Daniela Cantu
Do you ever sit there and think about what the world was like before social media? Well, I do. It’s crazy to think about how much social media has become part of our daily lives and has changed the way society works. One of the many things that social media has changed is celebrity culture. Social media has changed and is changing celebrity culture, the ways that people relate to celebrity images, how celebrities are produced, and how celebrity is practiced. (Marwick & Boyd)
The connection we have with celebrities today is unlike anything our world has experienced before. “Gossip websites, fan sites, and blogs provide a plethora of new locations for the circulation and creation of celebrity, moving between user-generated content and the mainstream media.” (Marwick & Boyd). Thanks to social media platforms, we now have a backstage pass to the lives of celebrities. Prior to social media, celebrities were these unattainable mysterious beings who you would only hear about on the news or in magazines. Now, we have access to their daily lives. We can stay up to date with what they’re doing, who they’re hanging with and can even have a conversation. These once unattainable people become your friends.
Nowadays, you can’t find a celebrity without at least one social media account. I truly don’t think you can be successful if you don’t have social media (unless you’re Adele or JLaw), and that’s simply because you need to be able to connect with your audience to stay relevant. If celebrities don’t have a way to communicate with their fans, people will simply forget about them.
Not only does social media help celebrities stay relevant, it can also make someone into a celebrity. Platforms such as YouTube and Vine have been used by many people to make a name for themselves. “YouTube has been a starting point for countless successful musicians, comedians, and actors over the last several years. Though the niches and talents vary, the general story seems to be the same: producing high quality content–whether a stand-up act or a cover of a popular song–can lead to fame and fortune for some.” (Johnston) And this continues to grow everyday.
This is a picture of the top 5 most subscribed YouTube channels. The most subscribed person on YouTube is gamer/vlogger PewDiePie. he has over 43 million subscribers. 43 MILLION. A few years ago, the most subscribed person only had 1 million subscribers. Crazy, right?
Just like we were talking about last class, success in social media can lead to opportunities for many of these content creators. Take YouTuber Grace Helbig (it'sgrace, formerly known as DailyGrace) for example. Grace Helbig is a comedian who has been posting videos since 2008. Seeing her success online, E! decided to give her her own talkshow, "The Grace Helbig Show". The hope was that Helbig, one of YouTube's most high-profile stars, would help broaden and diversify its audience by attract young digital viewers to television.
In this LA Times article about the show, Paul Verna, an analyst at EMarketer said: "if you're going to gamble on someone, why not gamble on someone who's already built an audience? This may become a gamble that doesn't pay off ... but that still wouldn't invalidate at all the concept of leveraging stars from digital platforms." But sometimes being "YouTube Famous" isn't enough. After a decent opening of 227,000 viewers, The Grace Helbig Show spiked to 262,000 for its second episode before falling to just 182,000 viewers for its third installment. Those aren’t the kind of big numbers that E! was hoping for and it’s a blow to the idea that YouTube stars can be easily translated to TV. The show ended up getting cancelled, but Helbig's YouTube channel is still going strong.
So I guess the question is, what exactly is the definition of a celebrity? Does correlate to their social media following? Is a 26 year old gamer from Sweden with 43 million subscribers a celebrity?
Works Cited
EEntertainment.
"The Grace Helbig Show | "The Grace Helbig Show" | Premieres
April 3rd | E!" YouTube. YouTube, 10 Mar. 2015. Web. 02 Apr.
2016.
Hamedy, Saba.
"E!'s Grace Helbig Experiment: Does YouTube Stardom Equal Ratings?" Los
Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2015. Web. 02 Apr. 2016.
Johnston,
Michael. "25 Celebrities Who Got Rich & Famous on YouTube."MonetizePros.
N.p., 06 May 2014. Web. 02 Apr. 2016.
Marwick,
Alice and Danah Boyd, “To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter,” Convergence
17.2 (2011): 139 – 158.
Becca Raab
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with the fact that social media has taken over our lives. It is crazy to even think there was a time when it did not exist. We are constantly checking our different accounts when we have a free second and I bet most of us could not imagine life without it now. Personally, I think it is really cool how we now have the ability to interact with celebrities and keep up with their daily lives. We don’t need to know everything about their every day lives, however I definitely think it allows fans to connect with their favorite celebrities on a better level.
