Online, Social & Participatory Media & Video Games: Industries (2026 exams) GapFill

Social media platforms have existed since the late 1990s, but their technical capabilities,  group sizescharacter limitspopularityreputation and profitability have all massively increased beyond recognition from these primitive early days. Once a fringe form of media communication, social media is now highly  dangerouscommercialexcitingdepressing with millions upon millions being invested in the further development and  militarypoliticalactivismadvertising campaigns on platforms such as Instagram, X (Twitter) and TikTok.

Platforms were often started up independently or by small companies, with a diverse range of ownership in the marketplace. However, as certain social networks such as Facebook became larger corporations, this has changed. Facebook in particular owns numerous other social networks such as image-sharing Instagram and the messaging service  WhatsAppiMessageSignalTelegram. In the current state of the industry, it would be extremely difficult for a new company to compete with these large conglomerates. As an industry where a few companies – and thus a few CEOs – have all the power and influence, the social media industry displays  a connectedan internationala concentrateda fragmented pattern of ownership.

Marcus Rashford is a footballer who has played for  ChelseaManchester CityManchester UnitedArsenal since a young age, rising up through the team's academy programmes, becoming a successful and valuable player. Alongside his career as an athlete, Rashford has garnered attention for his active involvement in campaigns against racism, homelessness and  plastic pollutionchildhood hungerfactory farmingchemical warfare. He had been involved in this prior to 2020, but during the COVID-19 pandemic he became even more active in his campaign, partnering with  FareShareNSPCCRed CrossSalvation Army to help feed children who no longer received school meals because of the lockdowns. Through publicising this campaign extensively on his  InstagramX (Twitter)TikTokFacebook account, donations from the public helped deliver over three million meals to families in need.

Kim Kardashian is an American socialite and social  innovatorinventorinfluencerworker. She has 362 million   friendsenemiescustomersfollowers on Instagram alone. She is considered to be a prime example of somebody who is 'famous for being  famousbeautifulinfamousmarried', as she shot to stardom via the medium of reality TV. Kardashian uses her social media accounts to promote herself and her businesses, and to  reviewendorsecriticisebuy products made by others. Recently, she has become more actively involved in social issues, specifically prison  renovationreformreleasework and clemency, and has begun studying the law.