment and cyberbullying.
  • The role of social media in promoting environmental awareness and sustainability.
  • The impact of social media on youth culture and identity formation.
  • The use of social media for travel and tourism marketing.
  • The impact of social media on consumer behavior and decision-making.
  • The role of social media in shaping beauty standards and body positivity.
  • The use of social media for crisis communication and disaster response.
  • The impact of social media on the music industry.
  • The use of social media for fundraising and philanthropy.
  • The role of social media in promoting healthy lifestyles and wellness.
  • The impact of social media on sports fandom and fan behavior.
  • The use of social media for political lobbying and advocacy.
  • The impact of social media on the entertainment industry.
  • The use of social media for healthcare communication and patient engagement.
  • The role of social media in promoting gender equality and feminism.
  • The impact of social media on the restaurant and food industry.
  • The use of social media for volunteerism and community service.
  • The role of social media in promoting religious tolerance and interfaith dialogue.
  • The impact of social media on the art industry.
  • The use of social media for political satire and humor.
  • The role of social media in promoting disability awareness and advocacy.
  • The impact of social media on the real estate industry.
  • The use of social media for legal advocacy and justice reform.
  • The role of social media in promoting intercultural communication and understanding.
  • The impact of social media on the automotive industry.
  • The use of social media for pet adoption and animal welfare advocacy.
  • The role of social media in promoting mental health and wellness for marginalized communities.
  • The impact of social media on the retail industry.
  • The use of social media for promoting civic engagement and voter participation.
  • The impact of social media on the film and television industry.
  • The use of social media for fashion and style inspiration.
  • The role of social media in promoting activism for human rights and social issues.
  • The effectiveness of social media for political campaigns.
  • The role of social media in promoting fake news and misinformation.
  • The impact of social media on self-esteem and body image.
  • The impact of social media on romantic relationships.
  • The use of social media for online activism and social justice movements.
  • The impact of social media on traditional news media.
  • The impact of social media on interpersonal communication skills.
  • The impact of social media on the fashion industry.
  • The use of social media for social support and mental health awareness.
  • The use of social media for political lobbying and activism.
  • The impact of social media on travel and tourism behavior.
  • The use of social media for customer feedback and market research.
  • The impact of social media on the restaurant industry.
  • The role of social media in political activism
  • The effect of social media on interpersonal communication
  • The relationship between social media use and body image concerns
  • The impact of social media on self-esteem
  • The role of social media in shaping cultural norms and values
  • The use of social media by celebrities and its impact on their image
  • The role of social media in building and maintaining personal relationships
  • The use of social media for job searching and recruitment
  • The impact of social media on children and adolescents
  • The use of social media by political candidates during election campaigns
  • The role of social media in education
  • The impact of social media on political polarization
  • The use of social media for news consumption
  • The effect of social media on sleep habits
  • The use of social media by non-profit organizations for fundraising
  • The role of social media in shaping public opinion
  • The influence of social media on language and communication patterns
  • The use of social media in crisis communication and emergency management
  • The role of social media in promoting environmental awareness
  • The influence of social media on music preferences
  • The impact of social media on body positivity movements
  • The role of social media in shaping beauty standards
  • The influence of social media on sports fandom
  • The use of social media for health promotion and education
  • The impact of social media on political participation
  • The role of social media in shaping parenting practices
  • The influence of social media on food preferences and eating habits
  • The use of social media for peer support and mental health advocacy
  • The role of social media in shaping religious beliefs and practices
  • The influence of social media on humor and comedy
  • The use of social media for online activism and social justice advocacy
  • The impact of social media on public health awareness campaigns
  • The role of social media in promoting cultural diversity and inclusion
  • The influence of social media on travel behavior and decision-making
  • The use of social media for international diplomacy and relations
  • The impact of social media on job satisfaction and employee engagement
  • The role of social media in shaping romantic preferences and dating behavior
  • The influence of social media on language learning and language use
  • The use of social media for political satire and humor
  • The impact of social media on social capital and community building
  • The role of social media in shaping gender identity and expression
  • The influence of social media on fashion and beauty advertising.

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Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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234 Social Media Research Topics & Ideas

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  • Icon Calendar 18 May 2024
  • Icon Page 2646 words
  • Icon Clock 12 min read

Social media research encompasses a broad range of different topics that delve into the ever-evolving digital landscape. People investigate the impact of social platforms on society, exploring subjects, such as online identity formation, self-presentation, the psychology of virtual interactions, and others. Additionally, studies examine the influence of social media on politics, activism, and public opinion, uncovering patterns of information dissemination and polarization. Privacy concerns, cyberbullying, and online safety are also explored in-depth, seeking strategies to mitigate the associated risks. In this article, people can find many social media research topics, ideas, and examples.

Hot Social Media Research Topics

  • Impacts of Social Media and Internet Algorithms on User Experience
  • The Rise of TikTok: A Socio-Cultural Analysis
  • Dealing With Cyberbullying: Strategies and Solutions
  • Understanding the Phenomenon of Social Media ‘Cancel Culture’
  • NFTs and Social Media: The Future of Digital Art?
  • Ethical Concerns in the Era of Influencer Marketing
  • Social Media’s Role in Accelerating E-Commerce Growth
  • Impacts of Internet and Social Media on Journalism and News Reporting
  • Understanding the Psychology of Viral Challenges on Social Platforms
  • Cryptocurrency and Social Media: The Intersection
  • Mitigating Misinformation and ‘Fake News’ on Social Media
  • Augmented Reality (AR) in Social Media: A Game Changer?
  • Evaluating the Impact of Social Media on Political Campaigns
  • Social Media’s Influence on Fashion and Beauty Trends
  • Privacy, Safety, and Security Concerns in the Age of Social Networking
  • Roles of Free Access and Social Media in Promoting Sustainable Practices
  • Implications of Social Media Addiction on Mental Health
  • Examining Social Media’s Role in Crisis Communication
  • The Power of User-Generated Content in Branding
  • Influence of Social Media on Food Culture and Dining Trends

Easy Social Media Research Topics

  • Impacts of Online Videos and Social Media on Mental Health
  • Influencer Marketing: Efficacy and Ethical Concerns
  • Evolution of Privacy Policies Across Social Platforms
  • Understanding Virality: What Makes Content Shareable?
  • Cyberbullying: Prevalence and Prevention Strategies
  • Social Media and Political Polarization: An In-Depth Study
  • Role of Social Media in Modern Business Strategies
  • Effect of Social Media on Interpersonal Relationships
  • Social Platforms as Tools for Social Change
  • Navigating Online Hate Speech: A Legal Perspective
  • Emerging Trends in Social Media Advertising
  • Online Identity Construction and Self-Presentation
  • The Psychology of Social Media Addiction
  • Social Media’s Role in Crisis Management and Communication
  • Sentiment Analysis in Social Media and Its Implications
  • Social Media Algorithms: Bias and Implications
  • The Phenomenon of Cancel Culture on Social Platforms
  • Cybersecurity Threats in the Era of Social Media
  • Analyzing Adverse Impacts of Social Media on Consumer Behavior

Social Media Research Topics

Interesting Social Media Research Topics

  • Evaluating the Effects of Social Media on Language and Communication
  • Roles of Social Media in Fostering Political Engagement
  • Misinformation and Propaganda Spread Through Social Platforms
  • Analyzing the Shift From Traditional Media to Social Media
  • Dark Patterns in Social Media: Hidden Manipulative Tactics
  • Social Media and Digital Activism: Revolutionizing Advocacy
  • Augmented Reality (AR) and Its Impact on Social Networking
  • Exploring Cybersecurity Issues in Social Media Platforms
  • Roles and Effects of Social Media and News in Mental Health Promotion
  • Strategies for Effective Social Media Crisis Management
  • The Power of Live Streaming for Brands and Influencers
  • Using Social Media to Enhance Classroom Learning
  • Analyzing the Influence of Memes on Internet Culture
  • Impacts of Social Media Algorithms on User Behavior
  • Assessing the Correlation Between Social Media and Loneliness
  • Geotagging and Its Implications for Personal Privacy
  • Social Media and E-commerce: A Cross-Industry Study
  • The Ethics of Digital Advertising on Social Platforms
  • Understanding the Psychology of Social Media Trolls
  • The Cultural Shift Caused by Social Media Localization

Social Media Research Paper Topics for High School

  • The Phenomenon of Cyberbullying: Prevention and Strategies
  • How Does Social Media Influence Teen Body Image?
  • Evaluating the Educational Potential of Social Media Platforms
  • Impacts of Social Media on Adolescents’ Self-Esteem
  • Roles of Free Connection and Social Media in Modern Political Activism
  • Exploring the Concept of ‘Digital Citizenship’ Among Teenagers
  • The Ethics of Social Media Privacy: User Rights and Responsibilities
  • Social Media Addiction: Understanding Its Causes and Effects
  • Influence of Social Media on Modern Communication Styles
  • Analyzing Positive Roles of Social Media in Promoting Reading Culture
  • Social Media and Mental Health: Correlation or Causation?
  • The Role of Social Media in Global Environmental Awareness
  • Examining Social Media’s Impact on Real-Life Social Skills
  • Social Media Platforms: Tools for Personal Branding or Narcissism?
  • Influence of Social Media Trends on Youth Fashion Choices
  • Impacts of Social Media on Teenagers’ Sleep Patterns
  • Online Safety: The Role of Parents and Schools in Social Media Usage
  • How Does Social Media Influence Teenagers’ Views on Relationships?
  • Social Media and Empathy: Does Online Interaction Decrease Compassion?

Social Media Research Paper Topics for College Students

  • Evaluating the Impact of Social Media on Body Image and Self-Esteem
  • The Influence of Social Media on Voting Patterns Among Young Adults
  • Social Media as a Valid Tool for Social Change: A Case Study Approach
  • Unveiling the Psychology of Social Media Addiction
  • Social Media’s Role in Modern Journalism: Opportunities and Challenges
  • Privacy Implications of Data Collection on Social Media Platforms
  • Cyberbullying in the Age of Social Media: Scope and Solutions
  • The Ethical Aspects of Social Media Influencer Marketing
  • Roles and Effects of Social Media in Crisis Communication and Management
  • Social Media and Its Effects on Interpersonal Communication Skills
  • Analyzing Social Media Strategies of Successful Businesses
  • Impacts of Internet Use and Social Media on Mental Health Among College Students
  • The Roles That Social Media Has in Modern Political Campaigns
  • Understanding the Social Media Algorithm: Bias and Implications
  • Social Media and Consumer Behavior: The Power of Influencer Marketing
  • Fake News, Authors, and Disinformation Spread Through Social Media Platforms
  • Exploring Direct Links Between Social Media Use and Academic Performance
  • Social Media’s Role in Promoting Sustainable Lifestyle Choices
  • Regulation of Hate Speech and Offensive Content on Social Media
  • The Power and Peril of Virality in the Age of Social Media

Social Media Research Paper Topics for University

  • The Effect That Social Media Has on Global Politics
  • The Ethics of Data Mining in Social Media
  • Roles of Social Media in Business Marketing Strategies
  • Social Media, Internet Use, and Their Impacts on Mental Health: A Systematic Review
  • Algorithmic Bias in Social Media Platforms: Causes and Consequences
  • The Influence of Colors and Social Media on Consumer Behavior
  • Exploring Possible Relationships Between Social Media Use and Academic Performance
  • Privacy, Morality, and Security Concerns in the Age of Social Media
  • Social Media as a Platform for Digital Activism
  • Impacts of Social Media on Interpersonal Communication and Relationships
  • Cyberbullying on Social Media: Scope, Impact, and Preventive Measures
  • The Role of Social Media in Spreading Health-Related Misinformation
  • Analyzing the Effect of Social Media on Journalism Practices
  • Understanding the Influence of Social Media on Body Image Perceptions
  • Social Media’s Role in Crisis Management: Case Studies
  • The Power and Effectiveness of Influencer Marketing on Social Media
  • Fake News and Disinformation in the Social Media Age
  • Regulatory Approaches to Hate Speech on Social Media Platforms
  • The Economic Implications of Social Media: From Startups to Giants

Social Media Research Paper Topics for Masters

  • Advanced Algorithms and Their Role in Shaping Social Media Interactions
  • Evaluating the Impact of Social Media on Democratic Processes Globally
  • The Intersection of Privacy, Data Mining, and Ethics in Social Media
  • Quantitative Analysis of Social Media’s Impact on Consumer Buying Behavior
  • Cybersecurity Threats in Social Media: Mitigation and Prevention Strategies
  • Analyzing the Psychological Implications of Social Media Addiction
  • Using Social Media Data to Predict Market Trends: An Econometric Approach
  • Role of Social Media in Crisis Management: A Comparative Study
  • The Sociolinguistic Impact of Social Media on Communication
  • Machine Learning and AI in Social Media: An Examination of Emerging Trends
  • Social Media as a Valid Tool for Public Health: Opportunities and Challenges
  • Social Media’s Influence on Modern Journalism: A Critical Analysis
  • Mapping Social Networks: A Graph Theory Approach
  • Evaluating the Efficacy of Social Media Campaigns in Social Change Movements
  • Analyzing the Role of Social Media in Corporate Reputation Management
  • Data Privacy Laws and Social Media: A Comparative Study
  • The Use of Small and Big Data Analytics in Social Media Marketing
  • Social Media and Its Role in Strengthening Democracy: A Deep Dive
  • The Impact of Social Media on Cultural Assimilation and Identity
  • Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Social Media Content Moderation

Social Media Research Paper Topics for Ph.D.

  • Analyzing the Impact of Social Media Algorithms on User Behavior and Perceptions
  • Deciphering the Influence of Social Media on Political Campaign Strategies
  • Examining the Role of Social Media in Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives
  • Social Media and Mental Health: A Comprehensive Analysis of Recent Studies
  • Effects of Social Media and Internet Use on Consumer Buying Behavior: An Econometric Approach
  • Social Media and Digital Diplomacy: A Critical Analysis
  • Ethical Implications of Data Mining Techniques in Social Media Platforms
  • Unpacking the Psychological Mechanisms of Social Media Addiction
  • Role of Social Media in Contemporary Journalism: Opportunities and Challenges
  • Social Media and Privacy: A Comparative Study of Data Protection Laws
  • Machine Learning and AI in Social Media: Identifying Future Trends
  • Social Media’s Possible Influence on People, Body Image, and Self-Esteem: A Meta-Analysis
  • Analyzing the Role of Social Media in Crisis Management and Communication
  • Impacts of Social Media on Different Language and Communication Styles
  • Cybersecurity in Social Media: An Analysis of Current Threats and Mitigation Strategies
  • Social Media as a Good Tool for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
  • Effects of Social Media on Children and Their Parents: Social Skills and Interpersonal Relationships
  • Roles of Social Media in Promoting Gender Equality and Women’s Rights
  • Social Media and its Influence on Cultural Assimilation and Identity Formation

Social Media Research Topics for Argumentative Papers

  • Impacts of Social Media on Social and Political Discourses: Enhancing or Hindering Democratic Engagement?
  • Social Media and Mental Health: Exploring the Association Between Excessive Usage and Psychological Well-Being
  • Fostering Online Activism and Social Movements: The Role of Social Media
  • Balancing Personal Information Sharing and Data Protection: Social Media and Privacy
  • Exploring the Effects of Social Media on Body Image and Self-Esteem
  • Social Media and Political Polarization: Reinforcing Echo Chambers or Encouraging Diverse Perspectives?
  • Youth Culture and Identity Formation: The Influence of Social Media
  • Fake News and Misinformation: Combating Inaccurate Information in the Era of Social Media
  • Social Media and Cyberbullying: Examining the Impact on Mental Health and Well-Being
  • The Ethics of Social Media Research: Privacy, Informed Consent, and Ethical Considerations
  • Relationships in the Digital Age: Exploring the Influence of Social Media Use
  • The Influence of Internet, Technology, and Social Media on Consumer Behavior and Buying Decisions
  • Analyzing the Role of Online Platforms in Elections: Social Media and Political Campaigns
  • Social Media in Education: Exploring the Benefits and Challenges of Integration in the Classroom
  • Impacts of Social Media and Interface on News Consumption and Journalism Practices
  • Body Politics in the Digital Space: Examining Representations of Gender, Race, and Body Image on Social Media
  • Addressing Ethical and Security Concerns in the Digital Age: Social Media and Cybersecurity
  • Shaping Consumer Behavior and Brand Perception: The Role of Social Media Influencers
  • Civic Engagement in the Digital Era: Assessing the Role of Social Media Platforms
  • The Influence of Social Media Algorithms on Information Consumption and Personalization

Social Media Research Topics for Persuasive Papers

  • The Power of Social Media in Driving Social and Political Change
  • Promoting Digital Literacy: Empowering Users to Navigate the Complexities of Social Media
  • Social Media as a Catalyst for Social Justice Movements: Amplifying Marginalized Voices
  • Countering Fake News and Misinformation on Social Media: Strategies for Critical Thinking
  • Harnessing the Influence of Social Media for Environmental Activism and Sustainability
  • The Dark Side of Social Media: Addressing Online Harassment and Cyberbullying
  • Influencer Marketing: Ethical Considerations and Consumer Protection in the Digital Age
  • Leveraging Social Media for Public Health Campaigns: Increasing Awareness and Behavioral Change
  • Social Media and Mental Health: Promoting Well-Being in a Hyperconnected World
  • Navigating the Privacy Paradox: Balancing Convenience and Personal Data Protection on Social Media
  • Roles of Social Media and Internet in Fostering Civic Engagement and Democratic Participation
  • Promoting Positive Body Image on Social Media: Redefining Beauty Standards and Empowering Individuals
  • Enhancing Online Safety: Developing Policies and Regulations for Social Media Platforms
  • Social Media and the Spread of Disinformation: Combating the Infodemic
  • Roles of Social Media and Technology in Building and Sustaining Relationships: Connecting in a Digital Era
  • Influencer Culture and Materialism: Examining the Impact on Consumer Behavior
  • Social Media and Education: Maximizing Learning Opportunities and Bridging the Digital Divide
  • The Power of Viral Hashtags: Exploring Social Movements and Online Activism
  • Social Media and Political Polarization: Bridging Divides and Encouraging Constructive Dialogue

