Week #10 -Kirti Kande- The Power of Social Media
The Power of Social Media
Living in the 21st century, it is no surprise to any of us the power social media holds over us. For many of us, social media dictates our next move, what to wear, how to act, and many other decisions about ourselves. It can be a place of acceptance; where people find communities and help each other feel accepted in this society, a place of hatred; where people diminish people's character, looks, etc., and a place to build a career.
TikTok, a social media platform that has blown up this past year, has helped dictate the growth and future of many young influencers and music artists. Lil Nas X and Doja Cat are two music artists whose fame is due to TikTok. As their songs got popular on the app and shared across huge and various audiences, the number on the Billboard Music Charts got higher. These artists can have successful careers due to the app and grow their brand to larger and never-before anticipated lengths. Tiktok has also instigated the rise of a new group of influencers. When Vine first came out and when Youtube started gaining popularity, there was a rise of influencers; the same cycle is occurring with Tiktok. Teenagers who just danced or made videos in their bedroom now have multimillion-dollar careers. They are traveling the world, work with high-end companies, and can create their own clothing, makeup, etc. Tiktok has given thousands a purpose and career goal in life. What else can be more powerful?
Instagram, another social media and sharing platform, holds power over many individuals' lives and, even, careers. Many people have built their careers on Instagram by “influencing” and promoting various brand products. Instagram is also a place where a lot of online hate spreads. People post photos of unattainable body types, critique others for looking a certain way, bully others for not conforming to the “right” way of thinking, bully people for not acting “right”, and many other negative aspects. Regardless, it can also be a space where positive communities are formed and people try to uplift one another. When it comes to social media, there are always two sides to it: good and bad.
In the 21st century, social media holds a deep-rooted place in our lives. From the looks of it, the power social media has in society will not die down anytime soon, so it is our job, mentally, to make sure that we do not judge ourselves with people on social media. Remember social media is just a highlight reel of someone else's life.
Hey Kirti! The power social media holds over our lives is actually very scary. The time we spend addicted to our phones is solely because of the carefully designed algorithms on these social media platforms that entrance us to the point where we refuse to address it as a problem. While social media definitely has its perks and downsides, the lack of proper policing on social media makes it extremely dangerous. Spreading false news and even cyber bullying are all things easily done on social media behind an insignificant username. These actions can cause serious damage and division within our society. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI have never considered myself to be addicted to social media yet, of course, it does affect me. It is an overarching part of society, it affects how trends change. I find it very interesting because trends have always existed yet they would mostly come from magazines and celebrities, who take far longer to change trends. Now, things change constantly, it seems, especially with TikTok, that trends and micro trends emerge nearly every day. It will be interesting to see how the social landscape changes in the future considering how cluttered it already seems to be.
ReplyDeleteHey Kirthi! The power of social media really has pervaded many parts of our society and it is indeed a multi faceted issue in its moral grayness. After all everyone wants an easy job like influencer but no one likes the effect these influencers have on people and their self perception. I actually did not know that Lil Nas grew from TikTok though so the more you know! I like how you make sure to show the benefits of social media rather than just its horrible side to give a fair side to it, and I agree with your message of control when it comes to the effects of social media on us.
ReplyDeleteHi Kirti, I completely agree that social media has two sides to it. I liked how you first included a lot of positives of social media. Oftentimes people are so focused on the negative effects that it has that they forget the positive impact it has on a lot of people as well. I'm not saying that the negative effects are not harmful either, but that we shouldn't forget about the positive impact social media has, as there are always two sides to everything.
ReplyDeleteHey Kirti, the power that social media holds over us, as much as we would wish to deny it, is really omnipresent. Nowadays, it is impossible to go anywhere without mention of social media. If you walk into any cafe near us, chances are you will see advertisements telling you to follow them on their Instagram or their Facebook. Moreover, the power social media holds, not over us, but instead is capable of achieving, truly also is very important. We are at an age where to reach out to anyone, we can do so in the tap of a finger. If you want to spread an idea, that also is at the tap of a finger. The power of social media is one that holds enormous influence, thus consequently must be held with responsibility.
ReplyDeleteHi Kirti! It is actually unnerving to think about just how much influence social media has on our lives, as it is very deeply ingrained into our society. I was surprised to learn that Lil Nas X and Doja Cat rose to fame because of Tik Tok. While I do not use social media too much myself, it is very easy to fall into a dangerous cycle of negative thoughts and self-doubt if we constantly compare ourselves with others. Social media definitely has benefits and positive effects, and I like to think that it was started for this reason, but the deeper we delve, the more negatives we begin to see. It is important for us to remember that our involvement or general "addiction" was not just something that happened, but something that was specifically designed to happen due to algorithms.
ReplyDeleteHey Kirti, social media truly has been so embedded into our culture and lifestyle. For instance, I often see people travel to different places only to take pictures so they can post them online instead of just going to enjoy the place. While social media has its benefits like you said about promoting influencers and music artists, the environment social media creates can also become very toxic such as how it encourages groupthink as seen in various scenarios like cancel culture, so it is crucial to take some time away from social media from time to time. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Kirti, from our analysis on how social media has such a strong impact on its users, I don’t think I could imagine a world without it. Even though many older people do not use social media, almost all of the newer generation utilizes it daily. The effect of this however, in the falling popularity in the use of newspapers and radios. A teacher I had in the past told my class that he used to have newspapers to read every morning at his front porch, however, because they are so outdated now, there are not many newspaper facilities as there used to be fifty years ago. I do agree though, that social media has spread positivity to younger audiences especially with the growing support for the LGBTQ+ community and non gender based beauty standards.
ReplyDeleteHi Kirti! I definitely agree with you that social media has both a good and bad side. Social media can be a wonderful place to communicate with others of similar interest as you, share exciting events in your life, stay connected to current events in our world, and even start a career as an influencer. In a world of 7.9 billion people, it could be hard to find individuals with special talents. Luckily, social media allows people with special talents to promote themselves and stand out and build a career. However, social media can also be so negative as it portrays only the best in people's lives and causes others to feel unsatisfied with their own lives. The hatred and negativity on social media can also be mentally harmful and toxic.
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