This book offers a detailed exploration of the role social media plays in our daily lives and across a variety of contexts, from social networking sites, messaging applications, and enterprise communication platforms to virtual reality. Offering readers an introduction to the uses, effects, and central debates surrounding the subject of social media, this text is organized into three sections, each with a distinct focus. Part I provides an overview of social media, defining it through communication characteristics and exploring both theoretical and practical approaches to understanding it; Part II examines the impact of social media on individual users, including its effects on expression, health, and relationship management; and Part III investigates the wider social implications of social media, including its impact on politics, entertainment, marketing, and information consumption. Featuring key contemporary case studies and learner-centered exercises throughout, this book offers a rich and engaging look at the most pertinent issues of the social media era on both an individual and societal level. This is an essential text for students of digital media, communication, journalism, and beyond, as well as a useful resource for researchers and industry professionals interested in exploring the social and psychological effects of social media.