Social Media Topics for Pros and Cons Research Papers

  • Examining the Social Effects of Digital Connectivity: Pros and Cons of Using Social Media
  • Balancing Privacy Concerns in the Digital Age: Evaluating the Cons and Risks of Social Media Use
  • Information Sharing in the Digital Era: Uncovering the Advantages of Social Media Platforms
  • Building Online Communities: Analyzing the Strengths and Weaknesses of Social Media Interaction
  • Navigating Political Discourse in the Digital Age: The Disadvantages of Social Media Engagement
  • Mental Health in the Digital Sphere: Understanding the Benefits and Drawbacks of Social Media
  • Combating Cyberbullying: Addressing the Negative Side of Online Social Interactions
  • Personal Branding in the Digital Landscape: Empowerment vs. Self-Objectification on Social Media
  • Establishing Meaningful Connections: Exploring the Pros and Cons of Social Media Relationships
  • Leveraging the Educational Potential of Digital Platforms: Examining the Benefits of Social Media in Learning
  • Body Image and Self-Esteem in the Age of Social Media: Weighing the Positives and Negatives
  • From Digital Activism to Political Change: Assessing the Opportunities and Limitations of Social Media
  • Unraveling the Influence: Social Media and Consumer Behavior in the Digital Marketplace
  • Misinformation in the Digital Landscape: The Pros and Cons of Social Media in the Spread of Disinformation
  • Crisis Communication in the Digital Age: Navigating the Benefits and Challenges of Social Media
  • Tackling Fake News: Navigating Misinformation in the Era of Social Media
  • Maximizing Business Opportunities: Evaluating the Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media Marketing
  • The Psychology of Social Media: Analyzing the Upsides and Downsides of Digital Engagement
  • Exploring the Impact of Social Media on Socialization: Benefits, Drawbacks, and Implications
  • Online Activism: The Power and Limitations of Social Media Movements

Social Media Topics for Cause and Effect Research Papers

  • Enhancing Political Activism: Exploring the Relationship Between Social Media and Civic Engagement
  • The Psychological Effects of Digital Connectivity: Investigating the Relationship Between Mental Health of People and Social Media Use
  • Political Polarization in the Online Sphere: Understanding the Impact of Digital Networks
  • Disrupted Sleep Patterns in the Digital Era: Exploring the Role of Online Platforms
  • Digital Distractions and Academic Performance: Analyzing the Effects of Online Engagement
  • Navigating Online Relationships: Understanding the Impacts of Digital Interactions
  • The Digital Marketplace: Exploring Consumer Behavior in the Age of Online Platforms
  • The Loneliness Epidemic: Investigating the Relationship Between Social Media Use and Social Isolation
  • Redefining Political Participation: The Influence of Digital Networks on Democracy
  • Unmasking Digital Identities: The Psychological Effects of Social Media Use
  • News Consumption in the Digital Era: Exploring the Impacts of Online Platforms
  • Cyberbullying in the Virtual World: Analyzing the Effects of Online Interactions
  • The Digital Campaign Trail: Investigating the Influence of Online Platforms on Voter Behavior
  • Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) in the Digital Age: Exploring the Psychological Consequences
  • Body Dissatisfaction in the Digital Sphere: Understanding the Impacts of Online Presence
  • Information Overload: Coping With the Digital Deluge in the Information Age
  • Privacy Concerns in the Online Landscape: Analyzing the Implications of Digital Footprints
  • Unveiling the Dark Side: Exploring the Relationship Between Online Activities and Substance Abuse
  • Bridging the Political Divide: The Impact of Digital Networks on Sociopolitical Polarization

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13 social media research topics to explore in 2024

Last updated

15 January 2024

Reviewed by

Miroslav Damyanov

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To help you choose a specific area to examine, here are some of the top social media research topics that are relevant in 2024.

  • What makes a strong social media research topic?

Consider the factors below to ensure your topic is strong and compelling:

Clarity: regardless of the topic you investigate, clarity is essential. It ensures readers will be able to understand your work and any wider learnings. Your argument should be clear and your language unambiguous.

Trend relevancy: you need to know what’s currently happening in social media to draw relevant conclusions. Before choosing a topic, consider current popular platforms, trending content, and current use cases to ensure you understand social media as it is today.

New insights: if your research is to be new, innovative, and helpful for the wider population, it should cover areas that haven’t been studied before. Look into what’s already been thoroughly researched to help you uncover knowledge gaps that could be good focus areas.

  • Tips for choosing social media research topics

When considering social media research questions, it’s also important to consider whether you’re the right person to conduct that area of study. Your skills, interests, and time allocated will all impact your suitability.

Consider your skillset: your specific expertise is highly valuable when conducting research. Choosing a topic that aligns with your skills will help ensure you can add a thorough analysis and your own learnings.

Align with your interests: if you’re deeply interested in a topic, you’re much more likely to enjoy the process and dedicate the time it needs for a thorough analysis.

Consider your resources: the time you have available to complete the research, your allocated funds, and access to resources should all impact the research topic you choose.

  • 13 social media research paper topics

To help you choose the right area of research, we’ve rounded up some of the most compelling topics within the sector. These ideas may also help you come up with your own.

1. The influence of social media on mental health

It’s well-documented that social media can impact mental health. For example, a significant amount of research has highlighted the link between social media and conditions like anxiety, depression, and stress—but there’s still more to uncover in this area.

There are high rates of mental illness worldwide, so there’s continual interest in ways to understand and mitigate it. Studies could focus on the following areas:

The reasons why social media can impact mental health

How social media can impact specific mental health conditions (you might also look at different age groups here)

How to reduce social media’s impact on mental health

2. The effects of social media exposure on child development

There are many unknowns with social media. More research is needed to understand how it impacts children. As such, this is a very valuable research area.

You might explore the following topics:

How social media impacts children at different ages

The long-term effects of childhood social media use

The benefits of social media use in children

How social media use impacts childhood socialization, communication, and learning

3. The role of social media in political campaigning

Social media’s role in political campaigning is nothing new. The Cambridge Analytica Scandal, for example, involved data from millions of Facebook profiles being sold to a third party for political advertising. Many believe this could have impacted the 2016 US election results. Ultimately, Facebook had to pay a private class-action lawsuit of $725 million.

The role of social media in political campaigns is of global significance. Concerns are still high that social media can play a negative role in elections due to the spread of misinformation, disinformation, and the bandwagon effect.

Research in this area could look into the following topics:

How people are influenced by social media when it comes to voting

Ways to mitigate misinformation

Election interference and how this can be prevented

4. The role of social media in misinformation and disinformation

Misinformation and disinformation mean slightly different things. Misinformation is unintentionally sharing false or inaccurate information, while disinformation is sharing false information with the deliberate intent to mislead people.

Both can play a role not just in elections but throughout social media. This became particularly problematic during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research into this area is important given the widespread risk that comes with spreading false information about health and safety-related topics.

Here are some potential research areas:

How misinformation and disinformation are spread via social media

The impact of false information (you could focus on how it impacts health, for example)

Strategies for mitigating the impact of false information and encouraging critical thinking

The avenues through which to hold technology companies accountable for spreading misinformation

5. The impact of AI and deepfakes on social media 

AI technology is expected to continue expanding in 2024. Some are concerned that this could impact social media. One concern is the potential for the widespread use of deepfake technology—a form of AI that uses deep learning to create fake images.

Fake images can be used to discredit, shame, and control others, so researchers need to deeply understand this area of technology. You might look into the following areas:

The potential impacts of deepfakes on businesses and their reputations

Deepfake identities on social media: privacy concerns and other risks

How deepfake images can be identified, controlled, and prevented

6. How social media can benefit communities

While there’s much research into the potential negative impacts of social media, it can also provide many benefits.

Social media can establish connections for those who might otherwise be isolated in the community. It can facilitate in-person gatherings and connect people who are physically separated, such as relatives who live in different countries. Social media can also provide critical information to communities quickly in the case of emergencies.

Research into the ways social media can provide these key benefits can make interesting topics. You could consider the following:

Which social media platforms offer the most benefits

How to better use social media to lean into these benefits

How new social platforms could connect us in more helpful ways

7. The psychology of social media

Social media psychology explores human behavior in relation to social media. There are a range of topics within social media psychology, including the following: 

The influence of social media on social comparison

Addiction and psychological dependence on social media

How social media increases the risk of cyberbullying

How social media use impacts people’s attention spans

Social interactions and the impact on socialization

Persuasion and influence on social media

8. How communication has evolved through social media

Social media has provided endless ways for humans to connect and interact, so the ways we do this have evolved.

Most obviously, social media has provided ways to connect instantaneously via real-time messaging and communicate using multimedia formats, including text, images, emojis, video content, and audio.

This has made communication more accessible and seamless, especially given many people now own smartphones that can connect to social media apps from anywhere.

You might consider researching the following topics:

How social media has changed the way people communicate

The impacts of being continuously connected, both positive and negative

How communication may evolve in the future due to social media

9. Social media platforms as primary news sources

As social media use has become more widespread, many are accessing news information primarily from their newsfeeds. This can be particularly problematic, given that newsfeeds are personalized providing content to people based on their data.

This can cause people to live in echo chambers, where they are constantly targeted with content that aligns with their beliefs. This can cause people to become more entrenched in their way of thinking and more unable or unwilling to see other people’s opinions and points of view.

Research in this area could consider the following:

The challenges that arise from using social media platforms as a primary news source

The pros and cons of social media: does it encourage “soloization” or diverse perspectives?

How to prevent social media echo chambers from occurring

The impact of social media echo chambers on journalistic integrity

10. How social media is impacting modern journalism

News platforms typically rely on an advertising model where more clicks and views increase revenue. Since sensationalist stories can attract more clicks and shares on social media, modern journalism is evolving.

Journalists are often rewarded for writing clickbait headlines and content that’s more emotionally triggering (and therefore shareable).

Your research could cover the following areas:

How journalism is evolving due to social media

How to mitigate social media’s impact on neutral reporting

The importance of journalistic standards in the age of social media

11. The impact of social media on traditional advertising

Digital advertising is growing in popularity. Worldwide, ad spending on social media was expected to reach $207.1 billion in 2023 . Experts estimate that ad spending on mobile alone will reach $255.8 billion by 2028 . This move continues to impact traditional advertising, which takes place via channels like print, TV, and radio.

Most organizations consider their social strategy a critical aspect of their advertising program. Many exclusively advertise on social media—especially those with limited budgets.

Here are some interesting research topics in this area

The impact of different advertising methods

Which social media advertising channels provide the highest return on investment (ROI)

The societal impacts of social media advertising

12. Impacts of social media presence on corporate image

Social media presence can provide companies with an opportunity to be visible and increase brand awareness . Social media also provides a key way to interact with customers.

More and more customers now expect businesses to be online. Research shows that 63% of customers expect companies to offer customer service via their social media channels, while a whopping 90% have connected with a brand or business through social media.

Research in this area could focus on the following topics:

The advantages and disadvantages of social media marketing for businesses

How social media can impact a business’s corporate image

How social media can boost customer experience and loyalty

13. How social media impacts data privacy

Using social media platforms is free for the most part, but users have to provide their personal data for the privilege. This means data collection , tracking, the potential for third parties to access that data, psychological profiling, geolocation, and tracking are all potential risks for users.

Data security and privacy are of increasing interest globally. Research within this area will likely be in high demand in 2024.

Here are some of the research topics you might want to consider in this area:

Common privacy concerns with social media use

Why is social media privacy important?

What can individuals do to protect their data when using social media?

  • The importance of social media research

As social media use continues to expand in the US and around the world, there’s continual interest in research on the topic. The research you conduct could positively impact many groups of people.

Topics can cover a broad range of areas. You might look at how social media can harm or benefit people, how social media can impact journalism, how platforms can impact young people, or the data privacy risks involved with social media use. The options are endless, and new research topics will present themselves as technology evolves.

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74 Best Social Media Research Paper Topics

Social media research topics

Whether in college or high school, you will come across research writing as a student. In most cases, the topic of research is assigned by your teacher/professor. Other times, students have to come up with their topic. Research writing in school is inescapable. It’s a task you are bound to undertake to fulfill your academic requirements. If you are in college, there are several topics for research depending on your discipline. For high school students, the topic is usually given. In this article, we focus on social media and topics about social media.

A social media paper is a research paper about social media that studies social media generally or an aspect of it. To write research papers on social media, you’ll need to conduct thorough research for materials and scholarly materials that’ll assist you. For social media, most of the scholarly works will be media-focused.

Sometimes, Professors or teachers ask students to write an essay or research a topic without narrowing it down. In that case, students will have to develop specific research topics. If you’re writing a paper on social media, we’ve provided you with helpful topics to consider for research.

How to Start a Social Media Research Paper

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Before giving a research writing, Professors and teachers believe students already know how to write one. Not every student knows how to write a research paper in most cases.

Research writing follows a systematic pattern, which applies to research on social media. Below is the pattern of a research paper to use;

  • Paper title
  • Introduction
  • Statement of problem
  • Research methodology
  • Research objective
  • Critical analysis
  • Results and discussion

Every research follows this basic pattern, and it also applies to your research paper on social media.

Social media has become a powerful tool for engagement of various kinds. Before now, social media was merely apps used for interpersonal affairs. Today, with the modification of digital technology, social media encompasses a lot more. Below are some social media topics to write about.

  • The impact of social media in promoting interpersonal relationships
  • A study on how social media is a vital tool for social change
  • Social media censorship: A new form of restriction on freedom of speech
  • The constantly growing oversharing nature of social media
  • Social media is a vital tool for political campaign
  • The proliferation of social media platforms into a buying space
  • The juxtaposition of personal engagement and business on social media platforms

There is a wide range of topics to coin from social media for college students because social media is a platform with diverse issues that can form into topics. Here are some research topics about social media to consider.

  • Breach of Privacy: A study on the ability of the government to monitor personal affairs on social media
  • A study of the toxicity brewing within social media
  • The increased cyberbullying perpetrated on social media platforms
  • The evolution of Twitter into a space for diverse conversations
  • A study of the emergence and growth of social media over the years
  • Effects of social media: How social media is breeding laziness amongst children
  • Social media as a distraction tool for students

If you are searching for interesting topics, there are many interesting research topics on social media. Examples of research paper topics that sound fun to choose from include;

  • A study on how the emergence of social media and social media advertising has infiltrated its primary purpose
  • An evaluation of how social media has created employment opportunities for people
  • Social media influence and its negative impact on society
  • Advertising on social media: Will influencer businesses take over advertising agencies?
  • A study on ways to improve advertisement for social media engagement
  • A look into how social media creates a distorted view of real life
  • Social media and real-life: Does social media obscure reality?

Research questions are helpful when carrying out research in a particular field. To know more about your thesis on social media, you will need to create research questions on social media to help inform your writing. Some social media research questions to ask are;

  • Are social media platforms designed to be addictive?
  • What is a social media Algorithm, and how to navigate it?
  • To what extent are personal data stored on social app databases protected?
  • Can social media owners avoid government monitoring?
  • Should parents allow their children to navigate social media before they are 15?
  • Have social media jobs come to stay, or are they temporary?
  • Is social media influencer culture overtaking celebrity culture?
  • To what extent can social media help to curb racism and homophobia?
  • Does social media exacerbate or curb discriminatory practices?
  • Is social media an effective tool for learning?

Everyone has access to social media apps until they’ve reached a certain age. There are several social media essay topics for high school students to write about. Some social media titles for essays include;

  • How social media affects the academic performance of students
  • Why the use of social media is prohibited during school hours
  • Why students are obsessed with Tiktok
  • Running a profitable social media business while in high school and the challenges
  • The dangers of overusing editing apps
  • A critical essay on how editing apps and filters promote an unrealistic idea of beauty
  • The death of TV: how social media has stolen student’s interest

The challenge students have with their topic ideas for research papers is that they’re broad. A good social media thesis topic should be narrowed down. Narrowing a topic down helps you during research to focus on an issue.

Some narrow social media topics for the research paper include;

  • A study of how social media is overtaking Television in entertainment
  • A study of how social media has overtaken traditional journalism
  • An evaluation of the rise of influencer culture on Instagram
  • YouTube and how it has created sustainable income for black content creators
  • A comparative study of social media managers and content creators
  • A study of the decline of Instagram since the emergence of Tiktok
  • How Twitter breeds transphobic conversations

There are several areas of social media to focus your research on. If you are looking for some social media marketing topics, below are some social media research paper topics to consider;

  • Influencer culture and a modified model of mouth-to-mouth marketing
  • The growth of video marketing on Instagram
  • Social media managers as an essential part of online marketing
  • A study on how social media stories are optimized for marketing
  • An analysis of social media marketing and its impact on customer behavior
  • An evaluation of target marketing on social media

There are so many topics to choose from in this aspect. Some social issues research paper topics to explore are;

  • The growth of cyberattacks and cyberstalking in social media
  • Social media and how it promotes an unrealistic idea of life
  • Social media and the many impacts it has on users and businesses
  • Social media detox: Importance of taking scheduled social media breaks
  • How social media enable conversation on social challenges

Writing a research paper on social issues touches on various areas. Some are challenging, while others are easier to navigate.

Below are some of the easy social issues topics to choose from.

  • The growing issue of women’s and trans people’s rights
  • Religious bigotry and how it affects social progress
  • Sustainable living and why it’s important to the society
  • The social impact of climate change and global warming

Social science is a broad discipline. If you are looking for social science essay topics, below are some social science topics for research papers to look into;

  • Consumerism and how it’s perpetrated on social media
  • How religious beliefs impact social relationships
  • Inflation and how it affects the economy of a nation
  • A study of the limited availability of work opportunities for minority groups
  • A look into the concept of “low wage” jobs

Research writing is not always technical or challenging. Sometimes, it can be fun to write. It all depends on your choice of topic. Below are some topics on social media that are fun to work on;

  • The importance of social media branding for small businesses
  • A look into the monetization of Instagram
  • User engagement and how it can be converted into business leads
  • The study of emojis and their role in social media engagement
  • From Instagram to Tiktok: the poaching nature of social media apps

Research writing on social media networking studies social networking and its design and promotion on social media platforms. Some research papers on social media networking are;

  • The impact of social media networking on business owners
  • Social media networking and how it impacts influencer culture
  • Social media and how it’s used to build and develop social relationships
  • How social media made social networking services easier

Social media research writing is one of the most interesting research to conduct. It cuts across several interesting areas. The writer can handle almost every aspect of the dissertation or thesis statement about social media . But, students who find it challenging should seek professional help. You can reach out to  our expert team of writers to help you handle every element of your writing. We have the best on our team who are always ready to give you their best.

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147 Best Social Media Research Topics To Beat The Trend In 2024

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With the advancement of technology, social media has become an essential part of our lives. It provides a platform for people to express themselves and share their thoughts with others. It also allows people to connect on a global scale. Social media has helped to make the world smaller and more connected.

Social Media is essential in many industries today – from marketing, advertising, and public relations to education, healthcare, and even entertainment. Social Media is now so widespread that it has become a necessity for businesses.

As writers who have a lot of knowledge regarding  custom writing services  would share what we know about social media research topics that can make your day.

Table of Contents

Social Media Research: Related To Trends, Privacy, Psychology and more

We are rooting for you to leave your competition behind in your research. That is why we have 147 of the most engaging social media research topics that work as a muse and introduce you to an uncanny inspiration. Let’s go ahead and discover together!

Trendy Social Media Research Topics

trendy social media research topics

Have you been following the trends lately? If the answer is no, you don’t need to panic. We’ve extracted all of the trendy social media topics for you.

