The Culture of Connectivity: A Critical History of Social Media (2013), by José van Dijck, explored the nature of social media and the promises of ubiquitous connectivity via Web 2.0 sites like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, and Wikipedia. Connectivity framed van Dijck's analysis in a manner that provided a theoretical and historical grounding of social media. Her critical history began with the birth of Web 2.0 and followed the acceptance and usage of Web 2.0 by popular culture from 2000 to 2012.
Van Dijck noted that social media has changed so much since its emergence over the past decade that it begs to be reinterpreted, as the space is constantly being reimagined. And as such, new perceptions occur and new connections are made. These connections are at the heart of van Dijck's analysis as she grounded her approach with a precise critical eye that social media has needed for some time. Thus, I believe this book works well for anyone at any level beginning to forge their own critical lens concerning social media.