Virtual Social Networks in Relation to the Mathematical and Semantic Theories of Information

Virtual social networks are common in today’s virtual communities. As one of the main components, information is vastly transmitted in these networks. Studying the mathematical and semantic theories of information as the bases of theoretical aspects of information transmission in virtual social networks is helpful in deepening research on the field. This review aimed to relate these two traditional theories of information to virtual social networks. The results showed that the three main components explained in the mathematical and semantic theories of information (including the message, the channel, and the sending/receiving human agent) are present in virtual social networks with a virtual identity. The paper discussed the implications of these components in transmitting the meaning of the messages exchanged across the virtual social networks.