  • What is quality management for social media?
  • Branding and Social Media? How does it work? What are the best strategies?
  • Use of the Internet networks, social networks, and mobile in 2021
  • Facebook as a source of distribution of content and remote communication
  • Training of professionals toward their audiences for social media platforms
  • Facebook: A place of digital socialization among top social media sites
  • The place of social networks in journalistic information
  • The positive aspects of the Internet and social networks
  • Increasing impact and importance of social media networks
  • The future of social media: Would Facebook remain a monopoly?
  • The negative aspects of social media sites and the internet
  • Instagram vs. Facebook: A complete research on features. Which is better?
  • The rise in popularity of TikTok
  • Role of social media politics in the society

Read More:  Accounting Research Topics

Social Media Platforms Research Topics Related Journalism

social media platforms research topics related journalism

Social media and journalism go side by side. How can it be? Well, these research topics for social media research papers will give you an idea:

  • News and citizenship in the digital age
  • Mutations in journalism in the digital age
  • What is multimedia journalism? How can social media be a part of it?
  • Rise of influence of journalists with social media sites
  • Do we still need journalists in the time of social media sites?
  • What role can social media sites play in overcoming the impact of toxic journalism?
  • How to deal with the swarming misinformation on social media?

Read More:  Research Paper Topics

Social Media Research Topics For Psychology

social media research topics for psychology

Social media research can be written for many  psychological research topics  as well.

  • Temptations of Social Media and its effects on marriages
  • Is social media leading spouses to infidelity?
  • The Internet is a free universe without any control. How to make your mental health a priority in the social media dilemma?
  • Social media addiction and its impact on mental health
  • Has social media increased the cases of mental health problems? Prove write or wrong with analytics and data.
  • How Social Media is isolating children from parents and teachers
  • The psychology behind social media addiction
  • The positive aspects of the Internet and social networks on mental health
  • Do you think that the Internet, in general, and social networks pose Psychological risks for an individual?
  • How social media is affecting family mental health
  • Mental health problems in adolescents caused by Social Media
  • Symptoms of anxiety, depression, and loneliness in people who spend 3-6 hours a day on Social Media
  • Best and safest social media websites
  • The dangers of social media addiction to mental health
  • Isolation and radicalization are rising because of Social Media
  • How social media is different than mass media?
  • Nazi and fascist presence on social media: Campaigns against minority
  • The psychology behind online hate speech and bullying
  • Can social media lead to lower self-esteem?

Read More:  Business Research Topics

Social Behavior And Social Media Research Topics

social behavior and social media research topics

Social media has been a significant impact on our social behavior.  Writing a research paper  on this topic could do wonders. Let’s explore more on that.

  • The benefits of social networks in social lives
  • Why do young people use social networks?
  • How people’s behavior differs on multiple social media websites
  • Behavior of people who have been victims of cyberbullying on social networks
  • The social response to cyberbullying and online harassment through social networks
  • An examination of the mental health implications of social networks
  • What is the impact of Social Media on our happiness?
  • As a result of social media, we need more time to concentrate.
  • As a result of the extensive use of social media, we experience a decline in the quality of our sleep.
  • The adverse effects of Instagram and Snapchat on our self-esteem and self-confidence
  • As a result of social media, people are more likely to experience depression, loneliness, and isolation.
  • Virtual worlds pose a threat to our brains because of the overload of information they provide
  • What are the chances of social networks improving for us in the future?
  • Which social networks are trustworthy, and which are untrustworthy?
  • How much time do we spend on social media, and is it bad for us?

Read More:  Nursing Research Topics

Social Media Research Topics Related To Activism

social media research topics related to activism

  • Be it  social work topics  or activism themes, you can see that social media papers has helped us in more than one way.
  • Respect for freedom of expression
  • The wave of publications of feminist works powered and empowered by social Media.
  • Social Media is the origin of vast protest movements.
  • Role of social media in Arab Spring
  • How Wael Ghonim changed the fate of Egypt with the help of Social media?
  • Conduct relevant campaigns based on an analysis of digital news
  • A campaign that conveys solid values and convictions is an activist marketing campaign.
  • Activists can use social platforms as practical tools.
  • Increasingly engaged social media users can spread moral messages more widely.
  • As fake news becomes more prevalent, activism becomes more critical.
  • Youth of Generation Z: more aggressive than ever? In what ways does online aggression originate?
  • How social media creates more opportunities for marginalized societies
  • Managing a positive social media political campaign
  • The most effective way to be a better ally for people of color
  • What role does body diversity play outside of fashion?
  • Even though sexual racism affects everyone, it is a phenomenon that must be addressed

Read More:  Qualitative Research Topics

Social Media Research Topics On Cyber Security and Privacy

social media research topics on cyber security and privacy

Security and privacy are now a fundamental human rights in the virtual world. You can contribute by  writing a thesis for your research paper  to promote online security awareness.

  • Security regulation of social networks
  • The essential protection of Internet users and social cohesion
  • Security risks involved in using social networks like Facebook
  • Can terrorists use social media to provoke violence? How can we deal with it?
  • The morality of social networks, sensitivity, and responsibility
  • Bullying and Harassment in social mass media
  • How to get over the social media addiction
  • How to promote cyber security?
  • Professional and private life: How to maintain family safety on Social Media
  • How social media poses a threat to family privacy and security
  • Barriers between professional and private life diminishing with social networks
  • How secure privacy settings on social media are?
  • Is social media impenetrable for hackers? The hanging sword of data leaks
  • GBWhatsApp Data Leaks: A study on insecure methods leading to harmful privacy dangers
  • Cybercrimes on social media: Identity theft

Read More:  US History Research Topics

Social Media Criminology Research Papers Topics

social media criminology research papers topics

Cybercrime is one of the most talked about issues among  criminal justice research topics . Here are some of the most critical topics for social media criminology:

  • How to report and prosecute cyberbullying in Social Media
  • Using social networks to process information
  • Advertising on YouTube is a popular method of cybercrime
  • Using automatic publication functions on certain sites and forums for malicious purposes
  • In the age of cybercrime, Twitter has become the preferred platform for advertising
  • Cybercrime can be dealt with by acquiring both human and technical skills
  • Definition, characteristics, and types of Social Media
  • The Characteristics, Motivations, and Strategies of Cybercrime from a Criminological Perspective
  • What are the forms of cyberbullying on social media and what can be done to prevent it?
  • Defamation, the most common cybercrime handled by law enforcement
  • Facebook and social media users should be aware of cybercrime and hoax information
  • Cases of child prostitution on social media during the lead-up to elections
  • Using Social media is dangerous because of hoaxes and low trust
  • The use of information technology facilities as a means of committing crime
  • Using social media to commit cybercrime is common
  • Fraud Committed Through Social Media in Online Shops
  • Child pornography and pedophilia: The Darkside of Social Media
  • How can we control and put a stop to the  rise of cyberbullying against children on social media ?

Read More: High School Research Paper Topics

University Social Media Research Paper Topics

university social media research paper topics

Whether you’re writing for a university or researching for high school research topics, you can always talk about social media. Won’t you love to write something about one of the favorite parts of your life, that is social media?

  • The uses of digital social networks in the context of socio-educational support
  • The contributions of social network analysis to the management of communities
  • Social Media is a useful tool for evaluating and improving the functioning of piloted communities
  • How can students deal with social media addiction?
  • Innovation and social networks: new sociabilities for another sociality
  • Creating a Science of the network through social media: A Case Study
  • The social network as a space of hodological individuation
  • Learning through social networks. How has social media presence helped adapt to changes after COVID?
  • Role of Social Media in the time of the Coronavirus Pandemic

Read More:  Political Science Research Topics

Social Media Marketing Research Paper Topics

social media marketing research paper topics

Next to  business research topics , most of the orders we receive are for social media marketing research. You would like some of the following examples for sure when writing for a social media research topic:

  • The different types of advertisements used on social networks
  • The presence of companies on social networks in the era of digitalization
  • How to counter competition on social networks?
  • How to deal with negative social media effect on your business
  • Why is it essential to be able to stand out from others, and how to achieve this?
  • How can such a social media marketing strategy have a lasting impact on a company’s reputation on the Internet?
  • How does influencer marketing add value to brands?
  • How the influencers have formed and transformed the modern market for gen-z entrepreneurs?
  • Social media vs. mass media: Pros and cons for each of them
  • Building your audience based on tweets, occupation, interests, and location
  • How to define and manage audiences when working on social media marketing?
  • How can social media insights keep you updated with modern trends?
  • How to establish your analytical milestones while working with social media?
  • How has Google Trends helped a business into a global transformation? A Case study
  • Beating the boundaries with social media platforms. The global business boost on Facebook marketing
  • Competition and social networks: how do companies stand out?
  • How do companies choose the advertising method that suits them best?
  • How has digitization made the use of the internet essential for the success of a company?

Social Media transformed our lives into something amazing. However, everything comes at a price. Regardless, of whatever aspects of social Media you are looking for, we are sure that you will find them in our social media research topics. If you need any further help, you can talk to us through Paper Perk  contact  page. We can help you with finding your  research topics , or any research help that you need.

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The Top 10 Most Interesting Social Media Research Topics

Finding social media research topics you’re interested in is tricky. Social media is a fairly new field, and the constant arrival of new technology means that it’s always evolving. So, students have a lot to think about in their search for topics.

In this article, we’re going to walk you through social media research paper topics that are timely and relevant. We’ll also show you examples of social media research topics you can get inspiration from. Lastly, we’re going to lay out some social media research questions you can ponder while formulating your topic.

Find your bootcamp match

What makes a strong social media research topic.

A strong social media research topic requires clarity of focus. This means that your topic must be timely, relevant, and coherent. This allows your research topic to be compelling and easily understandable to others.

Tips for Choosing a Social Media Research Topic

  • Know the trends. Learning what social media topics are trending allows you to know the relevant issues and emergent themes in the field of social media. This also lets you know what topics are well-researched and which ones are still emerging.
  • Explore knowledge gaps. Knowing what previous researchers have written prevents you from repeating knowledge that has already been explored and shared. Nobody wants to reinvent the wheel when doing research. Exploring knowledge gaps lets you increase the impact of your work and identify opportunities for further research.
  • Choose something that you’re interested in. Diving deep into a topic that you’re interested in motivates you to learn more about it. The research process becomes more engaging when you know you care about your topic.
  • Be specific. Knowing what you want to research and what you don’t want to research are keys to the research process. This entails narrowing down your topic to a specific area, subject, theme, or relationship. You want to know the scope and the limitations of your study.
  • Check your timeframe. Limiting your topic to a specific timeframe helps in narrowing down what you need to study. For example, you can decide to study a phenomenon that has emerged in just the last three years. By doing this, you’re making sure that your research is both specific and relevant.

What’s the Difference Between a Research Topic and a Research Question?

The difference between a research topic and a research question is in the scope. Research topics tend to be broader than research questions. Research topics focus on a specific area of study within a larger field, while a research question further narrows down what you are researching. A good research question allows you to write on your topic with greater precision.

How to Create Strong Social Media Research Questions

The key to creating strong social media research questions is learning enough about your topic to know where the gaps are. This means that you have to conduct a thorough social media literature review, reading previous studies until you have a handle on what’s been said and what questions are still unanswered. Your question will emerge from this preliminary research.

Top 10 Social Media Research Paper Topics

1. a comparative review of facebook, instagram, and tiktok as primary marketing platforms for small businesses.

A lot of small businesses have flocked to various social media sites to market their products and services. Social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok are platforms that deliver constant online content to their users. Comparing the marketing and advertising strategies of these online platforms will shed light on how social media helps businesses .

2. The Influence of Social Media on Mental Health

Mental health has been an important topic in social media research these past few years. Social media use and its connection to mental health has even been the subject of systematic reviews. This means that there’s a huge body of previous studies that you can look to when developing your research question.

Exploring both the positive effects and negative impacts of social media sites on mental health helps people and firms establish guidelines that help user communities. This research topic might also cover strategies for helping social media users improve their mental health.

3. The Role of Social Media in Political Campaigning

Social media is a new tool for political campaigning. Exploring what social media strategies have been conducted by politicians running for office helps in determining how social media aids in political campaigning. Studying new strategies like user-generated content for political campaigning allows you to know how voters interact with political candidates.

4. The Role of Social Media in Disinformation

The rise of fake news has coincided with the rise of social networking websites. This topic involves dissecting how social media technologies allow certain types of online content to thrive and make it easier for bad actors to spread disinformation.

5. How Social Media Can Benefit Communities

More and more social issues have been popularized through online content. Diving deep into how social media can facilitate organizational networking lets you compare the traditional and new organizing strategies being created in digital spaces. It also lets you understand how social media activity influences trends in virtual communities.

6. The Effects of Social Media Exposure on Child Development

Children also use social media sites. Some children use social networking sites under the supervision of their parents, and some do not. Social interaction, online or not, affects how children develop. Studying the psychological effects of social media exposure lets you know how social media may improve or derail the growth of children.

7. How Communication Has Evolved Through Social Media

Body language, tone of voice, and other non-verbal cues are absent in online forms of communication. In their place, emojis and other new ways to express thoughts and emotions have appeared. Learning how social media changes the way we talk to one another allows you to develop a theory of communication that takes into account the role of digital communities.

8. Social Media Platforms as Primary News Sources

A lot of people now are getting their daily dose of news and current events through social media. News networks have also established their social media presence on platforms that they can use to deliver news and current events to their audiences. Researching this topic lets you investigate the changes and innovations in information dissemination.

9. How Social Media Paves Way for Non-Traditional Advertising

Regular social media posts, advertisements, and other forms of online content aren’t the only ways businesses market to their audiences. Social media has paved the way for user-generated content and other non-traditional types of online marketing. With this topic, you can learn social media marketing strategies that have been capitalized on the social connection fostered by social networking websites.

10. Impacts of Social Media Presence on Corporate Image

More businesses increasingly build and curate their digital presence through various social networks. Knowing how a business can improve its corporate image through social media influence clarifies the role of technology in modern economics and online marketing.

Other Examples of Social Media Research Topics & Questions

Social media research topics.

  • Social Media Addiction and Adolescent Mental Health
  • The Rise of Social Media Influencers
  • The Role of Social Media Sites as Political Organizing Tools Under Repressive Governments
  • Social Media Influencers and Adolescent Mental Health
  • How Social Media Is Used in Natural Disasters and Critical Events

Social Media Research Questions

  • How was Facebook used as a political campaigning tool in the 2020 United States presidential election? 
  • What social platforms are the most effective in influencing consumer behavior?
  • How does user-generated content boost the credibility of a business?
  • How do different types of online content disseminated through popular networks affect the attention span of people?
  • What are the most effective forms of online content and social media strategies for increasing sales conversions for small businesses?

Choosing the Right Social Media Research Topic

Choosing the right social media research topic helps you create meaningful contributions to the discipline of social media studies. Knowing the most popular topics in the field can make you an expert on social media. By reading up on previous studies, you will not only be more informed but you will also be in a position to make a positive impact on future studies.

Studying the relationship between social media and different fields produces valuable knowledge. Even if you’re only interested in exploring one social platform or a single social media event or phenomenon, your research can help people better understand how social media engagement changes the face of social relationships in the world at large.

Social Media Research Topics FAQ

Social media is a computer-based technology that allows digital communities to exchange information through user networks. Various social media networks specialize in text, photo, or video transfer. All of these are ways for people on the Internet to share information and ideas with each other.

Social media research is important because it helps you contribute to the growing body of knowledge about digital social settings. In 2021, according to DataReportal, at least 4.88 billion people around the world use the Internet . The more that people connect with each other through the social media domain, the more their quality of life changes, for better or worse.

According to Statista, the most popular social media platforms right now are Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp , each of which has at least two billion users. These social networks allow users to share text, picture, and video content with one another.

People use social media to connect with each other, share information, and entertain themselves. Social media sites can broadly serve all of these purposes or be focused on just one of these functions.

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illustration of hands browsing a dashboard of data representing social media research

Social Media Research: A Comprehensive Guide

Guv Callahan

May 20, 2024

8 min. read

Social media research helps you unlock the potential of social content for business. We’re living in a world where tweets hold power and likes shape perceptions. When you know what to publish and who you’re posting it for, you can construct a stronger strategy that helps you meet key goals.

Data isn’t just about numbers; it’s about uncovering narratives and following the breadcrumbs of likes, shares, and comments to gain deeper understandings. There’s a method to the madness of selfies and status updates. The right approach to social media research helps you learn more about the collective consciousness of society — and use it to your advantage.

Let’s explore the language of social media likes and shares and dig beneath the surface of our digital interactions.

What is Social Media Research?

Tools and techniques for social media research, understanding the difference: social media research vs. traditional research, harnessing the power of social media research for your business, ethics and privacy in social media research, success stories: real world examples of social media research.

experts conducting social media research

Social media research is the process of using social media data to learn about trending topics, audiences, and content performance. Reviewing social data gives you quantitative insights (e.g., engagement rates , best posting times ), but it can also lead to qualitative learnings like human behaviors, preferences, and opinions.

When conducting social media research, companies can look for patterns and sentiments to drive their social media marketing strategy. They can decide what content to create, which channels to post on, how to reach their audience, when to post content, and a myriad of other decisions that will lead to faster results.

putting a magnifying glass on data collected during research

There’s no single best way to do social media research. You can manually review engagement on your posts or look at your competitors’ content. Or you can use third-party social listening tools to aggregate social data for you. 

Social media research can be formal (like a traditional research project) or informal. You might have a certain goal in mind, or you might not know what you’re looking for and just want to see what pops up. 

Let’s review some options.

Social media analytics

No matter what channels you choose, you can gain a wealth of insights from built-in social analytics. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter give you instant intel about your content performance and audiences. 

Even better, you don’t always need to know what you’re looking for. You can start combing through your analytics, then jot down questions or ideas you want to explore further.

Tip: Learn more in our blog The Complete Guide to Social Media Analytics .

Google Alerts

Google Alerts is a free and underrated tool that gives you unique angles and insights on a given topic. You can set up a Google Alert related to a keyword or topic of your choice, then receive a daily digest of articles published on that topic. 

From there, you can learn more about what other brands and businesses are publishing. Repurpose your findings into your social media content to get ahead of trends and topics. You can lead conversations instead of joining them after they blow up on social.

Social listening tools

Social listening tools like Meltwater let you be the fly on the wall in the social world. You can “listen” to what your audience is saying and truly be everywhere all at once. 

These tools monitor billions of publicly available data points across multiple social channels, like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. They help brands track mentions of their products or brand names in real time so you can become part of important conversations. 

You can also track topics related to your niche or learn more about what your audience is talking about beyond your brand. This gives you direct insight into their lifestyles so you can meet them where they are authentically.

Want to learn more about how Meltwater could help your social media research? Fill out the form below and an expert will be in touch!

Media intelligence tools

Taking social listening a step further, you can add media intelligence tools to the mix to learn what’s being talked about beyond social media. Meltwater’s media intelligence suite lets you monitor TV and radio channels, blogs, print media, and other new sources around the world.

This gives you more comprehensive insights into hot topics and trends that you can repurpose for social media. News-worthy events make their way to social media, giving you an easy “in” to your audience’s attention. 

handling news and posts on social media

Aside from the social-specific aspect, social media research holds a few advantages over traditional research. 

