Final answer:
Social media forms of electronic communication through which users create online communities to share ideas, information, personal messages, and other content.
Step-by-step explanation:
The forms of electronic communication through which users create online communities to share ideas, information, personal messages, and other content are known as social media. This includes various interactive platforms such as social networking sites, blogs, podcasts, wikis, and virtual worlds. Social media facilitates rapid, targeted, and interactive communication that can be potentially democratic.
Platforms have transformed the way we communicate and share information. They not only allow for social interaction but also serve as venues for discussion, debate, and even as channels for the dissemination and consumption of news and entertainment. Social media is influential in shaping cultural trends and global communication, evidenced by its role in significant events like the 2020 QAnon conspiracy theories.
Understanding the participatory nature of Web 2.0 is crucial, as users not only consume content but also actively participate by generating and sharing their own content. These new media are disruptive to traditional media and require careful judgment regarding their accuracy, ethics, and cultural responsiveness.