Speaker
Description
In the last decade or so, the Internet and online social networks have become integral components of everyday life for both individuals and organizations. These communication platforms are no longer simple tools, but have become central forces that shape social, economic, and cultural landscapes of today’s society. Some authors might even argue that these digital platforms now effectively shape, somehow, the global dynamics and have significantly contributed to extensive market penetration of goods, services, concepts, ideas or even social movements. At the same time, increasing dependence of individuals, of all walks of life, on online technologies, mass communication tools, and social networking platforms has become more apparent, particularly regarding their profound influence on personal behaviors and the business landscape.
Starting from all these ideas, we can see that the transformation of the Internet and social media into environments that encourage constant—and at times addictive—usage seems to be inevitable. As individuals grow more reliant on these platforms for information, entertainment, and social interaction, disengaging from them becomes increasingly difficult. This dependence may also contribute to issues such as information overload, content fatigue, and distorted perceptions of reality.
More than that, the intensification of digital communication often can lead to growing mistrust toward media credibility. Public concerns over misinformation, one sided reporting, and the manipulation of certain narratives have fueled distrust in both traditional and social media. Consequently, users tend to shift toward sources they perceive as more trustworthy, leading to a decline in engagement with platforms that they deem to be unreliable.
The current article explores three interconnected concepts—trust, social media, and perception—from a communication and marketing studies perspective. Drawing upon various academic viewpoints, as well as results form previous undertaken research (secondary data analysis), it examines how trust in social media is formed, sustained, or sometimes even broken. It also studies the main user concerns related to privacy, data security, online harassment, and surveillance etc., which seem to be the key contributors to the growing mistrust in these online platforms. Finally, the paper presents several practical insights and managerial implications for communication professionals and marketing specialists seeking to navigate and manage trust within the evolving digital media landscape.