For starters, social research gives you real-time data that’s constantly changing. You can also get the most specific insights according to your audience and social channels, not just general info. This means you can shorten the research curve and get faster insights about topics that matter to you.  

By comparison, traditional research is often a more structured approach with specific goals in mind. It typically requires lots of sources and manual effort. It takes time to find and vet sources, cross-reference data, and ensure a high level of accuracy. 

Combining both types of research can give you the most comprehensive view of your audience.

Now that you know what social media research is, let’s explore some ways you can apply it to your business.

Identify your target audience

Analyzing social media data can help you pinpoint who your target audience is (because it’s not always who you think). You might have your audience defined on the surface with basics like age, gender, and geographic location, but social research can dig several layers deeper to uncover new audience segments you haven’t considered. 

Audiences evolve all the time. Their preferences, needs, and interests change. This means that who you want to reach today might not be the same person you want to connect with in the future. Constantly finding new things about your audience will help you continue generating content that captures their interests.

Improve brand reputation

Monitoring online conversations and feedback gives companies a direct path to reputation management . You can more easily spot when trouble might be brewing so you can act fast and defend against hits to your brand image.

Proactively engaging with customers on social platforms shows that the company values their opinions and is committed to providing excellent customer service. This not only builds trust and loyalty but also strengthens the brand's reputation as a customer-centric organization.

Optimize social media marketing campaigns

When you know more about your audience and past content performance, you’re in a better position to create better posts that resonate. Learn what type of content your audience prefers based on engagement metrics. Tailor your content and messaging to reflect their interests and needs.

You’ll also have insights about what’s hot in the social media world. You can use these trends as the foundation for your own content, taking the guesswork out of what you should talk about. 

Tip: Learn more about tailoring your content and messaging in our Personalization at Scale Guide !

image of a social media specialist checking her smartphone at her desk

Collecting social media research from outside data sources brings ethics and privacy into question. Marketers should be proactive in asking where their data is coming from and how it was obtained. 

Ideally, you’ll choose tools that are in compliance with regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Know how they obtain data and whether they safeguard individual users’ information. Getting ahead of your competitors shouldn't be at the expense of your customers’ privacy or potential legal challenges.

Companies around the world use social media research to drive engagement, create better content, and grow their brand presence. 

Take Shiseido , for instance. This Meltwater customer uses our Explore solution to learn what makes their brand special across 120 markets. The company uses social listening to monitor competitors, unify social mentions in a single dashboard, and understand the brand’s presence on a global stage.

Another Meltwater customer, Fifty Acres , uses the platform to learn about relevant narratives happening on social media. Learning what others are talking about allows them to shape their own stories, pitch new ideas for business growth, and connect with people in the right places at the right times.

W Hotels in Singapore is another great example of social media research at work. The company uses Meltwater to learn more about what customers like when traveling, allowing them to create custom experiences in their hotels.

Last but not least, Mailchimp uses Meltwater to inform its content strategy. The company looks for trends and themes on social media that resonate with creators, allowing them to easily scale their content by making their audience go bananas over every post.

Learn more when you request a demo by filling out the form below.

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research topics regarding social media

193 Great Social Media Research Topics For Successful Paper

social media research topics

Social media sites are those that facilitate the sharing of ideas, thoughts, and information through virtual networks or communities. Social media is internet-based and gives users effective electronic communication of content. On social media sites, you can send messages, images, documents, videos, or other forms of data. The various large social media networks include; Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter.

Characteristics of a Good Social Media Research Paper

To write a good social media research paper, follow this procedure:

  • Check The Instructions: Check the instructions on what is required. You also need to consult the professor to know what is expected. This will help you to choose the right topic that will lead to a proper research paper. You can check whether the essay needs to be persuasive, engaging, or argumentative.
  • Choose A Topic: Choose a topic that is not too complex. Additionally, it should be something that you are passionate about. Browse various sample papers online to know the best topic to use.
  • Research Well: Once you choose a topic and seek approval from your professor, you now need to do proper research. You can use scholarly articles, documentaries, films, and other data to find the relevant needed information.
  • Draft It Out: Write out the key points and know how the introduction body and conclusion will be. If doing a project, thesis, or dissertation, write a great abstract. The draft should contain all the relevant information. Remember to write titles that correspond to the main points.
  • Write The Final Paper: Once you are done, write the final paper and proofread to ensure that everything you’ve written is as it should be.

Social Media Research Topics

Social media is a great place to interact with friends, colleagues, family, bloggers, and even celebrities. They make the world seem a bit smaller with the amount of information you can get from it.

  • The factors that lead to the growth of social media sites.
  • Evaluate how social media fuels rebellion among teenagers.
  • How are social network websites used for political affairs?
  • The best ways to deal with children’s addiction in social sites.
  • How can social media sites be used during certain country disasters?
  • Evaluate how data protection is done on social media sites.
  • In your own opinion, do you think there should be an age restriction on the use of social networks?
  • Evaluate the various reasons that companies are opting to advertise more on Facebook.
  • The major factors that lead to the popularity of social media sites like Instagram.
  • Evaluate the growth of social media in the past 10 years – what has changed?
  • Is there a relationship between social media and mental problems?
  • Discuss how the major changes that have occurred in communication are due to social media sites.
  • Evaluate the evolution of Twitter from its inception to date.
  • The best tactics to build a strong social media presence.

Social Media Research Questions

Did you know that social media sites can play with the psychology of a teen? They will see society differently than they were used to.

  • Which are the best ways to monitor children’s access to social media platforms?
  • Among all the social media platforms, which is the best to use when starting a business?
  • Which are the positive and negative effects of using social media sites?
  • How do social networks make people commit suicide?
  • Which are the negative effects of children using social media sites?
  • How can addiction to social media occur? The best methods to use to curb it.
  • Which are the advantages and disadvantages of parents monitoring their children’s social media presence?
  • How do social media networks help whenever there is a disaster?
  • How effective is Twitter when providing some information globally?
  • Do you think that social media connects and disconnects people equally?
  • How do social media networks facilitate kidnapping and assaults?
  • How effective is the social media network when providing good PR?
  • How effective is data protection on the internet?
  • Is it safe to do a job on any of the social media platforms?

Research Papers On Social Media

Have you ever come across a social media political campaign? Well, yes, there are social media politics. A couple of politicians have gained popularity through social media exposure.

  • Evaluate the changes that have occurred in human values after social media prevalence.
  • Should there be a restriction on social media activities for both adults and children?
  • Does social media enhance or prevent stereotyping?
  • The best way to recognize valid advertisements and spam.
  • The best way social media can help to stop racism.
  • The effects of online games.
  • The negative effects of social media on crime cases.
  • The best way to manage social media pressure among celebrities globally.
  • How do social media sites boost personal branding?
  • The positive effects of social media on improving the corporate image.
  • How does influence marketing help in boosting businesses?
  • The influence of chatbots in boosting communication in companies.
  • The best strategies to use to create a strong online presence.
  • Evaluate the evolution of social media.

Interesting Social Media Research Topic

There is a close relationship between social media and relationships. This is because it plays a major role in how people relate. This is in families, couples, friends, and colleagues.

  • The power of online communities.
  • The impact of business branding in increasing sales.
  • The major roles of images in boosting online communication.
  • The best methods to use to monitor kids’ activities on social media.
  • Social empowerment on the use of social media sites.
  • The impact of social media in boosting spirituality in individuals.
  • The major impacts of social media on job creation.
  • The effects of cybercrime on different individuals.
  • How do social media relationships occur?
  • The safety of social media relationships in the modern age.
  • The importance of social media in new products marketing.
  • How does social media help in marketing?
  • The negative and positive impacts of social media in religious missions.
  • The role of social media in breaking news to the public.

Social Media Research Papers

Of late many people have been indulging in the social media business. This is because of its diversity. There is a lot of areas that still require exploration in the digital world.

  • Evaluate the impact of social media on modern times.
  • The effectiveness of government communication through social media.
  • How has social media influenced education?
  • The impact of social media in journalism.
  • The effectiveness of mobile technology in marketing.
  • The various regulations put in place for online activities.
  • The most effective email marketing strategies.
  • How is social media being used to boost food security?
  • How does social media affect the behaviors of children at school and home?
  • The global regulations on online activities.
  • The various online marketing modes used by various social media marketers.
  • The best way to use social media networks to boost your content visibility.
  • How can startups use social media to boost their customer service experience?
  • Do you think information overload influences our health?

More Social Media Research Paper Topics

Narcissism behaviors can also be seen easily on social media sites. These are some of the best social media research papers that you can start with. Therefore, use our research paper writing services to get a professional help with your papers. 

  • How social media aids in fighting stereotypes?
  • Do you think terrorists use social networks to recruit new members?
  • Which kind of information should be restricted on social media sites?
  • The best way social sites help to attract people’s attention to social problems.
  • How do you think social media aids to make us educated?
  • Why do you think people use more time using social media sites?
  • The negative effects of information overload.
  • Do you think social media is the best place to seek justice?
  • How does social media stimulate mental issues?
  • The effects of using women’s bodies for advertisements globally.
  • Do you think social media sites are 100% effective for communication?
  • The healthy ways of self-realization through social media.
  • The best way to earn from social media sites.
  • How can blogging help to boost the education system?

Research Topic On Social Media

These are some of the best media topics. You can also find some multimedia topics that you can use for your research paper. Digital media is interesting and you get a lot of information from it.

  • Evaluate business growth in the past and present due to social media networks.
  • How does social media help us to find inspiration?
  • The amount of time to use when using social media sites.
  • Why do you think people always crave likes on social media sites?
  • Why do you think people are often aggressive when using social media sites?
  • Why do you think cyberbullying is rampant on social media?
  • What do you think makes marketing great on social media?
  • Has social media influenced what is considered beautiful and what is not?
  • The best way to depoliticize is through social media.
  • The best ways to interact positively with people through social media.
  • Do you think it is effective to find a relationship partner through social media?
  • It is recommended for employers to always check the social media accounts of their employees?
  • Do you think it is wise to check a candidate’s social media presence before hiring?
  • The best way to boost your social media presence as a brand ambassador.

Informative Research Questions On Social Media

Are you looking for good and interesting research questions on social media? Look no further! You can start with these. Also, remember to do thorough research to meet the end goal.

  • Which are the lessons gotten from social media network usage?
  • The only time when children should be allowed to use social sites.
  • The best way to raise funds for sick people using social media.
  • The best ways social media can be used for acts of mercy.
  • How social media is a new culture.
  • Do you think social media makes us accept violence easily?
  • How do you think social media sites are used to plan crimes?
  • The relation between social media and violence.
  • The relation between social media and culture.
  • The most popular kinds of posts on social media sites.
  • The influence of Instagram on women.
  • The best way to find your perfect target audience.
  • How are social media sites used to unite human beings?

Best Social Media Paper Ideas

It is important to submit high-quality work to your professor. Try our college paper writing service and discover the benefits of high-quality and cheap paper writing help. This will help you to gain top grades while in college.

  • Why do some accounts gain more followers than others?
  • How businesses can use social media in client service development?
  • The best methods to stop cyberbullying on social media sites.
  • Do you think it is recommended to trust bloggers’ views before making a purchase?
  • How have social sites become a platform for new business destinies?
  • The best methods to use to become a celebrity on media sites.
  • Should teachers keep their accounts closed to prevent students from knowing them?
  • The various professions emerged due to the developing of social media.
  • How to find your perfect social media audience.
  • Customer engagement on social media platforms.
  • The best way social media can be used is to make students more aware of their surroundings.
  • How can social media be used to track a lost person?
  • The use of mass media on the development of the education system.
  • Why do you think people love reading gossip on various social media sites?

Argumentative Research Topics About Social Media

These research topics about social media will make you think deeper and see the online world differently. Through research, you will also learn why the” future is digital.”

  • How do social media sites help in enriching students with presentation skills?
  • The best way social media can be used to educate students on real-life scenarios.
  • The best way to reduce theft on social media sites.
  • The best way to crowdsource different people to achieve something,
  • How do social media sites invade people’s privacy?
  • Which should be an age limit for using certain social media sites?
  • The best way to learn through social media.
  • The policies and regulations needed for social media usage.
  • The effectiveness of social media sites during elections
  • How has social media led to family breakups?
  • How easy is it to get information online?
  • Evaluate all the Twitter limitations.
  • How do people fake it on social media?
  • Evaluate how to make the online space safe.

Amazing Social Media Paper Topics

As a student, you need to strive to achieve diligently in your course units. Here are some amazing topics that you can use.

  • The amount of bandwidth used when using social media.
  • The negative effects of joining social media platforms when too young.
  • The network connectivity issues that occur on social sites.
  • The best legislations that can be put in place for social media
  • The best way to earn through online games.
  • The effectiveness of digital dating sites on boosting relationships.
  • Data protection policies on social media sites.
  • The best way start-ups can use to boost their companies online.
  • Do you think social media networks are increasing suicide cases?
  • The best way to gain followers on Twitter.
  • The various causes of addiction on social media.
  • The best way to reduce addiction to social media among the youth.
  • The best way to improve social sites for all ages.
  • The various ways Twitter has been used to save lives

Engaging Social Networks Topics

Social media emerged as a way to interact with family and friends. However, with time, businesses started to take advantage of the popular new communication method.

  • The diverse relation between social sites and religion.
  • Is it ethical to monitor your employee’s social networks?
  • The various modes being used to improve interaction online.
  • Is parent-child protection necessary while online to prevent bullying?
  • The dangers of posting pictures online.
  • Evaluate how social media is disconnecting people?
  • The censorship policies that are being put in place for mass media.
  • The mass media bias during elections.
  • How does cyberbullying occur online?
  • The business of mass media during elections in different regions of the world.
  • The various important mass media ethics.
  • Evaluate phone journalism
  • How are images important when giving a story on social media sites?
  • The interrelation between politics and media.
  • The history of mass communication

Unique Social Networking Topics

Social media sites have made it easier to get real-time information fast. Additionally, you get to learn about the latest trends and technologies.

  • The impact of fake news on modern society.
  • How does accreditation of journalists occur online?
  • Evaluate the currency of news.
  • The advantages and disadvantages of mass communication.
  • The relation between mental illnesses and social media
  • The relation between media, ethics, and public relation.
  • The relation between media, fashion, and aesthetics.
  • The positive and negative effects of media cliché.
  • How can media be used as an instrument of propaganda?
  • The relation between terrorism and media.
  • The common major media industries.
  • The movement rules and politics about media.
  • The relation between reality shows, privacy, and ethics
  • How does media get information overloading?
  • How are social media sites making us lonely?

Social Media Research Paper Thesis

Social media marketing has grown over time and is slowly gaining popularity. These are some of the best social media research papers that you can use for your thesis.

  • The best way to protect children online.
  • Evaluate the world-famous influencers on social media.
  • The effect of social media on our relationships.
  • Evaluate addiction in social media in different age groups.
  • How does social media use lead to anxiety?
  • The negative and positive effects of social media on the youth.
  • The importance of social media presence on recruitment.
  • The real value of social media
  • The effects of social media on human beings.

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43+ Latest Social Media Research Topics for College Students

social-media-research-topics-for-college-students

  • Post author By Ankit
  • February 7, 2024

Did you know that over 4.5 billion people actively use social media worldwide? That’s like half of the entire world’s people! With billions logging on daily, social media has changed how we communicate. As college students living in this digital time, we must know how platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram shape society. 

Studying social media isn’t just about oversharing selfies – it helps us learn about human behavior, marketing techniques, cyberbullying, privacy issues, and more. 

This blog shares the most exciting social media research topics for college students. 

Table of Contents

Latest Social Media Research Topics For College Students

Check out the latest social media research topics for college students in tabular form.

Social Impact

1. Mental Health Awareness: Explore how social media can help spread understanding about mental health among teens. Look into campaigns and posts that help reduce stigma and offer support.

2. Activism Movements: See how social media helps people organize for causes they believe in. Look at examples of successful campaigns and the challenges activists face online.

3. Political Opinions: Study how social media affects young people’s political opinions. Look at how people only hear opinions they agree with and how false information spreads.

4. Community Building: Learn how social media helps different groups connect. Look at how these online groups offer support and share ideas.

5. Self-Esteem & Body Image: How social media affects teenagers’ feelings about themselves and their bodies. Explore how seeing idealized images can make people feel bad about themselves.

Also Read: 211+ Sociology Research Topics for College Students [2024]

Technical & Algorithmic Aspects

6. Content Algorithms: Understand how social media decides what to show you. Learn about the things that affect how posts appear in your feed.

7. Data Privacy: Explore how social media keeps your information safe. See how your data is collected, stored, and used for ads.

8. Artificial Intelligence: Learn how computers moderate what’s posted online. Look into how they can find and remove harmful content.

9. Personalized Advertising: See how ads on social media are tailored to you. Learn about how ads are based on what you’re interested in.

10. Misinformation Detection: Understand how social media tries to stop fake news. Learn how sites check if something is true before letting it spread.

Specific Platforms & Communities

11. TikTok Trends: Explore what’s popular on TikTok and how it spreads. Learn about the dances, challenges, jokes that get shared and discover strategies to boost your TikTok views .

12. Instagram Creativity: See how people express themselves on Instagram. Learn about the filters, tags, and stories they use.

13. Twitter Discourse: Learn about the conversations happening on Twitter. See how topics become trending and how people share their thoughts.

14. Reddit Subcultures: Explore the different groups on Reddit. Learn how people share interests and vote on what they like.

15. Facebook Groups: See how people connect on Facebook. Learn how groups help people talk about shared interests and issues.

