THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON CHANGES IN SOCIAL STRUCTURE IN THE DIGITAL ERA

Social media has brought fundamental changes in the social structure of society. This article aims to analyze how social media affects social communication, individual identity, power relations, and community dynamics in a digital society. The approaches used include structuralfunctional theory, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism within a sociological framework. The results of the study show that social media has an ambivalent impact: strengthening social integration while triggering fragmentation and conflict. A deep understanding of these changes is important as the basis for the formulation of adaptive and inclusive social policies.