Social Media and The Entertainment Industry: LJ 8

I rarely use broadcast media anymore. I don’t have a need for it–I read news from online, use the weather app for weather, watch television and movies on Netflix and Hulu, and watch sports on Hulu or at a sports bar. I never had a huge interest in watching broadcasted events (such as the Oscars or Grammys), and I end up seeing the highlights on social media anyways. It was interesting to learn that even though the most recent Oscars had the most social media interactions in history, the TV viewership was actually less than before (Bauder 2022).

Social media is essentially the only connection I have to broadcast media. Anything I learn about programs on television is through Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter. The most interaction I have with broadcast media through social media is engaging with posts about broadcast media programs if they come across my feed. The one exception, however, was back in 2019 when Game of Thrones season 8 came out. I was very active on social media as each episode was released, as was a large chunk of the population.

I do not interact with many social media stars or influencers. Some content has come across my feed, but I never seek it out. Most people in my direct circle are the same way, so I do not communicate with others about social media stars or influencers. I would not consider myself an influencer, nor do I want to be one. I do, however, think I will need to work with them in the future. I want to work in Marketing, and the popularity and usage of Influencer Marketing are rapidly increasing. 

The readings did not change my feelings, beliefs, or ideas about social media stars and influencers. However, some interesting points were made. I have pondered the new era of celebrities, and it is interesting to see that fame is gained through different channels than in the past. Social media has drastically changed the way celebrities are made, and many of these social media stars become even more famous by promoting products, getting brand deals, and influencing people to make purchases. Even the rise to success of musicians is changing: “Before the digital area, an artist had to release a single album each year. Next, they had to tour the world to promote it. This required a lot of money and time. Today, this top singer creates the album and promotes it on Spotify, Instagram, and YouTube to monetize its creative work” (Muriuki 2022).

The changing landscape of entertainment due to social media is a fascinating topic. I enjoyed reading about it and thinking about my relationship with it all.

Bauder, D. (2022, March 29). Social media explodes during Oscars; TV viewership doesn't. AP NEWS. Retrieved May 4, 2022, from https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-oscars-will-smith-chris-rock-entertainment-dff89903b59e66c4dde57a31116b3ba3 

Muriuki, P. (2022, February 2). How is digital media affecting the entertainment industry? Startup Info. Retrieved May 4, 2022, from https://startup.info/how-is-digital-media-affecting-the-entertainment-industry/ 

Hands-On Assignment 4

After watching SXSW’s video “Maria Ressa & Peter Pomerantsev on the Battle for Truth” I decided to do this assignment on social media’s effects on politics. I thought this topic fit well with information we learned in past weeks, specifically social media propaganda and social media’s role in the spread of misinformation. Additionally, I personally struggled with my political identity in terms of social media– I unintentionally let it shape the way I think.

Social Media in the Work Environment: LJ 7

With the rise of social media came explosive growth in the world of marketing and advertising. The reach and impact that social media now has with recently developed technologies have become unfathomable. Social media is now arguably the most beneficial and influential marketing channel. Every company’s target audience is likely on social media, so it is vital for these companies to utilize these platforms and make the most out of consumers’ habits.

If done correctly, the reach is huge, and the cost is low relative to other channels: “You can grow as a page on social media networks by simply being consistent and posting interesting and relatable content for your audience” (Henderson 2020). By putting in work towards optimizing SEO and creating meaningful and engaging content, companies can grow their audience and increase visits to their social media profiles (therefore eventually their website) in a cost-effective, low-budget way. 

In addition to its measurable benefits, social media is great for building company-customer relationships. Companies are given the opportunity to tell their story and create a community. It gives existing and potential customers a place to have real, reliable conversations about a product. This provides companies with earned exposure, which is “when customers relay their positive experiences to others via social media sites for reviews and ratings…early research found that three-fourths of comments to retailer sites were positive” (Lipschultz 2020). 

Using proper analytics platforms, social media also allows you to target your desired audience, track their behavior, learn their buying patterns, and build custom audiences for different campaigns (Henderson 2020). Obtaining customer data is easier now more than ever. For example, a company can see which customers were interested in what content, who clicked which call-to-action, who ended up purchasing, what your different customers are interested in, and so much more. As stated before, the possibilities are truly endless. 