Privacy & Security

16. Data Protection Laws: Understand laws that protect your personal information online.

17. Online Safety Tips: Learn how to stay safe from scams and cyberbullying on social media.

18. Two-Factor Authentication: Explore adding extra security to your social media accounts.

19. Privacy Settings: Understand how to control who sees your posts and information on social media.

20. Identity Theft Awareness: Learn the risks of sharing too much personal information online.

Education & Learning

21. Online Courses: Explore how social media platforms offer educational content and courses.

22. Study Groups: See how students use social media to collaborate and study together.

23. Learning Communities: Join online communities focused on specific subjects or skills.

24. Educational Resources: Find and share educational resources and materials on social media.

25. Teacher Collaboration: Explore how teachers use social media to connect and share teaching strategies.

Entertainment & Media

26. Fan Communities: Explore online communities dedicated to fandoms and fan culture.

27. Content Creation: Learn how people create and share content on platforms like YouTube and Twitch.

28. Livestreaming: Explore the world of live video streaming on platforms like Instagram Live and Facebook Live.

29. Viral Trends: Explore popular trends and challenges that go viral on social media.

30. Digital Art & Creativity: Discover how artists use social media to showcase their work and connect with fans.

Health & Wellness

31. Fitness Communities: Explore online communities focused on fitness and wellness.

32. Healthy Living Tips: Discover tips and advice for maintaining a healthy lifestyle shared on social media.

33. Mental Health Support: Find resources and communities that support mental health challenges.

34. Nutrition & Diet: Learn about nutrition and diet tips shared by health experts and influencers on social media.

35. Self-Care Practices: Explore self-care routines and practices individuals share on social media platforms.

Travel & Exploration

36. Travel Inspiration: Explore travel photos and stories travelers share on social media.

37. Travel Planning Tips: Discover tips and advice for planning trips shared by travel influencers.

38. Destination Guides: Find and share destination guides and recommendations on social media.

39. Solo Travel Communities: Connect with other solo travelers and share experiences and tips.

40. Adventure Activities: Discover adventure activities and experiences thrill-seekers share on social media.

Fashion & Style

41. Fashion Trends: Explore the latest fashion trends and styles showcased on social media platforms.

42. Style Tips: Discover styling tips and advice fashion influencers and bloggers share.

43. DIY Fashion: Learn how to create your fashion pieces through DIY tutorials shared on social media.

44. Fashion Communities: Connect with other fashion enthusiasts and share outfit ideas and inspirations.

45. Sustainable Fashion: Explore sustainable fashion practices and brands promoted on social media.

Career & Professional Development

46. Job Opportunities: Explore job postings and career opportunities shared on social media platforms like LinkedIn.

47. Networking Tips: Discover tips for networking and building professional connections on social media.

48. Resume Building: Learn how to create an effective resume and showcase your skills on social media profiles.

49. Interview Preparation: Find resources and advice for preparing for job interviews shared by career experts.

50. Freelancing Communities: Connect with other freelancers and share tips and advice for succeeding in the gig economy.

Hence, these are the trending Social Media Research Topics for College Students from which you can pick one.

Also Read: Top 11+ Career Benefits of Studying Abroad

How Do You Choose The Perfect Social Media Research Topics?

Social media is a significant aspect of our daily existence. There are so many exciting research topics for your college paper or project. Picking the right one can be tricky, but here is how to narrow it down.

1. Think About Your Interests

Start by brainstorming what social media platforms and topics interest you. Are you into Instagram trends? Facebook analytics? Snapchat filters? Knowing your interests will help you pick a topic you want to research and learn about.

2. Consider Current Events

Look at what’s happening right now in the social media world. Are people debating about privacy settings? Is a new platform getting popular? Current events and controversies make cool research topics.

3. Look for Gaps in Research

Search online to see what other studies have already been done. Then, you can find gaps where more research is needed. Filling those gaps by studying something new can lead to incredible discoveries.

4. Talk to Your Teacher

Your teacher will know good topics related to what you’re studying in class. See if they have suggestions based on what would work for the assignment. Their guidance can help narrow your choices.

5. Start Broad, Then Narrow Down

Begin with a broad subject like “Social Media and Culture,” then gradually narrow it down as you go. Add details about the specific platform, users, or effects you want to focus on for a defined topic.

6. Consider Your Research Method

Will you do surveys, interviews, observations, or experiments? Some topics work better with certain research methods. Think about how you’ll conduct the study when weighing your options.

7. Pick a Topic That’s Manageable

Make sure you pick a focused enough topic to research and reasonably write about within the time frame. A subject that’s too broad can be hard to tackle.

8. Write Down a List of Ideas

Keep a running list of all your potential topic ideas. Cross off the ones that don’t work. Circle your top choices. Taking notes helps to arrange your ideas.

9. Discuss Ideas with Classmates

Your classmates might have great suggestions you haven’t thought of. Or they can help you decide between topic options. Talking it through can give you a fresh perspective.

10. Don’t Forget About Your Passion!

Most importantly, choose a topic that you genuinely care about and excites you. Your enthusiasm will motivate you through the research process.

Hopefully, these tips will make it easier to pick the perfect social media research topic for your project. 

What Makes A Perfect Social Media Research Topic?

Take into account the following factors to make sure your topic is powerful and exciting:

First, your topic should be super easy to understand so people understand what you’re discussing. Choose something that’s not confusing or vague.

Trend Relevancy

Second, it should relate to what’s happening now with social media and not be about old platforms or trends no one cares about anymore. Look at what sites and apps are popular today to pick a topic that matters.

New Insights

Finally, your research should uncover stuff people don’t already know. If there’s already a ton of studies on the same thing, it won’t be that interesting. Look for gaps in our knowledge so your work teaches us something new.

Researching social media is so essential for students today. We practically live our lives on sites like Instagram and TikTok. We could learn much about how social media impacts society, relationships, and mental health. 

The possibilities are endless for research topics! Don’t be afraid to dive in and choose something you feel passionate about. Your research can create real change and impact. You have control over what happens next, so make it meaningful.

How does social media influence politics and democracy?

Social media enables the spread of misinformation, impacts voting, and polarizes political discourse.

How does social media affect body image and self-perception?

Social media imagery fosters unrealistic beauty standards, negative social comparisons, and poor body image.

What are the privacy risks of social media data mining?

User data collection raises issues around consent, transparency, profiling, and exploitation.

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Home — Blog — Topic Ideas — 120 Amazing Social Media Research Topics Online

120 Amazing Social Media Research Topics Online

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Selection of the Best Social Media Research Topics in 2023 

What Are The Elements of a Good Social Media Research Paper 

When you have an objective to explore social media research topics , you have to narrow things down because one faces the risks of addressing every aspect of the social environment. The main characteristic that one has to check when choosing a great topic on social media is the thesis statement that will make an argument or show what issue will be researched. For example, when you talk about cyberbullying or the culture of Instagram influencers, you have to make a clear statement and provide an outline with an accessible structure and statistical data to support your arguments. 

How to Choose a Suitable Social Media Research Topic 

Most importantly, you must choose something you know well and a discussion that inspires you. When you are not passionate about the subject , you will not find sufficient aspects or keep the content static. As you choose a research topic about social media , think about what needs to be researched better and avoid the most common ideas that have already been discussed and researched before. The key element is finding keywords that will instantly make things clear. While it may not be possible to include everything in the topic sentence, the word sequence is essential!

What's the Difference Between Choosing a Research Topic and a Research Question? 

A research question is your main argument and can relate to your thesis statement. Sometimes, a college or university professor will provide you with a prompt that will make it easier to follow an idea or a problem. Likewise, you may have several social media research questions where you have to narrow things down and accumulate things in a research topic. It will help specify what you plan to research and show what your paper does not contain. The research topic should also be connected to a research question but do not copy it word for word. 

Social Media Research Topics

  • Social media is the most time-consuming problem of the last decade. 
  • The environmental benefit of Facebook and Twitter. 
  • Elon Musk and the politics on social media. 
  • Cyberbullying of social media: the new menace. 
  • Social media across the world: the cultural points in Italy and Spain. 
  • The use of slang on social media among teenagers. 
  • The dangers of driving while browsing social media. 
  • Social media in the field of mechanical engineering. 
  • The benefits of posting a resume on LinkedIn. 
  • The dangers of Instagram for children. 

Social Media Research Questions 

  • Social media as the driving force behind the Black Lives Matter movement. 
  • The use of social media for students with ADHD. 
  • The pros and cons of the school blogs: improving the writing skills . 
  • Social media as the solution to evaluate middle school students. 
  • The benefits of using social media for the Law course. 
  • The use of social media to alter and distort the world's news. 
  • Social media and the problems of online addiction. 
  • The use of social media blocking apps among college students. 
  • Body image and Instagram. 
  • The dangers of national security in the United States and TikTok. 

Research Papers on Social Media 

  • The problem of intellectual property on social media. 
  • Posting private pictures of celebrities on social media and copyrights. 
  • Social media challenges for the older generation: a generational study . 
  • Twitter as the political platform and the presidential elections in the United States. 
  • The phenomenon of Like culture and the youth culture. 
  • The governmental control of social media and illegal trading. 
  • The problem of missing people and using social media to locate people. 
  • The challenges of privacy settings on Facebook versus Instagram. 
  • The use of commercial advertising on Instagram and the trading legislation in the USA. 
  • Social media as the advertisement tool in 2023. 

Interesting Social Media Research Topic 

  • Social media is a great foundation for innovative startups. 
  • Social media is used to discover a person's moral qualities. 
  • The bond between the parents and children by using social media. 
  • Becoming a celebrity: how can Instagram be used to make someone famous?
  • The use of pets as social media heroes. 
  • The use of social media platforms by people with disabilities. 
  • Social media for psychology experiments: is it legit for the sample collection? 
  • How can a political campaign be started on social media? 
  • The use of Facebook to distribute information and filters. 
  • How can social media help children to learn about online safety?

Social Media Research Papers 

  • Social media as a platform to fight for justice and non-commercial work. 
  • The use of psychological pressure on social media for marketing purposes. 
  • Social media and the use of cloud storage through the lens of legislation. 
  • The intellectual property and the use of commercial content by the NGOs. 
  • The culture of TikTok in the United States versus Europe. 
  • Instagram and the cultural image of an average user. 
  • The educational aspect of LinkedIn and the Lynda courses. 
  • The dark side of Facebook and the implementation of systematic internal filters. 
  • The philosophy of friendship on social media. 
  • The problem of stalking on Facebook and the measures to prevent it. 

More Social Media Research Paper Topics 

  • Social media as a way to build one's confidence. 
  • Religious conflicts on Facebook and Instagram. 
  • How can social media help eliminate academic cheating? 
  • The use of neuroscience to prevent crimes by using content analysis. 
  • Law enforcement mechanisms and the use of social media in the UK. 
  • The use of Instagram and commercial influencers. 
  • Social media addiction challenge: following and ignoring definition . 
  • How can social media help lonely people? 
  • The use of emoticons in popular media and the symbolism. 
  • Social media and the generational gap. 

Informative Research Questions on Social Media 

  • What countries use social media the most, and why? 
  • Is social media representing modern-day journalism in 2023? 
  • Virtual isolation and the use of social media among teenagers. 
  • Social media image and web page platforms for scientists . 
  • The most influential celebrities that became famous because of social media. 
  • Can bloggers be considered journalists? Why or why not? 
  • Social media and racial prejudice: how can Facebook be partial? 
  • Should social media have a political aspect to it? 
  • The history of Facebook and the Internet culture. 
  • Korean pop culture and the use of TikTok. 

Argumentative Research Topics About Social Media 

  • Social media is mostly a waste of time because most content is useless. 
  • Social media argumentative essay : Twitter is a political platform and is always based on the stakeholder's objectives. 
  • Instagram is not the same social media platform as Facebook. 
  • LinkedIn is a career network for professionals for business success. 
  • Facebook is no longer the youth platform and is mostly occupied by the older generation. 
  • The history and peculiarities of Asian social media networks. 
  • Social media is helpful for environmental science campaigns. 
  • Twitter is a platform often used for illegal activity and gambling. 
  • Social media is the worst platform for violating intellectual property. 
  • The problem of the fake profiles of famous people. 

Amazing Social Media Paper Topics 

  • The philosophy of friendship and care through the lens of social media. 
  • Social media as the primary source based on interviews and personal surveys. 
  • Student cooperation through private groups on social media. 
  • The safety rules for middle school students: Facebook and Twitter. 
  • The use of Instagram for educational purposes: fashion studies. 
  • Digital marketing and Facebook’s language filters: the traduzione aspect. 
  • The cultural points of posts on Twitter: what are the peculiarities of socializing? 
  • The most famous social media political campaigns in the United States. 
  • The influence of dancing classes' popularity and TikTok. 
  • The mechanisms of violation reporting on Facebook versus Instagram. 

Social Media Research Paper Thesis 

  • The commercial side of social media takes the primary role of popularity. 
  • Facebook is the platform that helps to unfold environmental issues worldwide. 
  • Instagram has a negative influence on the body image of teenagers. 
  • The pros and cons of app integration on Facebook for educational purposes. 
  • Social media as the call to make a positive change in the healthcare sector. 
  • Distribution of financial campaigns on social media: who runs the show? 
  • The evolution of Facebook through the years: from social networking to political clashes. 
  • The cultural peculiarities of TikTok in the United States versus China.
  • The validity of information on Facebook: why should we believe the political statements? 
  • The most common dangers of social media: identity theft and data protection of minors. 

Social Network Topics

  • The internal mechanisms of social media: analysis of the psychological aspect. 
  • Virtual bonding on social media versus body language. 
  • The British social media traditions vs. the American peculiarities on social media. 
  • The most iconic memes on Facebook and the history of the practice.
  • Social media posts that helped to save lives and change the world. 
  • The practice of responsibility and the legal aspect of things on Instagram. 
  • The disputes on social media: when the line is crossed. 
  • The link of business success to leading active social media posts. 
  • The blogging techniques of Instagram versus Facebook: a comparison study. 
  • Should social media be connected to banking and social security apps? 

Research Papers on Social Media For College 

  • The best methods for how social media can be used to expand the research. 
  • Social media should be used as a tool for business evaluation by analyzing business websites. 
  • Facebook as the instrument of political agenda: the reasons why it's not a network alone. 
  • The role of Twitter in the armed conflicts of the last two decades. 
  • The spelling checkers and grammar tools that are used by social media networks. 
  • The security and data science protection methods on Instagram. 
  • The business model of Facebook: how can an executive plan be made? 
  • The dance trends and the movements: the popularity and influencers. 
  • The way how Instagram influencers can be used as an educational promotion. 
  • Social media as a national alert system to warn about natural disasters. 

When You Need a Bit of Extra Writing Help! 

Summing up, the most important factor is the inspiration and the ideas that motivate you. Always take your time to see what moves you and start with the sources and statistical data to keep your tone clear and confident. When you have an idea that is not yours, you must ensure that every reference is done properly according to the writing style format. While you are checking your bibliography, remember to proofread and edit things twice! 

Now, if you need help creating a topic on social media or any other subject, you can always refer to our free database of essays and topics. The experts have carefully chosen and sorted these to help you with your writing tasks. Our site has thousands of topics that will help you to learn how to deal with a particular subject! If you have a keyword related to social media or would like to talk about how environmentalists use Facebook to keep the world informed, just enter a relevant keyword that inspires you. Our database will help you to find free samples to let you start!

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Social Media Research Paper Topics: 15+ Ideas to Get You Started

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by  Antony W

November 26, 2023

social media research paper topics

Has your professor asked you to write a research paper on social media but hasn’t given you a title to explore? This is your opportunity to choose a research topic that fascinates you.

Social media is a wide field that’s constantly evolving, and, as such, there’s no limit to what you can write. Just remember that you can only choose one topic, and you want to make sure you give title selection the first best shot.

Don’t worry if you have no topic idea surrounding the social media theme. We’ve put together a list of 50+ Social Media research paper topics to make the ideation stage easier for you.

Key Takeaways

  • A research paper topic that explores knowledge gaps in social media can earn you top grades. Such an approach allows you identify opportunities for future research. 
  • You can choose a theme that focuses on the current trends in social media, so you can cover issues that emerge in the field.
  • Ensure the topic is interesting enough to cover. It’s easier to write about something you love that something you don’t. 

If you already have a topic and you need writing help, you can hire a research writer at Help for Assessment at 15% discount. Our writers focus on in-depth research, custom writing, and timely delivery.

Social Media Research Paper Topics

The following is a list of social media research topic that may be worth investigating:

Political Campaign Topics

If you have logged on to Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn lately, it’s likely that you’ve seen and felt the political at atmosphere on these platforms. From media houses posting political issues on social to politicians actively participating on the platforms themselves, we can see a strong link between the government and social platforms.

Here are some interesting topics to cover if you wish to write a research paper in this area:

  • What transformations have occurred in political campaigns in the past two decades?
  • Is a transition to online voting a possibility in the near future?”
  • What are the adverse effects of political media campaigns?
  • Exploring the link between media campaigns and the propagation of stereotypes
  • Analyzing PR missteps in the promotion of political media campaigns
  • Effectiveness of online PR strategies during political campaigns
  • The pivotal role of social networks in shaping political landscapes
  • Examining political marketing research on politicians’ web platforms
  • Public discourse on the American political landscape through Twitter
  • Contrasting the impact of politics on social networks versus television

Social Media Topics Related to Mental Health

Spending too much time on social media can affect how we relate with people in real time. Such a phenomenon does have an effect on our social well-being, as well as mental health. Since mental health as it relates to social media is such an important issue, you can’t run out of topic ideas for your research project.

Here are some examples: 

  • Understanding the influence of social media on mental well-being
  • Examining social media addiction to understand why people become hooked
  • Analyzing the relationship between loneliness and social networks
  • Addressing mental health disorder caused by social media
  • Online support communities for individuals with mental illness
  • Exploring the association between depression, anxiety, and Instagram/Facebook
  • Navigating the disconnection from reality caused by social media

Sociology Research Topics

Social media platforms contribute to the creation and development of the context of the present day culture. In fact, the internet has made it easy to find information about people and their relationships, all thanks to social media.

Here are some research topics to cover in this division:

  • Discovering strategies to reach diverse age groups
  • Evaluating the efficacy and skepticism surrounding learning networks
  • Unraveling the loneliness phenomenon in online networks
  • The growing dependency on social networks
  • Examining the impact of romantic narratives on relationship expectations
  • The feasibility of conducting web-based sample surveys

Social Media Research Topics on Teens

We’re living in strange times when teens want to act and feel like adults. They don’t want their access to social media restricted and they tend to feel somewhat intimidated if parents try to control their exposure to social networks.

The link between social media and teenagers, as well as how it affects parent-children social life are interesting enough to investigate.

Here are some topics worth exploring:

  • The impact of social networks on adolescent rebellion
  • Online networks and their influence on youth development
  • Examining Instagram, TikTok, and social media addiction
  • Media’s influence on the moral development of teens
  • Pros and cons of early engagement with online networks
  • Comparing social networks to academic resources for teenagers

Interesting Topics on Narcissism

Narcissism is a sensitive and equally controversial subject. The excessive interest admiration and interest in oneself has created a social media buzz. Anyone with this kind of virtue is chasing the numbers, and of course, there are psychological effects linked to this.

Undoubtedly, narcissism in relation to social media is such an interesting area to research. So here are some topic ideas to get you started:

  • Why do online platforms encourage individuals to seek approval from their followers?
  • How does concealing the count of likes impact users on Instagram?
  • Nurturing a positive self-image during a digital detox
  • Is it possible to succeed as a blogger without narcissism?
  • Adolescents on the internet: Balancing narcissism and self-doubt

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About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

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Research trends in social media addiction and problematic social media use: A bibliometric analysis

Alfonso pellegrino.

1 Sasin School of Management, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

Alessandro Stasi

2 Business Administration Division, Mahidol University International College, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand

Veera Bhatiasevi

Associated data.

The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/supplementary material, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding authors.

