Social media are what social networks start being called the moment investors start thinking about how to recoup the money they invested in these ventures.

Please bear in mind that the term “media” is not neutral.

First, it implies the idea that everything (“content”, as they call it) is created – even if it were created by users, in which case they call it “user-generated content” (UGC) – so that it will be “monetised”, rather than “just for fun”.

Second, it implies the long-held idea that every place is a place where companies are welcome, even if that were not the case. And it implies ads or, in any case, paying for visibility of some kind.

As we shall see, this is exactly where social media are headed: adland.