Like Daniela says, it is like we have a back stage pass to the lives of our favorite celebrities. Before social media, we could really only see them through what they were famous for or on television news. “Celebrity practitioners reveal what appears to be personal information to create a sense of intimacy between participant and follower, publicly acknowledge fans, and use language and cultural references to create affiliations with followers” (Boyd, Marwick). I like how she describes them as mysterious figures because that is so true before social media. There are so many aspects of interaction that can happen today thanks to social media. I do not know if it is necessary that we know what they are doing at all times, but it is definitely a cool aspect that we now have access to. In one of our sources, on Entertainment News an article by Chip Dwyer goes into detail about how Kanye went on a rant and had a meltdown on twitter because of Wiz Khalifa. Is it necessary that the public knows about this? No, but it definitely lets us stay involved on what’s happening as well as keep us entertained.
I also think celebrities are more successful when they have various social media accounts. I think there are certainly some celebrities who don’t need them but those up and coming celebrities and artists can benefit from its features. The ability to connect with celebrities allow their success to happen because we want to know more and more. Like we talked about last week during the music blog, different social media platforms are now allowing different stars to be discovered. I believe social media allows for people to become famous more quickly and easily than it was years ago. There are many people that are famous today because of social media and has become a celebrity that happens in a non-traditional way. Years ago we considered celebrities people who were movie starts, music artists and television starts. However today, I think the list expands due to social media!
Daniela, I also like the last question you leave us to think about. What is our definition of a celebrity? Although we all may have different opinions, I think it is evident that social media allows us to interact with them more, as well as discover the next upcoming person.
Works Cited:
Marwick, Alice and Danah Boyd, “To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter,” Convergence 17.2 (2011): 139 – 158.
http://www.someecards.com/entertainment/celebrities/kanye-west-twitter-rant-wiz-waves/
By Chris La Bella
ReplyDeleteAt this point in time when one considers aspects of celebrity culture, it is evident that a relatively strong social media presence is vital. Everyone accepts and understands the notion that a celebrity can connect with their fans, and build stronger relationships through their use of applications like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. With this said, the real question that comes to my mind is – do most celebrities truly care about “connecting” with their fans? Or, do they simply make accounts on social media to remain relevant, earn extra revenue through sponsored posts, or fix a broken an image? While many celebrities like Taylor Swift seem loyal to their social media followers by seemingly granting individuals access to “hidden” aspects of celebrity life, it appears as though the main intent of a celebrity on social media is not to befriend everyone who chooses to follow him or her, but take advantage of that so-called “connection” for personal gain.
I believe that a large percentage of individuals that follow their favorite celebrities on social media sites have this idealistic mindset that their favorite celebrities are entirely devoted to forming an electronic “friendship” with their followers. Think of it this way. If we as fans, and especially as media studies majors, realize that a social media presence is important for a celebrity to have, why do we seem to assume that celebrities that “connect” with us aren’t in it for increased revenue through sponsorship, and increased sales by intriguing more followers. If we understand the benefits of a popular celebrity social media account, then consider how Taylor Swift is the most marketable musician among young Americans, according to a recent study (Billboard). This could demonstrate that Swift successfully took advantage of the “connection” she had with her fans just to benefit herself monetarily. I find it rather ridiculous that individuals can feel as though they understand celebrities at a deeper level thanks to social media, and feel a mutual relationship, when in reality, only one party benefits from the so-called “friendship”- the celebrity.
Beyond celebrities taking advantage of their relationships with fans on social media for monetary gain, another use of social media is to fix a broken image and regain popularity. Just look at how successful Justin Bieber was at doing so. After posting a video on Facebook following his appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres Show in which he apologized for his behavior the past couple of years (Blistein), it seems as though the artist is headed on the right track. A simple apology to his millions of followers on social media, and he does not have to worry about his DUI, and vandalism allegations coming back to hinder any future success. Now, did Justin Bieber really care about letting his fans down, or did he just want to regain their backing for his music? My spin on it goes as follows. While some celebrities overwhelmingly please their followers by putting an actual human feel into their social media accounts, one cannot forget that celebrities may have a hidden agenda they are pursuing through their popular efforts on social media.
