Author: Christina Lee

The term network is essential to the way we view communication studies. Network is a term that has changed meaning with time and is often associated with the evolution of technology-- from cable networks, to computer networks, and most recently, social networks. A definition for the term network is commonly understood as “broadly, an interconnected group of people or objects” (Network, 2011). Though the term network is often tied to technological studies, it is impossible to separate it from communication studies. By viewing the term through a communication lens, it often becomes interchangeable with the term social network. According to the Oxford English Dictionary: Dictionary of Media and Communication, social networks are “patterns of interpersonal relationships among individuals based on face-to-face interaction and/or mediated communication….such networks (based on links rather than individuals) emerge from interaction and can cut across and influence institutions; they can also shape individual behaviour” (Social Networks, 2011).  In today’s society, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and other social media platforms provide an easy way to access and network with people around the world. By examining the epistemology and usage of the term network, it becomes evident network is an essential keyword for understanding communication studies.

The word network was first coined as an amalgamation of the terms net and work. Net referred to the system or procedure of entrapping something and was often considered in Old English as a spider’s web (Briggs, 2004). Additionally, the term work was associated with a task to be undertaken or something a person has to do (Briggs, 2004). The juxtaposition of the two terms is understood to be an English term network, which was latter imitated by the Germans with the term Netzwerk (Briggs, 2004). The earliest mention of the term network was found in the Geneva Bible of 1560 which states, “And thou shalt make unto it a grate like networke of brass (Exodus XXVII 4)” (Briggs, 2004). In this statement it is evident network was first perceived as a type of net created by connecting and interweaving many pieces of brass. This is significant for how we perceive networks in communication studies—as a way for people to connect with one another. As time progressed, the term was recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary as referring to “reticulate structures in animals and plants…[and] in 1839 referring to rivers and canals…1869 railways…1883 a distribution of network or electrical cables…and in 1914 a wireless broadcasting network” (Briggs, 2004). The change of the term in the Oxford English Dictionary illustrates how its transformation is tied to the advancement of technology, which over time required less physical ties to connect two or more objects. To this day, as technology continues to change, network remains a broad term encompassing numerous meanings all related to linked connections.

Networks have been a key way to understand communication technologies and make sense of the ways in which we send and receive messages, which is seen through the following examples. One of the most widely known examples of an early network is the Internet. According to University of Michigan Professor of Physics Mark Newman (2010), the Internet is a “computer data network in which the vertices are computers and the edges are physical data connections between them, such as optical fiber cables or telephone lines” (Newman, 2010, p. 12). By understanding the network structure of the Internet, the term network as it presently exists in communication studies is visible. The Internet’s function is stated as “[to] transport data between computers (and other devices) in different parts of the world, which it does by dividing the data into pieces…and shipping them…across the network until they reach their intended destination” (Newman, 2010, p. 12). The structure of the network is linked to how efficiently the network accomplishes its function.  Over time, the performance of the networks improved and were better understood. Increased performance is evident in the transformation from the Internet to World Wide Web. While these terms are often interchangeable with one another, the term Internet is considered by Newman (2010) to be a “physical network of computers linked by actual cables…running between them. The Web, on the other hand, is a network of information stored on web pages” (Newman, 2010, p. 12). The structure of the World Wide Web first introduced hyperlinks, which connects you to different pages “just as easily as you can link to a friend down the hall” (Newman, 2010, p. 12). This history of the transition between the Internet and the World Wide Web is important to communication studies as it is interested in the study of communication networks, and the ways in which people connect and are tied to one another.

