Patterns, Models, and Challenges in Online Social Media: A Survey

TL;DR

This survey reviews empirical findings and models of online social media, highlighting patterns, methodological challenges, and the need for more integrated and validated frameworks to better understand digital social dynamics.

Contribution

It provides a systematic synthesis of existing research, assessing models and methodologies, and aims to establish a shared empirical baseline for future studies.

Findings

Identification of platform-level regularities

Assessment of current modeling frameworks

Highlighting methodological heterogeneity

Abstract

The rise of digital platforms has enabled the large scale observation of individual and collective behavior through high resolution interaction data. This development has opened new analytical pathways for investigating how information circulates, how opinions evolve, and how coordination emerges in online environments. Yet despite a growing body of research, the field remains fragmented and marked by methodological heterogeneity, limited model validation, and weak integration across domains. This survey offers a systematic synthesis of empirical findings and formal models. We examine platform-level regularities, assess the methodological architectures that generate them, and evaluate the extent to which current modeling frameworks account for observed dynamics. The goal is to consolidate a shared empirical baseline and clarify the structural constraints that shape inference in this domain, laying the groundwork for more robust, comparable, and actionable analyses of online social systems.