Despite their increasing ubiquity in people's lives and incredible advantages in instantly interacting with others, social media's impact on subjective well-being is a source of concern worldwide and calls for up-to-date investigations of the role social media plays in mental health. Much research has discovered how habitual social media use may lead to addiction and negatively affect adolescents' school performance, social behavior, and interpersonal relationships. The present study was conducted to review the extant literature in the domain of social media and analyze global research productivity during 2013–2022. Bibliometric analysis was conducted on 501 articles that were extracted from the Scopus database using the keywords social media addiction and problematic social media use. The data were then uploaded to VOSviewer software to analyze citations, co-citations, and keyword co-occurrences. Volume, growth trajectory, geographic distribution of the literature, influential authors, intellectual structure of the literature, and the most prolific publishing sources were analyzed. The bibliometric analysis presented in this paper shows that the US, the UK, and Turkey accounted for 47% of the publications in this field. Most of the studies used quantitative methods in analyzing data and therefore aimed at testing relationships between variables. In addition, the findings in this study show that most analysis were cross-sectional. Studies were performed on undergraduate students between the ages of 19–25 on the use of two social media platforms: Facebook and Instagram. Limitations as well as research directions for future studies are also discussed.

Introduction

Social media generally refers to third-party internet-based platforms that mainly focus on social interactions, community-based inputs, and content sharing among its community of users and only feature content created by their users and not that licensed from third parties ( 1 ). Social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are prominent examples of social media that allow people to stay connected in an online world regardless of geographical distance or other obstacles ( 2 , 3 ). Recent evidence suggests that social networking sites have become increasingly popular among adolescents following the strict policies implemented by many countries to counter the COVID-19 pandemic, including social distancing, “lockdowns,” and quarantine measures ( 4 ). In this new context, social media have become an essential part of everyday life, especially for children and adolescents ( 5 ). For them such media are a means of socialization that connect people together. Interestingly, social media are not only used for social communication and entertainment purposes but also for sharing opinions, learning new things, building business networks, and initiate collaborative projects ( 6 ).

Among the 7.91 billion people in the world as of 2022, 4.62 billion active social media users, and the average time individuals spent using the internet was 6 h 58 min per day with an average use of social media platforms of 2 h and 27 min ( 7 ). Despite their increasing ubiquity in people's lives and the incredible advantages they offer to instantly interact with people, an increasing number of studies have linked social media use to negative mental health consequences, such as suicidality, loneliness, and anxiety ( 8 ). Numerous sources have expressed widespread concern about the effects of social media on mental health. A 2011 report by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) identifies a phenomenon known as Facebook depression which may be triggered “when preteens and teens spend a great deal of time on social media sites, such as Facebook, and then begin to exhibit classic symptoms of depression” ( 9 ). Similarly, the UK's Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) claims that there is a clear evidence of the relationship between social media use and mental health issues based on a survey of nearly 1,500 people between the ages of 14–24 ( 10 ). According to some authors, the increase in usage frequency of social media significantly increases the risks of clinical disorders described (and diagnosed) as “Facebook depression,” “fear of missing out” (FOMO), and “social comparison orientation” (SCO) ( 11 ). Other risks include sexting ( 12 ), social media stalking ( 13 ), cyber-bullying ( 14 ), privacy breaches ( 15 ), and improper use of technology. Therefore, social media's impact on subjective well-being is a source of concern worldwide and calls for up-to-date investigations of the role social media plays with regard to mental health ( 8 ). Many studies have found that habitual social media use may lead to addiction and thus negatively affect adolescents' school performance, social behavior, and interpersonal relationships ( 16 – 18 ). As a result of addiction, the user becomes highly engaged with online activities motivated by an uncontrollable desire to browse through social media pages and “devoting so much time and effort to it that it impairs other important life areas” ( 19 ).

Given these considerations, the present study was conducted to review the extant literature in the domain of social media and analyze global research productivity during 2013–2022. The study presents a bibliometric overview of the leading trends with particular regard to “social media addiction” and “problematic social media use.” This is valuable as it allows for a comprehensive overview of the current state of this field of research, as well as identifies any patterns or trends that may be present. Additionally, it provides information on the geographical distribution and prolific authors in this area, which may help to inform future research endeavors.

In terms of bibliometric analysis of social media addiction research, few studies have attempted to review the existing literature in the domain extensively. Most previous bibliometric studies on social media addiction and problematic use have focused mainly on one type of screen time activity such as digital gaming or texting ( 20 ) and have been conducted with a focus on a single platform such as Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat ( 21 , 22 ). The present study adopts a more comprehensive approach by including all social media platforms and all types of screen time activities in its analysis.

Additionally, this review aims to highlight the major themes around which the research has evolved to date and draws some guidance for future research directions. In order to meet these objectives, this work is oriented toward answering the following research questions:

  • (1) What is the current status of research focusing on social media addiction?
  • (2) What are the key thematic areas in social media addiction and problematic use research?
  • (3) What is the intellectual structure of social media addiction as represented in the academic literature?
  • (4) What are the key findings of social media addiction and problematic social media research?
  • (5) What possible future research gaps can be identified in the field of social media addiction?

These research questions will be answered using bibliometric analysis of the literature on social media addiction and problematic use. This will allow for an overview of the research that has been conducted in this area, including information on the most influential authors, journals, countries of publication, and subject areas of study. Part 2 of the study will provide an examination of the intellectual structure of the extant literature in social media addiction while Part 3 will discuss the research methodology of the paper. Part 4 will discuss the findings of the study followed by a discussion under Part 5 of the paper. Finally, in Part 7, gaps in current knowledge about this field of research will be identified.

Literature review

Social media addiction research context.

Previous studies on behavioral addictions have looked at a lot of different factors that affect social media addiction focusing on personality traits. Although there is some inconsistency in the literature, numerous studies have focused on three main personality traits that may be associated with social media addiction, namely anxiety, depression, and extraversion ( 23 , 24 ).

It has been found that extraversion scores are strongly associated with increased use of social media and addiction to it ( 25 , 26 ). People with social anxiety as well as people who have psychiatric disorders often find online interactions extremely appealing ( 27 ). The available literature also reveals that the use of social media is positively associated with being female, single, and having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), or anxiety ( 28 ).

In a study by Seidman ( 29 ), the Big Five personality traits were assessed using Saucier's ( 30 ) Mini-Markers Scale. Results indicated that neurotic individuals use social media as a safe place for expressing their personality and meet belongingness needs. People affected by neurosis tend to use online social media to stay in touch with other people and feel better about their social lives ( 31 ). Narcissism is another factor that has been examined extensively when it comes to social media, and it has been found that people who are narcissistic are more likely to become addicted to social media ( 32 ). In this case users want to be seen and get “likes” from lots of other users. Longstreet and Brooks ( 33 ) did a study on how life satisfaction depends on how much money people make. Life satisfaction was found to be negatively linked to social media addiction, according to the results. When social media addiction decreases, the level of life satisfaction rises. But results show that in lieu of true-life satisfaction people use social media as a substitute (for temporary pleasure vs. longer term happiness).

Researchers have discovered similar patterns in students who tend to rank high in shyness: they find it easier to express themselves online rather than in person ( 34 , 35 ). With the use of social media, shy individuals have the opportunity to foster better quality relationships since many of their anxiety-related concerns (e.g., social avoidance and fear of social devaluation) are significantly reduced ( 36 , 37 ).

Problematic use of social media

The amount of research on problematic use of social media has dramatically increased since the last decade. But using social media in an unhealthy manner may not be considered an addiction or a disorder as this behavior has not yet been formally categorized as such ( 38 ). Although research has shown that people who use social media in a negative way often report negative health-related conditions, most of the data that have led to such results and conclusions comprise self-reported data ( 39 ). The dimensions of excessive social media usage are not exactly known because there are not enough diagnostic criteria and not enough high-quality long-term studies available yet. This is what Zendle and Bowden-Jones ( 40 ) noted in their own research. And this is why terms like “problematic social media use” have been used to describe people who use social media in a negative way. Furthermore, if a lot of time is spent on social media, it can be hard to figure out just when it is being used in a harmful way. For instance, people easily compare their appearance to what they see on social media, and this might lead to low self-esteem if they feel they do not look as good as the people they are following. According to research in this domain, the extent to which an individual engages in photo-related activities (e.g., taking selfies, editing photos, checking other people's photos) on social media is associated with negative body image concerns. Through curated online images of peers, adolescents face challenges to their self-esteem and sense of self-worth and are increasingly isolated from face-to-face interaction.

To address this problem the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) has been used by some scholars ( 41 , 42 ). These scholars have used criteria from the DSM-V to describe one problematic social media use, internet gaming disorder, but such criteria could also be used to describe other types of social media disorders. Franchina et al. ( 43 ) and Scott and Woods ( 44 ), for example, focus their attention on individual-level factors (like fear of missing out) and family-level factors (like childhood abuse) that have been used to explain why people use social media in a harmful way. Friends-level factors have also been explored as a social well-being measurement to explain why people use social media in a malevolent way and demonstrated significant positive correlations with lower levels of friend support ( 45 ). Macro-level factors have also been suggested, such as the normalization of surveillance ( 46 ) and the ability to see what people are doing online ( 47 ). Gender and age seem to be highly associated to the ways people use social media negatively. Particularly among girls, social media use is consistently associated with mental health issues ( 41 , 48 , 49 ), an association more common among older girls than younger girls ( 46 , 48 ).

Most studies have looked at the connection between social media use and its effects (such as social media addiction) and a number of different psychosomatic disorders. In a recent study conducted by Vannucci and Ohannessian ( 50 ), the use of social media appears to have a variety of effects “on psychosocial adjustment during early adolescence, with high social media use being the most problematic.” It has been found that people who use social media in a harmful way are more likely to be depressed, anxious, have low self-esteem, be more socially isolated, have poorer sleep quality, and have more body image dissatisfaction. Furthermore, harmful social media use has been associated with unhealthy lifestyle patterns (for example, not getting enough exercise or having trouble managing daily obligations) as well as life threatening behaviors such as illicit drug use, excessive alcohol consumption and unsafe sexual practices ( 51 , 52 ).

A growing body of research investigating social media use has revealed that the extensive use of social media platforms is correlated with a reduced performance on cognitive tasks and in mental effort ( 53 ). Overall, it appears that individuals who have a problematic relationship with social media or those who use social media more frequently are more likely to develop negative health conditions.

Social media addiction and problematic use systematic reviews

Previous studies have revealed the detrimental impacts of social media addiction on users' health. A systematic review by Khan and Khan ( 20 ) has pointed out that social media addiction has a negative impact on users' mental health. For example, social media addiction can lead to stress levels rise, loneliness, and sadness ( 54 ). Anxiety is another common mental health problem associated with social media addiction. Studies have found that young adolescents who are addicted to social media are more likely to suffer from anxiety than people who are not addicted to social media ( 55 ). In addition, social media addiction can also lead to physical health problems, such as obesity and carpal tunnel syndrome a result of spending too much time on the computer ( 22 ).

Apart from the negative impacts of social media addiction on users' mental and physical health, social media addiction can also lead to other problems. For example, social media addiction can lead to financial problems. A study by Sharif and Yeoh ( 56 ) has found that people who are addicted to social media tend to spend more money than those who are not addicted to social media. In addition, social media addiction can also lead to a decline in academic performance. Students who are addicted to social media are more likely to have lower grades than those who are not addicted to social media ( 57 ).

Research methodology

Bibliometric analysis.

Merigo et al. ( 58 ) use bibliometric analysis to examine, organize, and analyze a large body of literature from a quantitative, objective perspective in order to assess patterns of research and emerging trends in a certain field. A bibliometric methodology is used to identify the current state of the academic literature, advance research. and find objective information ( 59 ). This technique allows the researchers to examine previous scientific work, comprehend advancements in prior knowledge, and identify future study opportunities.

To achieve this objective and identify the research trends in social media addiction and problematic social media use, this study employs two bibliometric methodologies: performance analysis and science mapping. Performance analysis uses a series of bibliometric indicators (e.g., number of annual publications, document type, source type, journal impact factor, languages, subject area, h-index, and countries) and aims at evaluating groups of scientific actors on a particular topic of research. VOSviewer software ( 60 ) was used to carry out the science mapping. The software is used to visualize a particular body of literature and map the bibliographic material using the co-occurrence analysis of author, index keywords, nations, and fields of publication ( 61 , 62 ).

Data collection

After picking keywords, designing the search strings, and building up a database, the authors conducted a bibliometric literature search. Scopus was utilized to gather exploration data since it is a widely used database that contains the most comprehensive view of the world's research output and provides one of the most effective search engines. If the research was to be performed using other database such as Web Of Science or Google Scholar the authors may have obtained larger number of articles however they may not have been all particularly relevant as Scopus is known to have the most widest and most relevant scholar search engine in marketing and social science. A keyword search for “social media addiction” OR “problematic social media use” yielded 553 papers, which were downloaded from Scopus. The information was gathered in March 2022, and because the Scopus database is updated on a regular basis, the results may change in the future. Next, the authors examined the titles and abstracts to see whether they were relevant to the topics treated. There were two common grounds for document exclusion. First, while several documents emphasized the negative effects of addiction in relation to the internet and digital media, they did not focus on social networking sites specifically. Similarly, addiction and problematic consumption habits were discussed in relation to social media in several studies, although only in broad terms. This left a total of 511 documents. Articles were then limited only to journal articles, conference papers, reviews, books, and only those published in English. This process excluded 10 additional documents. Then, the relevance of the remaining articles was finally checked by reading the titles, abstracts, and keywords. Documents were excluded if social networking sites were only mentioned as a background topic or very generally. This resulted in a final selection of 501 research papers, which were then subjected to bibliometric analysis (see Figure 1 ).

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Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) flowchart showing the search procedures used in the review.

After identifying 501 Scopus files, bibliographic data related to these documents were imported into an Excel sheet where the authors' names, their affiliations, document titles, keywords, abstracts, and citation figures were analyzed. These were subsequently uploaded into VOSViewer software version 1.6.8 to begin the bibliometric review. Descriptive statistics were created to define the whole body of knowledge about social media addiction and problematic social media use. VOSViewer was used to analyze citation, co-citation, and keyword co-occurrences. According to Zupic and Cater ( 63 ), co-citation analysis measures the influence of documents, authors, and journals heavily cited and thus considered influential. Co-citation analysis has the objective of building similarities between authors, journals, and documents and is generally defined as the frequency with which two units are cited together within the reference list of a third article.

The implementation of social media addiction performance analysis was conducted according to the models recently introduced by Karjalainen et al. ( 64 ) and Pattnaik ( 65 ). Throughout the manuscript there are operational definitions of relevant terms and indicators following a standardized bibliometric approach. The cumulative academic impact (CAI) of the documents was measured by the number of times they have been cited in other scholarly works while the fine-grained academic impact (FIA) was computed according to the authors citation analysis and authors co-citation analysis within the reference lists of documents that have been specifically focused on social media addiction and problematic social media use.

Results of the study presented here include the findings on social media addiction and social media problematic use. The results are presented by the foci outlined in the study questions.

Volume, growth trajectory, and geographic distribution of the literature

After performing the Scopus-based investigation of the current literature regarding social media addiction and problematic use of social media, the authors obtained a knowledge base consisting of 501 documents comprising 455 journal articles, 27 conference papers, 15 articles reviews, 3 books and 1 conference review. The included literature was very recent. As shown in Figure 2 , publication rates started very slowly in 2013 but really took off in 2018, after which publications dramatically increased each year until a peak was reached in 2021 with 195 publications. Analyzing the literature published during the past decade reveals an exponential increase in scholarly production on social addiction and its problematic use. This might be due to the increasingly widespread introduction of social media sites in everyday life and the ubiquitous diffusion of mobile devices that have fundamentally impacted human behavior. The dip in the number of publications in 2022 is explained by the fact that by the time the review was carried out the year was not finished yet and therefore there are many articles still in press.

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Annual volume of social media addiction or social media problematic use ( n = 501).

The geographical distribution trends of scholarly publications on social media addiction or problematic use of social media are highlighted in Figure 3 . The articles were assigned to a certain country according to the nationality of the university with whom the first author was affiliated with. The figure shows that the most productive countries are the USA (92), the U.K. (79), and Turkey ( 63 ), which combined produced 236 articles, equal to 47% of the entire scholarly production examined in this bibliometric analysis. Turkey has slowly evolved in various ways with the growth of the internet and social media. Anglo-American scholarly publications on problematic social media consumer behavior represent the largest research output. Yet it is interesting to observe that social networking sites studies are attracting many researchers in Asian countries, particularly China. For many Chinese people, social networking sites are a valuable opportunity to involve people in political activism in addition to simply making purchases ( 66 ).

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Global dispersion of social networking sites in relation to social media addiction or social media problematic use.

Analysis of influential authors

This section analyses the high-impact authors in the Scopus-indexed knowledge base on social networking sites in relation to social media addiction or problematic use of social media. It provides valuable insights for establishing patterns of knowledge generation and dissemination of literature about social networking sites relating to addiction and problematic use.

Table 1 acknowledges the top 10 most highly cited authors with the highest total citations in the database.

Highly cited authors on social media addiction and problematic use ( n = 501).

strength
1Griffiths, MDUK652175367
2Lin, CYTaiwan20576278
3Pakpour, AHSweden18553260
4Demetrovics, ZHungary1247582
5Chen, IHHong Kong10255162
6Kircaburun, KTurkey1025231
7Kuss, DJUK1319920
8Turel, OUSA1019018
9Casale, SItaly911522
10Montag, CGermany107912

a Total link strength indicates the number of publications in which an author occurs.

Table 1 shows that MD Griffiths (sixty-five articles), CY Lin (twenty articles), and AH Pakpour (eighteen articles) are the most productive scholars according to the number of Scopus documents examined in the area of social media addiction and its problematic use . If the criteria are changed and authors ranked according to the overall number of citations received in order to determine high-impact authors, the same three authors turn out to be the most highly cited authors. It should be noted that these highly cited authors tend to enlist several disciplines in examining social media addiction and problematic use. Griffiths, for example, focuses on behavioral addiction stemming from not only digital media usage but also from gambling and video games. Lin, on the other hand, focuses on the negative effects that the internet and digital media can have on users' mental health, and Pakpour approaches the issue from a behavioral medicine perspective.

Intellectual structure of the literature

In this part of the paper, the authors illustrate the “intellectual structure” of the social media addiction and the problematic use of social media's literature. An author co-citation analysis (ACA) was performed which is displayed as a figure that depicts the relations between highly co-cited authors. The study of co-citation assumes that strongly co-cited authors carry some form of intellectual similarity ( 67 ). Figure 4 shows the author co-citation map. Nodes represent units of analysis (in this case scholars) and network ties represent similarity connections. Nodes are sized according to the number of co-citations received—the bigger the node, the more co-citations it has. Adjacent nodes are considered intellectually similar.

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Two clusters, representing the intellectual structure of the social media and its problematic use literature.

Scholars belonging to the green cluster (Mental Health and Digital Media Addiction) have extensively published on medical analysis tools and how these can be used to heal users suffering from addiction to digital media, which can range from gambling, to internet, to videogame addictions. Scholars in this school of thought focus on the negative effects on users' mental health, such as depression, anxiety, and personality disturbances. Such studies focus also on the role of screen use in the development of mental health problems and the increasing use of medical treatments to address addiction to digital media. They argue that addiction to digital media should be considered a mental health disorder and treatment options should be made available to users.

