CM101 Project
Media literacy is the ability to engage, interpret, navigate, and create different media forms. These forms may consist of the internet, radio, television, social media, etc. Social media is the media form of focus for the documentary “Generation Like” and the article “The Babysitters Club”.When dealing with media forms, especially social media, most teens are unable to determine the validity of the content and are easily misled to thinking everything they see or hear about is true.
“Generation Like” emphasizes the influence social media has on young adults and how the majority aren’t educated properly to realize how the media uses the information they post or talk about. The teens discuss how impactful a “like” has on who they are and how others view them on various social media platforms. These users will do anything to get the most amount of likes on a post. The difference with social media today is that fans have more access to speak directly to the artists, celebrities, or brands that they like. The likelihood of actually being acknowledged by celebrities and influencers is easier and better attainable then it was years ago.Teens are always seeking for recognition and validation that what they are interested in is acceptable in society. When they get that recognition, they will do everything in their power to feel important and noticed again.
Ceili Lynch, a teenager from New York, speaks with Douglas Rushkoff about her involvement with social media and how it impacts her daily life. She is a huge fan of The Hunger Games trilogy and is constantly liking and retweeting posts related to the movies, in hopes of being recognized by one of the actors. There is even a movie website that allows the fans to compete with each other to win prizes online. What’s the motive behind this website? The teens only have a chance to win by sharing the movie’s content on Twitter. The participants may not realize but by participating in the contest, Twitter is reaping the benefits and using the kids as a way to make more money. In the eyes of the kids, this contest is a way to showcase to others how dedicated and involved they are to the movies. They don’t stop to understand the impact their actions have when sharing or liking content that is public.
Tyler Oakley is the prime example of someone who became very successful by posting and liking content on social media. He made a career out of it because he started accumulating a huge fan base. Other teenagers are inspired by how well known and liked he is from his Youtube videos. This is proof that anyone can start off from the bottom and work there way up to become someone so influential. The Pepsi contest that was shown in the beginning of the video clip is another way that companies use the consumers to promote different products and have them become the marketers. Everyone is going to jump on the opportunity to be featured in the Pepsi halftime commercial because it is first hand access to becoming noticed and accepted. Once you are noticed, it is one step closer to becoming “famous” and then praised for being involved in certain activities or interests you post about.
It’s not just the numerous followers and likes Tyler Oakley has that teens are attracted to. Going out in public and having people come up to these influencers asking for pictures and acting as if they are friends is what teens want to achieve. Having that huge following opens another door full of advantages such as new opportunities and collaborations where they have the possibility to work with other influencers that have an even bigger following. Tyler Oakley also has the ability to help smaller influencers gain more followers by just being seen with them in a photo or video. Teens interpret social media as being filled with endless benefits because that is what these influencers mostly portray to viewers.
“The Babysitter’s Club” by Jesse Barron discusses apps like Seamless and Yelp. These apps are made to assist people to find food places and deliver food wherever they are. The apps are succeeding because they make money without allowing the users to realize they are doing all the work. This system goes back to correctly understanding media and how it manipulates people. These users are so dependent on the media to help in their everyday lives that they even require an app to find places to eat for them. People are also more likely to use the apps if influencers are paid to promote them. Teens think that since influencers like the app then they will too and they will more likely be noticed if they use the app as well. The app then pushes the users to write a review about how the services have assisted them. By mindlessly writing the review, the app is again making a profit without having to do the work.
Seamless has come up with a fun, catchy song to promote their app. They used the melody of the known song, “We Built This City” by Starship. Using a known song to help promote their services is a genius idea. People will recognize the famous melody and because of its familiarity, will be more accepting and comfortable using the app. The song also portrays its inclusiveness to all different people and their backgrounds and beliefs. It showed the guy on the bicycle delivery food to people at a gay pride parade and then at a baseball game. Seamless is trying to express to users that no matter who you are they are welcoming everyone and will treat their customers with respect. This is a great tactic because people, especially teens, are seeking acceptance and wanting to feel like they belong to a community. Seamless encompasses all of these things and creates a positive image for themselves. Once a positive reputation is associated with the app, it is easier for influencers to want to promote them and get other people on board with the app.
Companies are all about forming connections with influencers and paying them to bring in the customers. The media can be very persuasive and pressure teens into buying certain products. It is necessary that we are all aware of what the media is capable of doing and how to distinguish between what information is fake or true.
