Social apps are often perceived as tools. However, it is the social usage of such tools that ultimately delivers the social experiences, and all social experiences must be interpreted in corresponding cultures. In McLuhan's media theory, the bridge between tools and cultures is the media. Therefore, the social app actively used in social context ultimately is the media. This media centric social computing model is depicted below:
As a fan of digital photography, I process RAW photos with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. The two tools are capable of delivering best possible personal experience for me. However, these Adobe tools are not social apps as there is no social experience involved in my usage. To share my personal experience with others, I post some processed photos onto Flickr. Flickr as a social app is the media for social interactions. If nobody visits my Flickr page, namely, no social usage, Flickr would be merely my personal photo storage media and won’t be anything better than my USB hard drive.
My Flickr social experience is interpreted with the culture coined by the digital photographer community at Flickr. One social norm any careful user can figure out is the photo “dressing code”. To get respect by pro eyes, usually photos need to “dress up” by post-processing. “Naked” unprocessed photos are considered non-professional and novice. Also in Flickr culture, the social value system is carried by the host sub-cultures of the peers. Photographers participated at the same group (e.g. 50mm lens, surrealism) would be more easily appreciate each other’s work and behavior.
The media is the bridge connecting cultures and tools. The active social app, in the form of media, is able to change our cultures gradually. Flickr changed the culture in photographer community. The social value system for judging a photographer is no longer impacted by the person’s profession and professional credential. Nobody cares if you are a professional photographer for living and how many awards you've received in photography contests. At Flickr, only your works speak.
“We shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us.” – Marshall McLuhan
