Around the world, the ubiquity of social media is growing, but its effects remain to be fully understood. Alumnus Anatoliy Gruzd (@gruzd) explores the impacts of social media on modern life, from interpersonal communication to the formation of political structures, in his research.
Where do you work and what is your role?
I am a Canada Research Chair in Social Media Data Stewardship, associate professor at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University (Toronto, Canada), and director of the Social Media Lab at Ryerson. I am also a coeditor of Big Data and Society, a multidisciplinary journal published by SAGE. My primary job as a researcher is to examine how social media is changing the ways in which people communicate, disseminate information, form communities, and conduct business, and how these changes impact the social, economic, and political structures of modern society.
What do you like best about your job?
I get to work with some very talented students and colleagues. I also get to explore some very interesting research questions, such as: what makes someone influential on social media, do our offline social networks mirror our online networks, and does social media use make our politics more or less polarizing?
What do you see as the most important impact of your work?
My work provides decision makers with additional knowledge and insights into the behaviors and relationships of online network members, and helps them understand how these interpersonal connections influence our personal choices and actions.
How did the iSchool at Illinois help you get to where you are today?
The School gave me a solid foundation as a researcher and taught me how to look at the world.
What advice would you like to share with iSchool students?
Go and talk to your professors. Get to know their work. You never know where the conversation will lead. A chance conversation with Caroline Haythornthwaite, one of my professors at the School, helped to launch my career as a researcher.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
My job is pretty demanding, but when I do have free time, I like to travel and explore.