Works Cited
Billboard Staff. "Taylor Swift Wins 'Most Marketable' in New Study, Followed By Justin Timberlake." Billboard. Billboard, 14 Jan. 2016. Web. 04 Apr. 2016. .
Blistein, Jon. "Justin Bieber Apologizes: 'I'm Not Who I Was Pretending to Be'" Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone, 29 Jan. 2015. Web. 04 Apr. 2016. .
Hi Daniela!
ReplyDeleteI think about how the world would be today without social media almost everyday of my life. Social medias are great because we can stay connected with friends and family with just a click of a button. I love that I don’t have to live in the unknown when it comes to following what my classmates or teammates from high school are currently undertaking. While that is the biggest benefit to having social medias, people have no self-control on the amount of time they spend on social medias a day. Unfortunately, I am very guilty of this crime and one of my main reasons for using social medias so frequently is to follow celebrities and celebrity gossip. I have to agree with Daniela, “Thanks to social media platforms, we now have a backstage pass to the lives of celebrities. Prior to social media, celebrities were these unattainable mysterious beings who you would only hear about on the news or in magazines. Now, we have access to their daily lives. We can stay up to date with what they’re doing, who they’re hanging with and can even have a conversation. These once unattainable people become your friends.” Before social media, celebrities were considered a mystery. They were just these perfect human specimens that we all wish we could be. Now, we are able to follow their lives from the time the wake up until they fall asleep its absolutely creepy but not at the same time. I think the best part is that we are able to see what kind of people they are and that they are just people like you and I. Social media platforms are also a way for celebrities to connect with their fans, “Celebrity practitioners reveal what appears to be personal information to create a sense of intimacy between participant and follower, publicly acknowledge fans, and use language and cultural references to create affiliations with followers.” (Boyd, Marwick)
Daniela took the words right out of my mouth, “Not only does social media help celebrities stay relevant, it can also make someone into a celebrity.” People with no talent and a lot free time are now becoming famous simply because of their controversial or half naked photos. Reality stars such as the Kardashian-Jenner family are making millions off social media and bringing lots of controversial attention to their posts. Many celebrities use social medias for different reasons. Whether it is a nude mirror picture with a caption defending their body against body shamers or bringing awareness to a specific cause they find important, celebrities take to social media to reach out to the world. “In 2015, Instagram was the platform of choice for celebrities to make their biggest reveals, political statements, and air their dirty laundry, so to speak. From Kim Kardashian's nude pregnancy selfie to Chrissy Teigen's attempt to #FreetheNipple, here are the 10 most memorable moments of the year.” (WMagazine) The definition of a celebrity is definitely changing and our way have an intimate connection with celebrities has completely evolved.
Works Cited
"Best of 2015: Instagram's Ten Best Moments." W Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
Marwick, Alice and Danah Boyd, “To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter,” Convergence 17.2 (2011): 139 – 158.
You bring up a great point with You-tubers having their own shows on TV. While Grace Helbig was not very successful on TV and bunch of other youtube stars, have been. Some You-tubers do really well with having their own successful TV show and others like Grace Helbig don't find their TV audience.
ReplyDeleteOne Show based on a youtube show that did well was The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange from Popular youtube channel daneboe. This show Stared Toby Turner of the also Popular Tobuscus Channel. This show did really well as USA Today Reports "the 15-minute program has averaged nearly 2.5 million viewers in its first two weeks" (Keveney) The show continued to be popular enough to get a second season. This shows that it is worth taking a gamble on YouTubers because of the fresh new ideas and their already built in fans.
This year there are many new TV shows that have YouTubers starring in them or have the show based on one of their youtube shows. New Media Rockstars reports that There are nine shows that are out or are planning to come out from popular YouTubers. (Desimone) One that i am looking forward to is Cuckoo By NBC. It will feature Flula Borg as the main character. Flula has his own very popular youtube channel and had a major role in Pitch Perfect 2. This is a remake of a BBC show by the same name that featured andy samburg.