In contrast, scholars within the red cluster (Social Media Effects on Well Being and Cyberpsychology) have focused their attention on the effects of social media toward users' well-being and how social media change users' behavior, focusing particular attention on the human-machine interaction and how methods and models can help protect users' well-being. Two hundred and two authors belong to this group, the top co-cited being Andreassen (667 co-citations), Pallasen (555 co-citations), and Valkenburg (215 co-citations). These authors have extensively studied the development of addiction to social media, problem gambling, and internet addiction. They have also focused on the measurement of addiction to social media, cyberbullying, and the dark side of social media.

Most influential source title in the field of social media addiction and its problematic use

To find the preferred periodicals in the field of social media addiction and its problematic use, the authors have selected 501 articles published in 263 journals. Table 2 gives a ranked list of the top 10 journals that constitute the core publishing sources in the field of social media addiction research. In doing so, the authors analyzed the journal's impact factor, Scopus Cite Score, h-index, quartile ranking, and number of publications per year.

Top 10 most cited and more frequently mentioned documents in the field of social media addiction.

1The relationship between addictive use of social media, narcissism, and self-esteem: Findings from a large national surveyAndreassen et al.Addictive behaviors201740581
2Problematic social media use: Results from a large-scale nationally representative adolescent sampleBányai et al.PloS one201732865.5
3Extraversion, neuroticism, attachment style and fear of missing out as predictors of social media use and addictionBlackwell et al.Personality and Individual Differences201729859.6
4The social media disorder scaleVan Den Eijnden et al.Computers in Human Behavior201627946.5
5Association between social media use and depression among US young adultsLin et al.Depression and anxiety201627445.7
6The relations among social media addiction, self-esteem, and life satisfaction in university studentsHawi and SamahaSocial Science Computer Review201714929.8
7Social networking addiction, attachment style, and validation of the Italian version of the Bergen Social Media Addiction ScaleMonacis et al.Journal of Behavioral Addictions201713226.4
8Determinants of phubbing, which is the sum of many virtual addictions: A structural equation modelKaradag et al.Journal of Behavioral Addictions201512818.2
9Investigating mediated effects of fear of COVID-19 and COVID-19 misunderstanding in the association between problematic social media use, psychological distress, and insomniaLin et al.Internet interventions20209748.5
10Relationships between severity of internet gaming disorder, severity of problematic social media use, sleep quality and psychological distressWong et al.International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health20209547.5

The journal Addictive Behaviors topped the list, with 700 citations and 22 publications (4.3%), followed by Computers in Human Behaviors , with 577 citations and 13 publications (2.5%), Journal of Behavioral Addictions , with 562 citations and 17 publications (3.3%), and International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction , with 502 citations and 26 publications (5.1%). Five of the 10 most productive journals in the field of social media addiction research are published by Elsevier (all Q1 rankings) while Springer and Frontiers Media published one journal each.

Documents citation analysis identified the most influential and most frequently mentioned documents in a certain scientific field. Andreassen has received the most citations among the 10 most significant papers on social media addiction, with 405 ( Table 2 ). The main objective of this type of studies was to identify the associations and the roles of different variables as predictors of social media addiction (e.g., ( 19 , 68 , 69 )). According to general addiction models, the excessive and problematic use of digital technologies is described as “being overly concerned about social media, driven by an uncontrollable motivation to log on to or use social media, and devoting so much time and effort to social media that it impairs other important life areas” ( 27 , 70 ). Furthermore, the purpose of several highly cited studies ( 31 , 71 ) was to analyse the connections between young adults' sleep quality and psychological discomfort, depression, self-esteem, and life satisfaction and the severity of internet and problematic social media use, since the health of younger generations and teenagers is of great interest this may help explain the popularity of such papers. Despite being the most recent publication Lin et al.'s work garnered more citations annually. The desire to quantify social media addiction in individuals can also help explain the popularity of studies which try to develop measurement scales ( 42 , 72 ). Some of the highest-ranked publications are devoted to either the presentation of case studies or testing relationships among psychological constructs ( 73 ).

Keyword co-occurrence analysis

The research question, “What are the key thematic areas in social media addiction literature?” was answered using keyword co-occurrence analysis. Keyword co-occurrence analysis is conducted to identify research themes and discover keywords. It mainly examines the relationships between co-occurrence keywords in a wide variety of literature ( 74 ). In this approach, the idea is to explore the frequency of specific keywords being mentioned together.

Utilizing VOSviewer, the authors conducted a keyword co-occurrence analysis to characterize and review the developing trends in the field of social media addiction. The top 10 most frequent keywords are presented in Table 3 . The results indicate that “social media addiction” is the most frequent keyword (178 occurrences), followed by “problematic social media use” (74 occurrences), “internet addiction” (51 occurrences), and “depression” (46 occurrences). As shown in the co-occurrence network ( Figure 5 ), the keywords can be grouped into two major clusters. “Problematic social media use” can be identified as the core theme of the green cluster. In the red cluster, keywords mainly identify a specific aspect of problematic social media use: social media addiction.

Frequency of occurrence of top 10 keywords.

Social media addiction178
Problematic social media use74
Internet addiction51
Depression46
Adolescents35
Anxiety25
COVID-1922
Internet22
Social media use22
Self-esteem20

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is fpsyt-13-1017506-g0005.jpg

Keywords co-occurrence map. Threshold: 5 co-occurrences.

The results of the keyword co-occurrence analysis for journal articles provide valuable perspectives and tools for understanding concepts discussed in past studies of social media usage ( 75 ). More precisely, it can be noted that there has been a large body of research on social media addiction together with other types of technological addictions, such as compulsive web surfing, internet gaming disorder, video game addiction and compulsive online shopping ( 76 – 78 ). This field of research has mainly been directed toward teenagers, middle school students, and college students and university students in order to understand the relationship between social media addiction and mental health issues such as depression, disruptions in self-perceptions, impairment of social and emotional activity, anxiety, neuroticism, and stress ( 79 – 81 ).

The findings presented in this paper show that there has been an exponential increase in scholarly publications—from two publications in 2013 to 195 publications in 2021. There were 45 publications in 2022 at the time this study was conducted. It was interesting to observe that the US, the UK, and Turkey accounted for 47% of the publications in this field even though none of these countries are in the top 15 countries in terms of active social media penetration ( 82 ) although the US has the third highest number of social media users ( 83 ). Even though China and India have the highest number of social media users ( 83 ), first and second respectively, they rank fifth and tenth in terms of publications on social media addiction or problematic use of social media. In fact, the US has almost double the number of publications in this field compared to China and almost five times compared to India. Even though East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia make up the top three regions in terms of worldwide social media users ( 84 ), except for China and India there have been only a limited number of publications on social media addiction or problematic use. An explanation for that could be that there is still a lack of awareness on the negative consequences of the use of social media and the impact it has on the mental well-being of users. More research in these regions should perhaps be conducted in order to understand the problematic use and addiction of social media so preventive measures can be undertaken.

From the bibliometric analysis, it was found that most of the studies examined used quantitative methods in analyzing data and therefore aimed at testing relationships between variables. In addition, many studies were empirical, aimed at testing relationships based on direct or indirect observations of social media use. Very few studies used theories and for the most part if they did they used the technology acceptance model and social comparison theories. The findings presented in this paper show that none of the studies attempted to create or test new theories in this field, perhaps due to the lack of maturity of the literature. Moreover, neither have very many qualitative studies been conducted in this field. More qualitative research in this field should perhaps be conducted as it could explore the motivations and rationales from which certain users' behavior may arise.

The authors found that almost all the publications on social media addiction or problematic use relied on samples of undergraduate students between the ages of 19–25. The average daily time spent by users worldwide on social media applications was highest for users between the ages of 40–44, at 59.85 min per day, followed by those between the ages of 35–39, at 59.28 min per day, and those between the ages of 45–49, at 59.23 per day ( 85 ). Therefore, more studies should be conducted exploring different age groups, as users between the ages of 19–25 do not represent the entire population of social media users. Conducting studies on different age groups may yield interesting and valuable insights to the field of social media addiction. For example, it would be interesting to measure the impacts of social media use among older users aged 50 years or older who spend almost the same amount of time on social media as other groups of users (56.43 min per day) ( 85 ).

A majority of the studies tested social media addiction or problematic use based on only two social media platforms: Facebook and Instagram. Although Facebook and Instagram are ranked first and fourth in terms of most popular social networks by number of monthly users, it would be interesting to study other platforms such as YouTube, which is ranked second, and WhatsApp, which is ranked third ( 86 ). Furthermore, TikTok would also be an interesting platform to study as it has grown in popularity in recent years, evident from it being the most downloaded application in 2021, with 656 million downloads ( 87 ), and is ranked second in Q1 of 2022 ( 88 ). Moreover, most of the studies focused only on one social media platform. Comparing different social media platforms would yield interesting results because each platform is different in terms of features, algorithms, as well as recommendation engines. The purpose as well as the user behavior for using each platform is also different, therefore why users are addicted to these platforms could provide a meaningful insight into social media addiction and problematic social media use.

Lastly, most studies were cross-sectional, and not longitudinal, aiming at describing results over a certain point in time and not over a long period of time. A longitudinal study could better describe the long-term effects of social media use.

This study was conducted to review the extant literature in the field of social media and analyze the global research productivity during the period ranging from 2013 to 2022. The study presents a bibliometric overview of the leading trends with particular regard to “social media addiction” and “problematic social media use.” The authors applied science mapping to lay out a knowledge base on social media addiction and its problematic use. This represents the first large-scale analysis in this area of study.

A keyword search of “social media addiction” OR “problematic social media use” yielded 553 papers, which were downloaded from Scopus. After performing the Scopus-based investigation of the current literature regarding social media addiction and problematic use, the authors ended up with a knowledge base consisting of 501 documents comprising 455 journal articles, 27 conference papers, 15 articles reviews, 3 books, and 1 conference review.

The geographical distribution trends of scholarly publications on social media addiction or problematic use indicate that the most productive countries were the USA (92), the U.K. (79), and Turkey ( 63 ), which together produced 236 articles. Griffiths (sixty-five articles), Lin (twenty articles), and Pakpour (eighteen articles) were the most productive scholars according to the number of Scopus documents examined in the area of social media addiction and its problematic use. An author co-citation analysis (ACA) was conducted which generated a layout of social media effects on well-being and cyber psychology as well as mental health and digital media addiction in the form of two research literature clusters representing the intellectual structure of social media and its problematic use.

The preferred periodicals in the field of social media addiction and its problematic use were Addictive Behaviors , with 700 citations and 22 publications, followed by Computers in Human Behavior , with 577 citations and 13 publications, and Journal of Behavioral Addictions , with 562 citations and 17 publications. Keyword co-occurrence analysis was used to investigate the key thematic areas in the social media literature, as represented by the top three keyword phrases in terms of their frequency of occurrence, namely, “social media addiction,” “problematic social media use,” and “social media addiction.”

This research has a few limitations. The authors used science mapping to improve the comprehension of the literature base in this review. First and foremost, the authors want to emphasize that science mapping should not be utilized in place of established review procedures, but rather as a supplement. As a result, this review can be considered the initial stage, followed by substantive research syntheses that examine findings from recent research. Another constraint stems from how 'social media addiction' is defined. The authors overcame this limitation by inserting the phrase “social media addiction” OR “problematic social media use” in the search string. The exclusive focus on SCOPUS-indexed papers creates a third constraint. The SCOPUS database has a larger number of papers than does Web of Science although it does not contain all the publications in a given field.

Although the total body of literature on social media addiction is larger than what is covered in this review, the use of co-citation analyses helped to mitigate this limitation. This form of bibliometric study looks at all the publications listed in the reference list of the extracted SCOPUS database documents. As a result, a far larger dataset than the one extracted from SCOPUS initially has been analyzed.

The interpretation of co-citation maps should be mentioned as a last constraint. The reason is that the procedure is not always clear, so scholars must have a thorough comprehension of the knowledge base in order to make sense of the result of the analysis ( 63 ). This issue was addressed by the authors' expertise, but it remains somewhat subjective.

Implications

The findings of this study have implications mainly for government entities and parents. The need for regulation of social media addiction is evident when considering the various risks associated with habitual social media use. Social media addiction may lead to negative consequences for adolescents' school performance, social behavior, and interpersonal relationships. In addition, social media addiction may also lead to other risks such as sexting, social media stalking, cyber-bullying, privacy breaches, and improper use of technology. Given the seriousness of these risks, it is important to have regulations in place to protect adolescents from the harms of social media addiction.

Regulation of social media platforms

One way that regulation could help protect adolescents from the harms of social media addiction is by limiting their access to certain websites or platforms. For example, governments could restrict adolescents' access to certain websites or platforms during specific hours of the day. This would help ensure that they are not spending too much time on social media and are instead focusing on their schoolwork or other important activities.

Another way that regulation could help protect adolescents from the harms of social media addiction is by requiring companies to put warning labels on their websites or apps. These labels would warn adolescents about the potential risks associated with excessive use of social media.

Finally, regulation could also require companies to provide information about how much time each day is recommended for using their website or app. This would help adolescents make informed decisions about how much time they want to spend on social media each day. These proposed regulations would help to protect children from the dangers of social media, while also ensuring that social media companies are more transparent and accountable to their users.

Parental involvement in adolescents' social media use

Parents should be involved in their children's social media use to ensure that they are using these platforms safely and responsibly. Parents can monitor their children's online activity, set time limits for social media use, and talk to their children about the risks associated with social media addiction.

Education on responsible social media use

Adolescents need to be educated about responsible social media use so that they can enjoy the benefits of these platforms while avoiding the risks associated with addiction. Education on responsible social media use could include topics such as cyber-bullying, sexting, and privacy breaches.

Research directions for future studies

A content analysis was conducted to answer the fifth research questions “What are the potential research directions for addressing social media addiction in the future?” The study reveals that there is a lack of screening instruments and diagnostic criteria to assess social media addiction. Validated DSM-V-based instruments could shed light on the factors behind social media use disorder. Diagnostic research may be useful in order to understand social media behavioral addiction and gain deeper insights into the factors responsible for psychological stress and psychiatric disorders. In addition to cross-sectional studies, researchers should also conduct longitudinal studies and experiments to assess changes in users' behavior over time ( 20 ).

Another important area to examine is the role of engagement-based ranking and recommendation algorithms in online habit formation. More research is required to ascertain how algorithms determine which content type generates higher user engagement. A clear understanding of the way social media platforms gather content from users and amplify their preferences would lead to the development of a standardized conceptualization of social media usage patterns ( 89 ). This may provide a clearer picture of the factors that lead to problematic social media use and addiction. It has been noted that “misinformation, toxicity, and violent content are inordinately prevalent” in material reshared by users and promoted by social media algorithms ( 90 ).

Additionally, an understanding of engagement-based ranking models and recommendation algorithms is essential in order to implement appropriate public policy measures. To address the specific behavioral concerns created by social media, legislatures must craft appropriate statutes. Thus, future qualitative research to assess engagement based ranking frameworks is extremely necessary in order to provide a broader perspective on social media use and tackle key regulatory gaps. Particular emphasis must be placed on consumer awareness, algorithm bias, privacy issues, ethical platform design, and extraction and monetization of personal data ( 91 ).

From a geographical perspective, the authors have identified some main gaps in the existing knowledge base that uncover the need for further research in certain regions of the world. Accordingly, the authors suggest encouraging more studies on internet and social media addiction in underrepresented regions with high social media penetration rates such as Southeast Asia and South America. In order to draw more contributions from these countries, journals with high impact factors could also make specific calls. This would contribute to educating social media users about platform usage and implement policy changes that support the development of healthy social media practices.

The authors hope that the findings gathered here will serve to fuel interest in this topic and encourage other scholars to investigate social media addiction in other contexts on newer platforms and among wide ranges of sample populations. In light of the rising numbers of people experiencing mental health problems (e.g., depression, anxiety, food disorders, and substance addiction) in recent years, it is likely that the number of papers related to social media addiction and the range of countries covered will rise even further.

Data availability statement

Author contributions.

AP took care of bibliometric analysis and drafting the paper. VB took care of proofreading and adding value to the paper. AS took care of the interpretation of the findings. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher's note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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Social Media Research Topics

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Social media research paper topics are a safe bet for your research. Why? Try to remember any person who doesn't use any communication network. We are sure there are not many. Web platforms are now a part of our everyday life. No better key to successful writing than an interesting topic that you understand. Topics like "what are social networks?" will surprise no one anymore. In addition, it does not cause discussion, and you cannot lead to provocative arguments. So read on to find 60 great ideas to help you write paper with pleasure!

Social Media Research Topics: How to Choose

Probably every student will think about research topics on social media at least once. The quality of each work you submit will affect your GPA. Therefore, it can be difficult for inexperienced writers. But choosing topics is already a significant part of the work. Creative themes show how well you understand assignments and motivate you to explore. We will now tell you how you should approach choosing a topic for research on social networks.

  • First, read all the instructions to find out what the professor wants.
  • Then, make a possible topics list. Well, or read ones provided by us below.
  • Rate them carefully. Choose one that interests you the most. That is why we have divided them into categories. So, ready to jump into many different options for great themes?

In case you are looking for topics in other fields like history topics  or sociology topics , read more of our blogs.

Sociology Research Topics on Social Media

Research paper topics on social media are directly related to sociology. This is a platform where the context of modern culture is created. You can get a lot of information about people and their relationships. For example, write about the family institution using mom bloggers. Describe how the media impact society, equality, minorities, stereotypes.

  • How to find an approach to target an audience of different ages?
  • Learning through networks: skepticism or effectiveness?
  • Why do networks make people feel lonely?
  • Dependence on social networks.
  • Influence of romantic plots on relationship expectations.
  • Blogging as a profession.
  • Culture of influencers.
  • What got on the Internet stays there forever.
  • Is it realistic to conduct a sample survey through web platforms?
  • Illusion of friendship in online networks.

Contact a research paper service by StudyCrumb should you need any help with writing your social media study. We host qualified writers competent in many fields, including social media. They can help you originate a top-notch paper within a stipulated deadline.

Social Media Political Campaign Research Paper Topics

Sounds strange, but research topics about social media can also relate to the government. Have you also noticed that more politicians are writing in the press in recent years? Now they are taking on an even more significant role in affairs of state. We find a lot of news on online media. Therefore, it is an excellent platform for promoting political campaigns. People trust television less and less. But on Instagram, a good post about a new candidate from the district will be eagerly liked. Basically, it serves as a plan for attracting extensive data.

  • How have political campaigns changed over the last 20 years?
  • Will we ever switch to online voting?
  • What are the negative consequences of political media campaigns?
  • Media campaigns and their connection with the spread of stereotypes.
  • Mistakes in PR in promoting political media campaigns.
  • Does PR work online during political campaigns?
  • Role of social networks in politics.
  • Political marketing research of web platforms of politicians.
  • People's discussion of the American political situation on Twitter.
  • Comparison of political influence on social networks and on television.

