Impact of digital media on individual and mass behavior: Trick or Treat?
Are you constantly scrolling through your social media feed, refreshing for the latest updates? Do you mindlessly click on articles and videos recommended to you by algorithms? If so, you’re not alone! The digital age has brought about a revolution in how we consume and interact with media, but have you ever stopped to think about its impact on our individual and collective behavior?
In this blog post, We’ll dive into the fascinating world of digital media and its effects on our thinking, feeling, and acting. From the power of algorithms to the rise of fake news, we’ll explore the good, the bad, and the ugly of the digital media landscape. So grab your phone, put down the scroll, and join me on a journey to uncover the true impact of digital media on our lives.
Advances in technology are the key to significant technological changes in our time. Accordingly, communication and relationships between people are increasingly taking place in the digital world, but in addition to private relationships, changes are also taking place in the business environment, and social media are becoming an inevitable part of today’s society.
Traditional media are losing their importance due to digitization, and the Internet and social networks are becoming the main channel of business and social communications and a place for entertainment, information, and news.
A. M. Kaplan and M. Haenlein divide social media into 6 focus points of social media: “Collaborative projects, blogs, content communities, social networking sites, virtual game worlds, and virtual social worlds”
collaborative projects — Wikipedia as an example
blogs and content communities — for example Tumblr and Twitter
community content — stated by Youtube
social networks — mentions Facebook, Google Plus
virtual worlds (games) — such as World Of Warcraft
virtual social worlds — they mention Second Life.
Social media, with their frequent development and expansion and constant presence in users' lives, have strongly influenced the communication process, which is changing and taking on new forms. Social media users are also providers, not just consumers of content, because the ultimate goal is to interest users, and they are the ones who have this as their goal.
Given that the Internet nowadays is easily accessible to social media that change the way users and companies communicate and enable the development of a creative culture where the user actually helps create the content that is shown to them in such a way that their behavior is recorded depending on the content that is shown to him.
Depending on their activities on social media, companies can form the desired content to convey to the target audience, thereby influencing their behavior.
However, in addition to the content that is targeted at certain groups of users, some research shows that over 90% of Internet users follow the reviews of other users, and 89% of them claim that they influence the final purchase.
This tells us that social media can not only affect the consumer but also influence the building of the brand image and thus form their behavior, for example, negative feedback can force them to do something they didn’t plan or wouldn’t do in the opposite situation.
It is precise because an individual has the ability to change the opinion and behavior of others that the term “influencer” was created, which is used as a label for individuals who have an influence on the behavior of potential customers. This alone puts an emphasis on the implementation of marketing activities around “influencers” because in this way we address a smaller number of users who anyway convey the message to the entire target market. They form their platforms or networks of people by conveying information and viewpoints on certain topics and are better informed about some of the topics they want to convey than the average person.
Therefore, we can conclude that marketing on social media refers to a company’s strategy aimed at encouraging already existing informed consumers and new potential consumers to exchange suggestions, information, and messages about their products, services, or the brand itself. Considering the number of platforms and the strength of the previously mentioned 6, social networks and blogs would be the most popular social media.
Impact of digital media on individual
Social media are an important part of human daily life, whether it is about their conscious use or unconscious exposure to media content and stimuli, which today’s society abounds in. If we take into account the use of all media, we can notice that any form of social life today is hard to imagine without their use. They affect numerous aspects of society, such as economy, politics, and culture, and at all levels: global, national, regional, organizational, and every day.
Throughout the history of the development of modern society, the media are means of communication that change and adapt depending on social applications and types of relationships. The relationship between the media and social changes can be seen as a positive, but also as a negative change. On the one hand, we believe that the media have a very positive influence on society. Great hopes are placed in the fact that there are media that can enrich children’s lives, encourage them to think creatively, reduce the difference between social classes, but also change some of their unhealthy behaviors, and ultimately contribute to social development. On the other hand, there is a growing concern that the media can dull the senses, produce indifference and reduce compassion, create stereotypes and contribute to social isolation.
Social media has a wide range of impacts on individuals, some of the most notable include:
- Connection and community: Social media platforms allow people to connect with others with similar interests, beliefs, and experiences. This can lead to a sense of belonging and increased social support.
- Increased self-expression: Social media platforms allow individuals to share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences with a wide audience. This can be empowering and can lead to increased self-esteem.
- Amplification of emotions: Social media can also amplify emotions, both positive and negative. For example, reading positive comments or “likes” on a post can boost one’s mood, while reading negative comments can lead to feelings of sadness or anger.
- Exposure to diverse perspectives: Social media can expose individuals to a wide range of perspectives and ideas, which can broaden one’s understanding of the world.
- Negative impacts on mental health: Social media can also have negative impacts on mental health, particularly if users engage in excessive use or if they are exposed to harmful content. Studies have linked social media use to increased feelings of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.
- Cyberbullying: Social media also provide an easy way for people to bully others, and it can be difficult to escape from cyberbullying.
- Spread of misinformation: Social media can also be used to spread misinformation, which can harm individuals and society.
It is important to note that the impact of social media on individuals can vary depending on factors such as the individual’s personality, social support network, and the specific platform or apps used.
Impact of digital media on mass behavior
Social media has significantly impacted mass behavior, shaping how people communicate, consume information and form opinions. Social media platforms provide an easy way for people to connect with others who share similar interests, beliefs, and experiences and can lead to a sense of belonging and increased social support. However, social media can also amplify emotions, both positive and negative and can lead to cyberbullying, spread of misinformation and can cause negative impacts on mental health. Furthermore, social media can also be used to mobilize and organize political and social movements, amplifying the voices of marginalized communities.
Digital media has significantly impacted mass behavior, shaping how people communicate, consume information, and form opinions. Some of the most notable impacts include:
- The rise of echo chambers: Digital media allows individuals to easily seek out and consume information that confirms their existing beliefs and opinions, creating “echo chambers” where people are exposed to only a narrow range of perspectives. This can lead to increased polarization and a lack of understanding of opposing viewpoints.
- The spread of misinformation: The ease of creating and sharing content on digital platforms has increased the spread of misinformation. This can have serious consequences, particularly in the areas of health, politics, and science.
- The influence of algorithms: The algorithms used by digital media platforms can shape the information people see and influence how people think and behave. For example, social media algorithms can be designed to show users content that they are likely to engage with, which can create a “filter bubble” and limit exposure to diverse perspectives.
- The impact on traditional media: Digital media has also had a significant impact on traditional forms of media, such as newspapers and television, which have seen declines in readership and viewership as more people turn to digital platforms for their news and entertainment.
- The role of social media in political and social movements: Social media has been used to mobilize and organize political and social movements, such as the Arab Spring and the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as to amplify the voices of marginalized communities.
- The impact on consumer behavior: Digital media has also significantly impacted consumer behavior, with e-commerce and online advertising playing a major role in shaping how people shop and make purchasing decisions.
It’s important to note that the impact of digital media on mass behavior can vary depending on factors such as the specific platform, the content being consumed
Well folks, we’ve reached the end of our journey exploring the wild and wonderful world of social media and its impact on both individual and mass behavior. We've seen everything from the power of connection and community to the darker side of echo chambers and misinformation. But one thing’s for sure, social media is here to stay, and it’s up to us to use it wisely. So go forth and scroll, share, and connect, but remember to take a break every once in a while, and to always approach the information you consume with a healthy dose of skepticism and critical thinking. After all, it’s all about balance, right?