As an aspiring professional in marketing or advertising, I feel as though my relationship with social media can make or break my career. Staying on top of the latest trends, learning how to use different social media and social media analytics platforms, and keeping myself updated on ever-developing technologies will all prove to help my career greatly. However, if I do the opposite and lose touch with my knowledge of social media, I will soon become expendable and unnecessary to whichever organization I end up working for. Additionally, my personal social media presence is important in my career journey. My profiles need to be appropriate and relatively professional. My social media pages are the first things any employer will see, therefore they need to reflect positively on me.

Henderson, G. (2020, July 2). The importance of social media marketing. The Importance Of Social Media Marketing. Retrieved May 3, 2022, from https://www.digitalmarketing.org/blog/the-importance-of-social-media-marketing 

Lipschultz, J. H. (2020). Social Media Communication (3rd ed.). Routledge.

Social Media Lies: LJ 6

The first part of this week’s readings taught me a lot about social media regulations, laws, and ethics. It discussed internet and social media laws present in the United States, as well as in other countries such as China and the U.K. It was interesting to think about the presence of different social media platforms in different countries, and how laws and regulations affect user activity based on geography. This discussion is all the more relevant in recent years, as social media’s capabilities are rapidly advancing: “concern over illegal online behavior in cyberspace is nothing new, but the openness of social media publishing generates many more cases and concerns” (Lipschultz 2020).

In addition to the laws, the ethics behind the ever-changing and developing social media landscape was discussed. Ideas about what is or isn’t allowed and what should or should not be allowed were presented. I enjoyed learning about the ways lawmakers, governments, and social media conglomerates companies such as Facebook and Twitter navigated the rapid technological advancement in terms of laws and ethics. I thought this material was very insightful and interesting. We are all active on social media, so knowing and understanding its laws and considering the ethics behind them is important. 

Reading this material also reinforced some privacy concerns that have always been in the back of my mind. Facebook specifically has been in the news about some data or privacy scandals more than it should have been. “Facebook, or Meta, doesn’t hold a credible stance for data privacy. So, what’s troubling for the existing (and future) Meta users is how the company aims to protect their privacy” (Hashim 2022). Though I am not very active on Facebook, I am active on WhatsApp and Instagram, so the numerous privacy breaches are concerning.

Even with privacy concerns in mind, I never took the time to go out of my way to learn how to be safer online. Nothing bad in terms of cybersecurity has ever happened to me, so I always had a lax mentality toward the subject. However, I am aware that this wasn’t the smartest way of thinking and acting. I am glad the readings not only made internet security a higher priority in my mind, but they also taught me tips on how to have a safer online presence. The National Security Alliance shared how you should “learn about and use the privacy and security settings on social networks…Protect your reputation on social networks…Be cautious about how much personal information you provide on social networking sites…Use tools to manage the information you share with friends in different groups or even have multiple online pages… Keep security software current” and more suggestions (“Social Media” 2022).

The second part of this week’s readings heavily considered the state of lies, misinformation, and propaganda in relation to social media. Throughout history, there has been an issue with unethical media practice of spreading inaccurate information for personal, organizational, or political gain. Unfortunately, the rise of social media has severely enabled this practice. In fact, according to an MIT study, “false rumors spread faster and wider than true information… falsehoods are 70% more likely to be retweeted on Twitter than the truth, and reach their first 1,500 people six times faster” (Brown 2020). It is worryingly easy to spread conspiracy theories and false information, especially since rumors are more likely to elicit a reaction from the reader because it is likely novel and unusual.

Misinformation is additionally more likely to be spread when it is about politics: “A study of Twitter users that rated their political leanings found that both liberals and conservatives end up sharing information from sites that repeatedly post news of low credibility” (Menczer and Hills 2020). Because rumors often go viral, they are often the more accessible pieces of “news,” and they end up being what people believe, discuss, and pay attention to. This unfortunately feeds into the already intense political polarization that exists in our country.

