This paper provides a comprehensive review of the literature on social media and social networking, focusing on 132 papers published between 1997 and 2017 in selected Information Systems (IS) journals. The study identifies multiple emergent themes in the existing corpus, offering insights into the behavioral aspects of social media, the integration of social media for organizational purposes, its viability as a marketing medium, and various risks and negative stigmas associated with its use. The review highlights the evolution of social media research from a multidisciplinary perspective, including its definition, technological advancements, and the impact on user behavior, organizational outcomes, and marketing strategies. The study also explores the role of social media in online communities, critical events, and public administration, as well as the comparison between traditional and social media. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the current state of social media research and provide a foundation for future studies.This paper provides a comprehensive review of the literature on social media and social networking, focusing on 132 papers published between 1997 and 2017 in selected Information Systems (IS) journals. The study identifies multiple emergent themes in the existing corpus, offering insights into the behavioral aspects of social media, the integration of social media for organizational purposes, its viability as a marketing medium, and various risks and negative stigmas associated with its use. The review highlights the evolution of social media research from a multidisciplinary perspective, including its definition, technological advancements, and the impact on user behavior, organizational outcomes, and marketing strategies. The study also explores the role of social media in online communities, critical events, and public administration, as well as the comparison between traditional and social media. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the current state of social media research and provide a foundation for future studies.