Another show that is going to come out is Losin' it Staring Popular Youtuber Shane Dawson also on NBC. (Desimone) This is going to be a sitcom about working in the weight loss industry. This one also will do well as Shane is a very funny and creative person.
One show that has come out that was born from the internet is Adam Ruins everything featuring Adam Connover from College Humor. This show is on True Tv and has been popular enough to get renewed for a second season. (Gutelle)
Works Cited
DeSimone, Evan. "YouTubers on TV: Who's Making The Jump? - New Media Rockstars." New Media Rockstars. 24 Feb. 2015. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
Gutelle, Sam. "TruTV Picks Up New Episodes Of 'Adam Ruins Everything,' 'Billy On The Street' - Tubefilter." Tubefilter. 07 Jan. 2016. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
Keveney, Bill. "'Annoying Orange' Joke Is on Cartoon Network." USA TODAY. 25 June 2012. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
I love the question ‘what is a celebrity,’ because it means something different to everyone. In my eyes, a celebrity is someone that is given more attention than the average person, which if you think about it is kind of comical. Celebrities become celebrities because of the attention they receive from non-celebrities. Wow that was a fun game of ‘how many times can you use the word celebrity in a single sentence.’ Anyway, I do believe that individuals that find success through social media can be considered celebrities. However, their niche may not be the same as our stereotypical idea of a celeb.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was younger I would associate being famous or being a celebrity with being in a movie or a tv show. My idea as to who could make the list was very narrow, and I didn’t even consider musicians celebrities. Stop, I know. I was young. I was naïve. Today, I believe that musicians may be the biggest celebrities of them all. A few big names that come to mind are Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and One Direction (both as a whole and as individuals). They are all very active on social media, and so they create a relationship with their followers that is unlike most other celebrities. According to a study, “millennials (and younger) like and trust [Taylor Swift] the "Blank Space" singer more than any other artist out there, making her especially attractive to brands and marketers” (Taylor Swift Wins 'Most Marketable' in New Study, Followed By Justin Timberlake). This sort of title goes a long way both for Taylor Swift and for companies looking to promote a product to the millennial generation. Using a familiar and trustworthy voice will only help their product sales.
Another interesting point to touch on is how far a celebrities name will take a product. Rather than paying for advertising on billboards or even on TV, companies have turned to celebrities to promote their products. According to a database, “the objective is to determine the best possible "compatible fit" between the personality attributes of the celebrity and the image attributes of the brand -- yielding high awareness and impact against the intended consumer target” (The Value of Celebrity Endorsements). This point I find especially interesting because companies seem to be shifting their focus with endorsements to those who have found success on social media. I believe that the reasoning for this is because their voices may be more believable. People start to think, “Well, they’ve never lied to me before so maybe this is the best shampoo on the market.” Granted that may not be everyone’s though process, but it speaks true to the impact that a celebrity can have on an individual.
So all in all, everyone has his or her own definition of a celebrity. However, I believe that if you and a group of individuals give someone attention for something they are good at then they could be considered a celebrity. There should be a scale to measure how much of a celebrity someone is.
Works Cited
"The Value of Celebrity Endorsements." QScores.com 27 Jan. 2014. Web.
“Taylor Swift Wins 'Most Marketable' in New Study, Followed By Justin Timberlake.” Billboard.com 14 Jan. 2016. Web.
Hey Daniela, I responded to your blog because I did my blog on something very similar and I agree with everything you had to say in your blog. You are a hundred percent correct when you state that social media has become such a big part of our daily lives and that it has changed the way society works. The first thing you mention is about how social media provides us with a backstage pass into a celebrities life. “Part of the appeal of Twitter, as we will discuss, is the perception of direct access to a famous person, particularly ‘insider’ information, first-person pictures, and opinionated statements”(Marwick & Boyd). I think this is one of the most unique and exclusive things that social media allows and that its one of the biggest reasons that social media is so important and so widely used. I know you mentioned how we used to only hear about celebrities via magazines and or in the news. I know this is so cliche, but when I was younger I remember me and my sister used to allows read the magazines whenever we were at the grocery store with my mom waiting in line, and even when we used to go to CVS. There are many magazines that have false information about celebrities, I know just the other day I was in Stop & Shop and saw a magazine with a headline about Kim Kardashian and Kanye West and how they're going to get a divorce. If this was a couple years ago I would have picked up the magazine and read he story as I walked around. Except, now, because of social media I no longer feel the need to do that because celebrities like Kim Kardashian will be the first one to post about how select magazines are just making stuff up. Even without her posting something that is directly about this tabloid, I know it is false because of social media. I have her on snapchat and I can see that her and Kayne are both happy and everything else they're doing. For example, I saw their entire easter through her snapchat, and it definitely doesn't look like they want a divorce.
