Investigating Transnational Communication on Social Media

This working paper introduces a conceptual framework for discussing technology affordances in relation to measurable aspects of social media platforms. Social media messages are treated as digital objects influenced by user actions, platform algorithms, and infrastructures. Introducing the concept of modulators, the framework differentiates between user- and platform-governed factors regulating affordance properties. The study applies the framework to analyze social media affordances in transnational social media communication and calls for further exploration of affordance enablers and disablers, cross-platform comparisons, and cultural influences. Further, key challenges for research are highlighted, including limited data access, algorithmic opacity, and governance variations.