Karl Marx's Concepts Of Social Media

Although Karl Marx’s theories of consciousness typically relate to labor forces in society, one can apply his ideas in other realms of society as well. Today, one of the most relatable aspects of our culture is the use of social media. Through social media, one becomes part of a globalized society, one that is larger than ever before experienced. Humans have historically been limited to the kinds of people we interact with. In the past, we were confined to groups of people based on the social structures within our own communities, such as our families, schools, religious and civic organizations, and our peer groups. Marx, focusing on production in society, would have likely added another group, one’s co-workers, which would include our colleagues, our immediate supervisors, and our company’s owners and investors. In today’s society, as we mature we enter into a world, not only of production, as Marx referenced, but also one of networking, and fraternizing. Social media is the platform for the majority of today’s communication. With the clear benefits of social media, one must also stop to consider its downfalls. Could social media users be existing in a state of false consciousness? Does this false consciousness create an imbalance in the way we view the world and cause us to lose or misinterpret class consciousness?
One of the most influential agents of socialization today, in the 21st century, is the mass media. Until recently, communication with mass media has been