Social media and television: a bibliographic review based on the Web of Science

Abstract

One of the most important trends in current television research has to do with the increasing impact of social media on viewing and consumption. This article reviews the literature on social media and television included in the Web of Science database from 2005 to 2013 in order to find the main research questions guiding academic research within media studies. The topics investigated included the theoretical approach and definition of social television, the central role of Twitter as the main social tool for second-screen activities, the prominence of “reality TV” as the most social genre on television, and new mainstream forms of television fandom. The conclusion of this article reflects on possible limitations of these studies and new paths of research.