In today’s society, network is often used in junction with the term social network. Social networks are important to communication studies because these networks open up questions about who people address when they communicate beyond face-to-face interactions. Newman (2010) states, “networks in which the vertices are people, or sometimes groups of people, and the edges represent some form of social interaction between them, such as friendship.” The term social network originated with psychiatrist Jacob Moreno, a Romanian immigrant to the United States, who studied the social interactions within groups of people in the 1930s (Newman, 2010). Over the past 20 years however communication uses of the Internet have become a very important part of people’s daily lives. According to communication theorists, social networking sites have become the “latest online communication tool that allows users to create a public or semi-public profile, create and view their own as well as other users’ online social networks, and interact with people in their networks” (Subrahmanyam K., Reich, S., Waechter, N., and Espinoza G., 2008, p. 420).12 Networking on social media platforms does not necessitate a person to have a physical network outside of the website, rather people can create or widen their current networks by simply clicking “add friend” or by sending a message to an individual. This resembles the introduction of the World Wide Web following the use of the Internet, where a direct link to the information was not required, just as social media does not require someone to have a direct relationship with the person being communicated with.   

Today, when many people hear the term “social network” they think of online platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. With the emergence of smartphones such as iPhones and Androids, people can utilize these applications with lightning speed and find nearly everyone and everything in the world. As young adults, 95% have access to a smartphone and 45% say they are online almost constantly (Anderson & Jiang, 2018).13 While there has been debate about whether excessive social media use is positive for child development, teens who say social media has had mostly a positive effect often cite the reason as an easy way to keep in touch and interact with others (Anderson & Jiang, 2018). Many of the responses to Pew Research Center’s studies on social media emphasize how “social media has made it easier to communicate with family and friends and to connect with new people” (Anderson & Jiang, 2018). This easy accessibility to one another was often the main motive behind those who created social media platforms.  For example, a recent movie called the Social Network tells the story of Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, and his reasons for creating one of the top social networks in history. At one point in the film actor Jesse Eisenberg, who plays Mark Zuckerberg, states, “I’m not talking about [creating] a dating site. I’m talking about taking the entire social experience of college and putting it online” (Fincher 2010). By removing the physical link between people, Mark Zuckerberg and fellow social media platform creators established one of the easiest ways for people to network with one another instantaneously.

In communication studies, scholars are interested in how people share, convey, or reach audiences. One of the most important elements of modern day social networks are the different  characteristics each has depending on the relationships users seek, which relates to the types of messages people send to reach one another. While platforms such as Facebook are known for easy connectivity between friends and family, a platform like Instagram is more beneficial for keeping up with friends, as well as following celebrities and influencers daily lives. Similarly, networking for a job may be appropriate on a platform such as LinkedIn whereas Instagram might not be of use in forming professional relationships. This is particularly relevant to communication studies because as social context is culturally embedded in the sites information and enabled through the online socialization tools, social and technological contexts of social networking sites together determine the users’ behavior on these platforms (Newman, 2010). The method of networking on social media platforms resembles the process of communication as a whole where new information is actively interpreted and used selectively by recipients who take a role in shaping the meaning of the information. Similarly to communication, individuals and local communities can become empowered through the new information and ideas presented, and ultimately continue to develop innovative forms of networks (Newman, 2010).
As technology advances, the role of networks and the process of networking will continue to impact the way people communicate with one another and therefore should be an area of study in communications studies. As technology changes, the way people network will also to change. This shift was evident in the arrival of the World Wide Web following the Internet, and the more recent shifts from Facebook to platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat. Though technology has changed over the years, networks still enable people to create economic, social, and political relationships that are less tied to our location at any given time (“The Network Society,” n.d.).

In conclusion, the term network plays a large role in the way we communicate with others in our everyday lives. The initial definition of the term as an interconnected group of people or objects still remains but the way networking can be achieved continues to change. Whether networking is taking place face to face in the same room, or with two people on opposite sides of the world, a network is formed. Continuing to assess how networks are being formed through new communication technologies will continue to animate our field.  Therefore, understanding the epistemology of the term network, its current usage, its relevance to communication studies, and the possibility of its continued transformation is an important component of communication studies.

Works Cited

Anderson, M. & Jiang, J. (2018) Teens, Social Media & Technology 2018. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/

Briggs, K. (2004) Etymology of the Words Network, Net and Work. Retrieved from http://keithbriggs.info/network.html

Fincher, D. (2010) The Social Network. USA: Columbia Pictures Corporation.