The Future of New Media Studies and Big Data Related Threats: A Delphi Study

Today, considering the significant developments in the context of new communication technologies, the impact of these tools in technological, economic, social, and political terms is being studied by interdisciplinary departments. In particular, the new media field, which is in continuous movement due to the digitalization process through the internet and computer technologies, comes to the forefront. The present study aimsto identify issues that could be prominent in the future of new media studies by collecting data from experts in the field and open those issues for discussion. The Delphi technique, which is based on receiving controlled feedback from a specific group of experts and through a series of surveys, was used as the research method. As a result of the research, the topics of usage and protection of personal data, social media data analytics, cybersecurity, search engine optimization, and digital political communication will be prominent in the future of new media studies. All of these topics are related to big data and the problems that arise in its use, so the future of new media studies is discussed in light of this concept.