Dark Social Media and the Dark Side of Social Media: Concepts, Researches and Strategies

Most social media research has focused on the bright side of social media, along with the advantages that social media both would bring to individuals (consumers) and companies. But although social media provides the numerous advantages, the amount of social media research focusing on the dark side of social media has gradually increased. However, there have been a few case studies or empirical studies focusing on both the concept of 'dark social media' and the dark side of social media in the Turkish literature. In this context, there is an academic gap in Turkey. The purpose of this article is to review international literature on 'dark social media' and the dark side of social media. For this purpose, the article focuses on conceptual approaches to 'dark social media', and examines a conceptual and theoretical framework based on functionality (sharing, presence, conversations, identity, relationships, groups and reputation) of social media. In this article, the findings of research focusing on the dark side of social media are included and the damage caused by social media is revealed. In addition, in this article, both the propositions that shed light on the future of these studies and the strategies developed to reduce the risks that stem from social media have been highlighted.