#Create: How Social Media is Controlling our Lives
Social media has become the holy grail to our current communication patterns seen throughout our years. 2017 was a controversial year in terms of social media, clout began to rise to artists and notable names online, networks gained larger traction with the presence of the American election, and trends were seen throughout. Trends became the online influenza for nearly everyone introducing the new and simple hacks to do everyday tasks, the Work-leisure lifestyle of travel and vlogging, and the introduction and use of Meme’s for the everyday citizen using sarcasm to excite their ever-so-dull lives that everyone online claims to have. Why were these trends so popular throughout 2017? Well, if you didn’t take a photo of it, well then I guess you didn’t eat it.
Our lives are vastly consumed with what goes on within the media. It is the be-all-end-all, while if any mere disconnection from the online world persists longer than 24 hours, you’ve dug yourself a black hole in the online world where you immediately feel like an outcast. It becomes inevitable that if you haven’t put some form of what you’ve done online, then you never really did it. Before the introduction of social media, the public would not know of any thoughts, emotions, or discussions amongst politicians and celebrities regarding particular social issues or topics unless statements were publically released. Now, the advancement of social media, like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, (the list goes on…) has connected the pathways to many individuals and has allowed the public to change the dynamics of social discussion (“Power Now Lies Within Social Media,” 2016).
Artists are the subjects of social speculation. They are able to attract and generate a multitude of likes, follows, and power over the remainder of our public society based off their conversations, thoughts, and posts on any given subject. The more liked of a person they are, the more audiences gravitate towards their thoughts. Like that, artists create their own filter bubbles, one’s that adhere to ideas, people, and movements they are passionate for. As an audience, we who follow, like, subscribe, and any other stalking-like action we do to be reminded and engaged with these names, constitute our own filter bubbles.
With the ability to remove any existence of a subject through the simple click of a button, it is nearly impossible in this day to completely burst algorithm-patterned bubbles we live in. In fact, we grow them. Hits like “Clique,” “Stronger,” and “Love Lockdown” gained my attention and admiration to follow Mr. West’s everyday moves on each social media platform available to me at the times these platforms were being introduced. Yet, as his fame grew and more social issues arose where Kanye was quick to disrupt the ideas of society prompted my unfollow as I was no longer interested in what felt like a self-absorbed superstar saying and doing anything to gain attention. Yet, did the loss of interest and subscription to his content burst my current filter bubble?
I am also a strong supporter of Lily Singh- a female entrepreneur who gained popularity online from posting relatable YouTube videos for the everyday Canadian. As she gained power within society, she became a strong activist for female’s coining the hashtag #GirlLove and sending awareness to stop Girl on Girl hate (Francis, 2016). I constantly find myself clicking on any links she shares, liking her photos, watching her comedic content on Youtube, and ultimately enjoying everything she shares. Although I do not advocate greatly for the same social issues, my act of engaging with her posts opens up the opportunity for other similar type issues/people that relate to my interests. This results in the echo chamber we as citizens live within. The media portrayed at us is often the result of strategic probing of our online information and history where businesses gain insight into who and how to market themselves to mass audiences. These businesses are not always product to consumer based, clout towards a certain celebrity is often seen or an internal search for brands wanting awareness of how their service is doing. Majority of our information provided is probed to what we want to hear. Artist’s of the matter, are the voice enabling thoughts of their filtered society repeating and engaging citizens in the content they agree to. Social Media, in fact, makes this action feasible to thousands of more people through the click of a button.
Disengaging between one person’s content does not burst our filter bubbles. It is eliminating certain subjects that do not interest ourselves, ultimately, pertaining to the notion of continuing the bubble further. It allows for opportunities from those that we follow to grow our interests and allow for other opinions (of similar nature) to be brought within our sphere. As citizens, we are stuck within an echo chamber of the entire entertainment industry, priming our mediated news outlets with suggestive stories that are filtered from opposing content. We are taught to overlook and show ignorance to that of which we do not agree with and rather surround ourselves with what makes us content.
Artists have the power over society from the acceptance and social awe we citizens feed them. They have the ability to reach mass audiences within split seconds via social media, where they are able to create discussion and thought amongst any topic. Taylor Swift, Eminem, and the remaining Artists in the entertainment industry grow their careers on echo chambers of approval, admiration, and popularity. And although this New Year has the ability to bring new changes to our communication and social media pathways, It’ll be years before we will see a break from the filtered sphere we live in. Because after all, the industry is controlling us.
(2018). I0.kym-cdn.com. Retrieved 1 February 2018, from http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/810/414/25b.jpg
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Francis, A. (2016). Superwoman Is Challenging You To Spread Some #GirlLove. HuffPost Canada. Retrieved 1 February 2018, from http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/01/05/superwoman-girl-love_n_8917704.html
INSTAGRAM IS DOWN just describe your food to me. (2018). quickmeme. Retrieved 1 February 2018, from http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3pxlfe
Kris Jenner Meme (2018). I.perezhilton.com. Retrieved 1 February 2018, from http://i.perezhilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/kris-jenner-meme-my-therapist-says-6__iphone_640.jpg
Power now lies with social media to shape public discourse. (2016). School of Arts and Social Sciences. Retrieved 1 February 2018, from https://www.monash.edu.my/sass/news/archive/2016/power-now-lies-with-social-media-to-shape-public-discourse