The amount of Americans that get their news online is on a rapid rise– it has actually doubled since 2013 (Stecula and Pickup 2021). I am included in this population. It is the easiest, most convenient way to learn about current events. We are already online and present on social media, so it easily fits into our routines without extra steps or effort. I have always been aware of the rapid spread of misinformation, the exposure to conspiracy theories, echo chambers, confirmation bias, politicians’ manipulative roles and intentions in all of this, and many related topics, and this week’s readings reinforced my knowledge and concerns on the topics. I always fact-check what I read, and take any “breaking” headline with a grain of salt. I have strong political beliefs, but I try not to only read what supports my beliefs or get swayed too easily by information I learn online. It is certainly difficult because my algorithm knows what I believe, but I will always try and maintain neutral in the ways I obtain news.

Brown, S. (2020, October 5). MIT Sloan Research about social media, misinformation, and elections. MIT Sloan. Retrieved May 3, 2022, from https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/mit-sloan-research-about-social-media-misinformation-and-elections 

Hashim, A. (2022, February 16). Will 'meta' resolve data and privacy issues with 'facebook'? PrivacySavvy. Retrieved May 3, 2022, from https://privacysavvy.com/security/social/will-meta-resolve-facebook-data-privacy-issues/ 

Lipschultz, J. H. (2020). Social Media Communication (3rd ed.). Routledge.

Menczer, F., & Hills, T. (2020, December 1). Information overload helps fake news spread, and social media knows it. Scientific American. Retrieved May 3, 2022, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/information-overload-helps-fake-news-spread-and-social-media-knows-it/ 

Social Media. Stay Safe Online. (2021, June 30). Retrieved May 3, 2022, from https://staysafeonline.org/stay-safe-online/securing-key-accounts-devices/social-media/ 

Stecula, D. A., & Pickup, M. (1AD, January 1). Social Media, cognitive reflection, and conspiracy beliefs. Frontiers. Retrieved May 3, 2022, from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpos.2021.647957/full 

My Experience with Flickr: LJ 5

With social media usage rapidly increasing and smartphone camera quality constantly improving, it has “never been easier or, quite frankly, more fun to take photos” (Phungglan, 2021). It is now common to have tens of thousands of photos on your camera roll. Along with capturing and storing the photos, sharing them with family, friends, and the public has also become popularized. This fittingly led to a surge in demand for ways to organize and share a high volume of photos, and photo-sharing channels have thus become increasingly important. The readings for week 7 discussed photo-sharing platforms, techniques, benefits, and functions.

I thought it was interesting to learn about the various photo-sharing platforms and their different aspects. Sharing photos is something almost everyone does, and knowing the proper ways to do so is important. You may want to share some photos with specific people, keep some photos private and limit their access, or have them shared publicly for anyone to see. Different platforms fulfill different photo sharing needs. Google Photos, Amazon Photos, Dropbox, and iCloud Photos are some of the commonly mentioned private sharing platforms, while Flickr, SmugMug, and PhotoBlog were some of the public and online photo-sharing sites (Phungglan, 2021). 

I normally use iCloud Photos and Google Photos for my photo sharing needs. Additionally, I got the opportunity to familiarize myself with Flickr for this week’s assignment. I have always been aware of the platform and infrequently used it in the past to look at photos, but I had never posted on it myself.  I created an album with photos of my dog and embedded it onto my blog. Flickr was very easy to navigate, and it is a great place to share many photos online at once. You can share any albums or photos with specific people while also having them present on your public page. You can also edit photos within Flickr, share straight to other social media platforms, and like and comment on the platform itself.

I enjoyed using Flickr and think it is a great platform, but I honestly do not see myself being very active on it in the future. My accounts are already integrated with Google Photos and iCloud Photos, and there is no need for me to bring in another platform into my photo-sharing usage. I have no need for a public/online platform because that is what I use social media for. I also do not know of many people who use Flickr, making the likelihood of my frequent usage of it even less. 

Phungglan, J. (2021, September 22). The 20 best photo sharing sites and apps in 2021. Backlight. Retrieved May 3, 2022, from https://backlightblog.com/photo-sharing-websites-apps