>> More ideas: Political Science Research Topics

Social Media Research Topics: For Teenagers

Social media teenagers' research topics are highly relevant nowadays. Children, especially teenagers, hate it when their parents control their life. They want to act like adults, feel independent, and have their own secrets. They look at influencers, imitate them, and fight for appreciation. But often, parents want to protect their children from this. In fact, the media can positively affect teens. They find friends there, develop themselves, stay abreast of trends. Many people exchange their experiences there, and some even earn money. But, on the other hand, we all know that there are negative aspects to networks. For example, how online media affects the mental health of a teenager. Or the fact that any information can be used against a child. In any case, you can find many interesting topics for your research in this area!

  • Social networks as a platform for teenage rebellion.
  • Contribution of online networks to development of modern youth.
  • Addiction to Instagram and Tiktok (or other social networks).
  • Escapism to virtual reality.
  • Influence of media on moral development of adolescents.
  • Active use of online networks at a young age: pros and cons.
  • Social networks versus scientific resources: where teenagers will get more information.
  • How to get a teenager off the phone?
  • Online media friendship standards in 2021.
  • Ways of earning a student on the Internet.

Need further assistance? Consider entrusting this tedious writing task to academic professionals.  Buy research paper  and have it completed by experts.

Good Research Topics for Social Media and Mental Health

We cannot forget about health in our good topics for a research paper about social media. Since people are social beings, we need communication with other people. Connecting with locals can relieve stress, anxiety, and sadness. And lack of communication can pose a severe mental health risk. But with online networks, everything is different. Since we spend too many hours on the Internet, it dramatically affects our well-being. Media has many positive and enjoyable benefits. But they also lead to mental health problems. Those addicted to web platforms are much more likely to suffer from mental diseases. This is an excellent field for your future research. We hope that one of our topics will definitely interest you.

  • How does social media affect mental health?
  • Why are people addicted to social networks?
  • Connection between social media and loneliness.
  • Popularization of psychology through media platforms.
  • Fear of loss as a problem of our time.
  • Raising the topic of mental illness in social networks.
  • Online forums for help of mentally ill people.
  • Link between depression and anxiety with Instagram and Facebook.
  • Consequences of cyberbullying for a child's psyche.
  • Loss of connection with the real world.

>> View more: Mental Health Research Paper Topics

Social Media Research Topics: For College

As a student, you're probably looking for some exciting social media research topics for college. This is expected since networks have a significant impact on our life in the 21st century. Therefore, your professors expect your demonstration of opinions on the media's effect. One way to be successful in writing is to choose a unique topic. But fortunately, we really spend a lot of time in interactive reality. Therefore, there are several relevant topics that we will share with you. Below you will find ideas to help you write your research paper without stress.

  • Growth of time: spent on social networks in a pandemic.
  • Changing marketing strategies with media promotion.
  • Connection between suicide and cyberbullying.
  • How can websites help you find a job?
  • Popular online marketing strategies.
  • Effective methods of personal data protection on the Internet.
  • Reasons for transition to digital marketing.
  • How can parents protect their children online?
  • Prohibitions of some social networks in different countries.
  • Importance of URL shorteners in creating appealing links for affiliate marketing.

Interesting Research Paper Topics on Social Media and Narcissism

The relationship between narcissism and web usage can be an exciting research topic on social media. What is meant by narcissism? A person's desire to exhibit even more detailed photographs and admire them. I think you may have seen unrealistically processed photos in your Instagram feed. People want more likes for their pictures and are constantly checking their numbers. They are more concerned with their appearance and brand than relationships and other people. Parents are worried about negatively influencing the growing generation. But on the other hand, researchers do not confirm the fact of narcissism and online media correlation. Therefore, choose one topic from the list below. And you will definitely open up a fascinating, multi-faceted discussion.

  • Why do online networks force a person to chase approval of followers?
  • What is the effect of hiding the number of likes on Instagram?
  • Bloggers as a bad example for teens.
  • Illusion of success in online space.
  • How to get rid of approval-seeking stalls?
  • Building healthy self-esteem in web platform detox.
  • Can you become a successful blogger without narcissism?
  • Narcissism versus self-doubt: two extremes of adolescents on the Internet.
  • Why do we want to follow famous personalities on the Internet?
  • Movement for popularization of naturalness in social networks.

Social Media Research Topics: Final Thoughts

Fact remains that we all use the Internet, so you need to research topics on social media. Someone is looking for helpful information. Someone is trying to socialize and find new friends. Someone will find out the latest and current news. Someone is trying to grow their business through online marketing. Even your parents have a Facebook account. Therefore, this topic is more popular and relevant than ever. Thus, your professors expect excellent and exciting work from you. Above, we have provided 60 intriguing ideas. Choose one that seems most relevant to you. And then suggest new ways to solve it. Support your beliefs with hard facts. And that's it, you already have a perfect paper!

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You may not desire to search for a suitable topic or conduct research. Then our research writers will make it easy for you. We possess a lot of experience in solving such problems. Even if you need your custom research paper within a tight deadline, we can do it, too. 

Social Media Research Paper Topics: Frequently Asked Questions

1. what are some argumentative research paper topics about teen girls and social media.

Argumentative research paper topics about teen girls and social media are specific. They are usually most influenced by bloggers. It is caused by their unformed self-esteem. That's why they immediately try to be a popular cosmetic consumer. They try to imitate the behavior of their idols. During this period, online networks can influence their further formation. It all depends on which bloggers and public they follow.  There are some ideas:

  • Negative and positive effects of social media on teen girls.
  • Influence of social media on teen girls.
  • Psychological effects of social media on youth.

2. What are some good research topics on social media?

Below you can find some more good research topics on social media. But in general, tolerable issues cover something we meet daily. It includes caring about health or solving life problems.

  • Growth of social media in the last 10 years.
  • Benefits of Facebook to youths in America.
  • Relationship between social media and increase in mental health problems.

3. What are some unique research paper topics on social media?

Looking for some genuinely unique research paper topics on social media? We got you! Explore social media through a communication angle. Spice it up with strong, preferably controversial arguments. And your professor will definitely highly appreciate work done. There are some ideas:

  • Changes in communication trends as a result of social media.
  • Benefits of the government monitoring people's activities on websites.
  • Tactics for building a solid social media presence.

4. What are some great social media research paper topics?

Great social media research paper topics always include socially forbidden issues. It's indecent to talk about them, but everyone wants to discuss it. We advise you to raise the subject of ethics. Well, or consider some famous scandal from politics or show business. There are some ideas that you can use:

  • Media, ethics, and PR.
  • Why do people prefer scandals in the media?
  • Social advertising: does it work?

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Sociology research topics

Finding a suitable social media research topic is stressful. The reason is that the media landscape is constantly changing, and new ideas and topics are brought to the forefront. Another reason is the limited available scholarly resources to aid your research in this area. However, writing about social media is interesting, but it all depends on your chosen topic.

So, how do you find suitable topics for your social media paper? First, you start by finding research problems related to social media. To find these problems, focus on drafting social media loopholes for research. Once you've found a suitable topic, the writing stage is the next.

Social media is a virtual communication platform that promotes digitized interactions between humans. Social media research papers are academic papers written on issues directly or indirectly affecting social media, its users, and its usage.

Writing research papers on social media or topics that grow within the space creates more awareness for any issue. While that's the case, over the years, many conversational topics have continued to grow through the space. These topics often have a short shelf life because they reside only within comment sections.

Even after selecting a topic, most students still struggle to write their papers. Why? It's usually the problem of not knowing how to structure their research. Here are helpful ways to start writing your social media paper:

We understand how difficult it can be to find suitable social media research topics. So, we have researched and compiled a comprehensive list of topics you can use regardless of your educational level.

While research writing on social media is relatively new, there are many exciting areas to base a study on. However, if you're finding it challenging to choose a topic, consider the above topics as a guide or seek help.

Unless otherwise credited, all characters, logo images and titles shown herein are © Copyright 2011 by FrankAnOllie.com. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any of these images, pages or parts thereof without specific written permission is strictly prohibited.
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Hindenburg Research teases India with 'something big soon' tweet, social media users react

10 august 2024, 09:47 am ist.

research topics regarding social media

Hidenburg Research

Social media has been buzzing since Hindenburg Research, a US-based investment research firm renowned for its high-profile activism and exposes of corporate misconduct, announced that it will be releasing 'something big soon' regarding a company in India.

Their tweet went viral and sparked a range of reactions on social media.

research topics regarding social media

Hindenburg Research has previously targeted several high-profile companies, including the Adani Group, Nikola, Clover Health, Block, Inc., Kandi, and Lordstown Motors, alleging corporate fraud and malfeasance in detailed research reports published on its website.

Most recently, they had targeted the Adani group in India and even been slapped with a defamation notice by the latter.

Some social media users joked about buying the dip in Adani Group's stock, while others shared memes and humorous reactions expressing anticipation and tension.

A user wrote, "Okay getting ready to buy the Adani dip," another one expressed curiosity and anxiety, "Which company might it be?"

A user went forward and posted a clip from the movie "Hera Pheri" exclaiming, "Mereko toh aisa dhak dhak ho rela hai re" expressing the tension that lingers around the company's tweet.

Share this Article

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Teens and social media: Key findings from Pew Research Center surveys

Laughing twin sisters looking at smartphone in park on summer evening

For the latest survey data on social media and tech use among teens, see “ Teens, Social Media, and Technology 2023 .” 

Today’s teens are navigating a digital landscape unlike the one experienced by their predecessors, particularly when it comes to the pervasive presence of social media. In 2022, Pew Research Center fielded an in-depth survey asking American teens – and their parents – about their experiences with and views toward social media . Here are key findings from the survey:

Pew Research Center conducted this study to better understand American teens’ experiences with social media and their parents’ perception of these experiences. For this analysis, we surveyed 1,316 U.S. teens ages 13 to 17, along with one parent from each teen’s household. The survey was conducted online by Ipsos from April 14 to May 4, 2022.

This research was reviewed and approved by an external institutional review board (IRB), Advarra, which is an independent committee of experts that specializes in helping to protect the rights of research participants.

Ipsos invited panelists who were a parent of at least one teen ages 13 to 17 from its KnowledgePanel , a probability-based web panel recruited primarily through national, random sampling of residential addresses, to take this survey. For some of these questions, parents were asked to think about one teen in their household. (If they had multiple teenage children ages 13 to 17 in the household, one was randomly chosen.) This teen was then asked to answer questions as well. The parent portion of the survey is weighted to be representative of U.S. parents of teens ages 13 to 17 by age, gender, race, ethnicity, household income and other categories. The teen portion of the survey is weighted to be representative of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 who live with parents by age, gender, race, ethnicity, household income and other categories.

Here are the questions used  for this report, along with responses, and its  methodology .

Majorities of teens report ever using YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. YouTube is the platform most commonly used by teens, with 95% of those ages 13 to 17 saying they have ever used it, according to a Center survey conducted April 14-May 4, 2022, that asked about 10 online platforms. Two-thirds of teens report using TikTok, followed by roughly six-in-ten who say they use Instagram (62%) and Snapchat (59%). Much smaller shares of teens say they have ever used Twitter (23%), Twitch (20%), WhatsApp (17%), Reddit (14%) and Tumblr (5%).

A chart showing that since 2014-15 TikTok has started to rise, Facebook usage has dropped, Instagram and Snapchat have grown.

Facebook use among teens dropped from 71% in 2014-15 to 32% in 2022. Twitter and Tumblr also experienced declines in teen users during that span, but Instagram and Snapchat saw notable increases.

TikTok use is more common among Black teens and among teen girls. For example, roughly eight-in-ten Black teens (81%) say they use TikTok, compared with 71% of Hispanic teens and 62% of White teens. And Hispanic teens (29%) are more likely than Black (19%) or White teens (10%) to report using WhatsApp. (There were not enough Asian teens in the sample to analyze separately.)

Teens’ use of certain social media platforms also varies by gender. Teen girls are more likely than teen boys to report using TikTok (73% vs. 60%), Instagram (69% vs. 55%) and Snapchat (64% vs. 54%). Boys are more likely than girls to report using YouTube (97% vs. 92%), Twitch (26% vs. 13%) and Reddit (20% vs. 8%).

A chart showing that teen girls are more likely than boys to use TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. Teen boys are more likely to use Twitch, Reddit and YouTube. Black teens are especially drawn to TikTok compared with other groups.

Majorities of teens use YouTube and TikTok every day, and some report using these sites almost constantly. About three-quarters of teens (77%) say they use YouTube daily, while a smaller majority of teens (58%) say the same about TikTok. About half of teens use Instagram (50%) or Snapchat (51%) at least once a day, while 19% report daily use of Facebook.

A chart that shows roughly one-in-five teens are almost constantly on YouTube, and 2% say the same for Facebook.

Some teens report using these platforms almost constantly. For example, 19% say they use YouTube almost constantly, while 16% and 15% say the same about TikTok and Snapchat, respectively.

More than half of teens say it would be difficult for them to give up social media. About a third of teens (36%) say they spend too much time on social media, while 55% say they spend about the right amount of time there and just 8% say they spend too little time. Girls are more likely than boys to say they spend too much time on social media (41% vs. 31%).

A chart that shows 54% of teens say it would be hard to give up social media.

Teens are relatively divided over whether it would be hard or easy for them to give up social media. Some 54% say it would be very or somewhat hard, while 46% say it would be very or somewhat easy.

Girls are more likely than boys to say it would be difficult for them to give up social media (58% vs. 49%). Older teens are also more likely than younger teens to say this: 58% of those ages 15 to 17 say it would be very or somewhat hard to give up social media, compared with 48% of those ages 13 to 14.

Teens are more likely to say social media has had a negative effect on others than on themselves. Some 32% say social media has had a mostly negative effect on people their age, while 9% say this about social media’s effect on themselves.

A chart showing that more teens say social media has had a negative effect on people their age than on them, personally.

Conversely, teens are more likely to say these platforms have had a mostly positive impact on their own life than on those of their peers. About a third of teens (32%) say social media has had a mostly positive effect on them personally, while roughly a quarter (24%) say it has been positive for other people their age.

Still, the largest shares of teens say social media has had neither a positive nor negative effect on themselves (59%) or on other teens (45%). These patterns are consistent across demographic groups.

Teens are more likely to report positive than negative experiences in their social media use. Majorities of teens report experiencing each of the four positive experiences asked about: feeling more connected to what is going on in their friends’ lives (80%), like they have a place where they can show their creative side (71%), like they have people who can support them through tough times (67%), and that they are more accepted (58%).

A chart that shows teen girls are more likely than teen boys to say social media makes them feel more supported but also overwhelmed by drama and excluded by their friends.

When it comes to negative experiences, 38% of teens say that what they see on social media makes them feel overwhelmed because of all the drama. Roughly three-in-ten say it makes them feel like their friends are leaving them out of things (31%) or feel pressure to post content that will get lots of comments or likes (29%). And 23% say that what they see on social media makes them feel worse about their own life.

There are several gender differences in the experiences teens report having while on social media. Teen girls are more likely than teen boys to say that what they see on social media makes them feel a lot like they have a place to express their creativity or like they have people who can support them. However, girls also report encountering some of the pressures at higher rates than boys. Some 45% of girls say they feel overwhelmed because of all the drama on social media, compared with 32% of boys. Girls are also more likely than boys to say social media has made them feel like their friends are leaving them out of things (37% vs. 24%) or feel worse about their own life (28% vs. 18%).

When it comes to abuse on social media platforms, many teens think criminal charges or permanent bans would help a lot. Half of teens think criminal charges or permanent bans for users who bully or harass others on social media would help a lot to reduce harassment and bullying on these platforms. 

A chart showing that half of teens think banning users who bully or criminal charges against them would help a lot in reducing the cyberbullying teens may face on social media.

About four-in-ten teens say it would help a lot if social media companies proactively deleted abusive posts or required social media users to use their real names and pictures. Three-in-ten teens say it would help a lot if school districts monitored students’ social media activity for bullying or harassment.

Some teens – especially older girls – avoid posting certain things on social media because of fear of embarrassment or other reasons. Roughly four-in-ten teens say they often or sometimes decide not to post something on social media because they worry people might use it to embarrass them (40%) or because it does not align with how they like to represent themselves on these platforms (38%). A third of teens say they avoid posting certain things out of concern for offending others by what they say, while 27% say they avoid posting things because it could hurt their chances when applying for schools or jobs.

A chart that shows older teen girls are more likely than younger girls or boys to say they don't post things on social media because they're worried it could be used to embarrass them.

These concerns are more prevalent among older teen girls. For example, roughly half of girls ages 15 to 17 say they often or sometimes decide not to post something on social media because they worry people might use it to embarrass them (50%) or because it doesn’t fit with how they’d like to represent themselves on these sites (51%), compared with smaller shares among younger girls and among boys overall.

Many teens do not feel like they are in the driver’s seat when it comes to controlling what information social media companies collect about them. Six-in-ten teens say they think they have little (40%) or no control (20%) over the personal information that social media companies collect about them. Another 26% aren’t sure how much control they have. Just 14% of teens think they have a lot of control.

Two charts that show a majority of teens feel as if they have little to no control over their data being collected by social media companies, but only one-in-five are extremely or very concerned about the amount of information these sites have about them.

Despite many feeling a lack of control, teens are largely unconcerned about companies collecting their information. Only 8% are extremely concerned about the amount of personal information that social media companies might have and 13% are very concerned. Still, 44% of teens say they have little or no concern about how much these companies might know about them.

Only around one-in-five teens think their parents are highly worried about their use of social media. Some 22% of teens think their parents are extremely or very worried about them using social media. But a larger share of teens (41%) think their parents are either not at all (16%) or a little worried (25%) about them using social media. About a quarter of teens (27%) fall more in the middle, saying they think their parents are somewhat worried.

A chart showing that only a minority of teens say their parents are extremely or very worried about their social media use.

Many teens also believe there is a disconnect between parental perceptions of social media and teens’ lived realities. Some 39% of teens say their experiences on social media are better than parents think, and 27% say their experiences are worse. A third of teens say parents’ views are about right.

Nearly half of parents with teens (46%) are highly worried that their child could be exposed to explicit content on social media. Parents of teens are more likely to be extremely or very concerned about this than about social media causing mental health issues like anxiety, depression or lower self-esteem. Some parents also fret about time management problems for their teen stemming from social media use, such as wasting time on these sites (42%) and being distracted from completing homework (38%).

A chart that shows parents are more likely to be concerned about their teens seeing explicit content on social media than these sites leading to anxiety, depression or lower self-esteem.

Note: Here are the questions used  for this report, along with responses, and its  methodology .

CORRECTION (May 17, 2023): In a previous version of this post, the percentages of teens using Instagram and Snapchat daily were transposed in the text. The original chart was correct. This change does not substantively affect the analysis.

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Emily A. Vogels is a former research associate focusing on internet and technology at Pew Research Center .

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Risa Gelles-Watnick is a former research analyst focusing on internet and technology research at Pew Research Center .

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ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER  Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of  The Pew Charitable Trusts .

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