Diasporic Communities and Social Media

The advent of the Internet, particularly social media, and mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets have provided opportunities for immigrants to access a flexible, ubiquitous, and almost cost-free means of communication. Thanks to digital media, they are able to preserve their links with families and friends and to get essential information about the economic, social, and political situation in their homelands. Social media platforms such as Facebook allow them to create virtual collective places where those with a common ethnic background or country of origin can interact, support each other, and share information related to everyday issues. This entry discusses the crucial role of social media in the assembly of digital diasporic communities and the conservation of the culture and identity of immigrants.

Along with ...