The Internet of Things (IoT) and the Transformation of Social Interaction: A Bibliometric Analysis

This study explores the evolving relationship between the Internet of Things (IoT) and social interaction through a comprehensive bibliometric analysis. By examining indexed literature from the Scopus database, the research maps the intellectual structure, thematic trends, and global collaboration patterns in this interdisciplinary domain. Using VOSviewer for visualization, the study identifies core research themes—such as smart environments, artificial intelligence, emotion recognition, data privacy, and trust management—and reveals a transition from infrastructure-based studies to socially and cognitively oriented applications. The analysis highlights key authors, dominant publication clusters, and countries leading the field, with the United States, China, and India emerging as major contributors. Co-authorship and keyword co-occurrence networks show increasing emphasis on ethical, affective, and user-centric dimensions of IoT. Temporal and density analyses confirm a shift toward emerging concerns in healthcare, education, and social behavior. The findings emphasize the need for inclusive and socially responsive approaches in future IoT research and development, positioning IoT not only as a technological innovation but as a transformative force in shaping human relationships and communication.