The Problem with Social Media Research

This ACDH lecture by Richard Rogers focuses on the methodological, ethical and epistemological problems of social media research. Rather than criticising social media itself, Rogers examines how researchers use social media platforms as data sources and why this practice is highly problematic. He discusses the instability of social media data, changing metrics, platform rules, deleted content, limited archives and corporate control over access to data. The lecture also addresses the role of human subjects, contextual privacy and the questionable assumption that publicly available posts can automatically be used for research. Rogers further reflects on how commercial platform logics, algorithmic optimisation and engagement-driven design shape the data researchers analyse. By discussing alternatives such as digital ethnography, small data approaches, scraping, alternative platforms, GDPR and the Digital Services Act, the lecture highlights the need for stronger ethical reflection and argues that ethics should be treated not merely as compliance, but as a foundational part of digital research practice.

Learning Outcomes

After watching this video, learners will be able to:

• identify key methodological problems in social media research
• critically reflect on ethical issues in using social media data
• explain how commercial platform logics shape research data
• discuss possible alternatives and regulatory challenges

ACDH Lecture