ReplyDeleteIn the article ‘Kanye West is having a meltdown Twitter rant against Wiz Khalifa. It's the most Kanye thing ever.’ it shows how both musicians, Kayne and Wiz used social media to talk about their issue. “Kanye West is currently unloading a Twitter rant against Wiz Khalifa, who took to Twitter last night and criticized the name change for Kanye's latest album”(Dwyer). Later you would probably see the tabloids exaggerating the situation, or saying something crazy like they ran into each other and got into a physical altercation. With social media we got to see the argument as it happened, and we now exactly what was said between the two. Celebrities can benefit from this because over so many year they have had tabloids write so many awful untruthful things about them and with social media they can take action and state what is actually true and what is not. Celebrities can reach fans faster then a magazine.
One of my favorite points that you make in your blog is that celebrities NEED social media to stay relevant. I agree, Adele is making great music she’s very talented and may not need social media right now but what happens when she gonna take a break and not release any new music, or JLAW and hunger game phase is over? Social media will allow them to still be relevant by reaching out to their fans making sure they know they're still around. A good example is Justin Timberlake. He hasn't had any new albums but he uses social media to show fans that he's still around and still in the music industry even though he doesn't have anything new right now. He lets his fans see what he has been working on recently or just what he has been doing in general. Even celebrities who are very relevant and active in the industry right now benefit from social media.
ReplyDeleteDwyer, Chip. "Kanye West Is Having a Meltdown Twitter Rant against Wiz Khalifa. It's the Most Kanye Thing Ever." Someecards. Some Entertainment, 27 Jan. 2016. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
Marwick, Alice and Danah Boyd, “To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter,” Convergence 17.2 (2011): 139 – 158.
The fact that it’s hard to be a successful celebrity without social media, as you said Daniela, just goes to show how being a celebrity is less about the actual celebrity and their talent. A celebrity could be someone who gets famous through a Vine, which I can’t see as something being celebrity worthy but it happens now a days.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though this idea of a celebrity has just come to represent the way they display themselves through social media. Somebody like Justin Bieber was able to completely change his persona and start over basically, with a huge help from or if not entirely because of social media. He had his bad boy streak and an E! News article talked about his change from that saying that, “Bieber's Tonight Show admission was far from the only time he spoke candidly about the impact that changing his lifestyle has had on him. Practically every interview he has sat down for in recent months is packed with mentions of the lessons he's learned“ (Aiello). Appearing publicly and talking about the lessons he’s learned while carrying that over into his social media he was able to completely change people’s minds about him… mine included. (Embarrassingly enough I’m a Belieber now.) He posted a video on Facebook and then appeared on Ellen talking about the video. A Rolling Stone article talked about the Facebook video and said that “Bieber reiterated this sentiment, insisting he no longer wanted to be the kind of person who doesn't care about anything or anyone”(Blistein). Being able to reinvent himself and do incredibly well on his recent platinum-selling album, Purpose. That just shows the power of social media – good and bad.
The social media emphasis can lead people to become engrained in the lives of celebrities and like I said earlier, it becomes more about the individual than their talent. People can be whatever they want to be through social media. That’s the potential problem. If people can be whatever they want without accountability then people become infatuated with these fake people. If Justin Bieber can go from bad boy to sorry good boy, what else could be possible? Where’s the authenticity or where did it go? Someone like Adele has held onto that and look at her success. She’s a rarity like Daniela said, but it does prove that it’s still possible for people who are genuinely worthy of that spotlight. Our celebrities are becoming less and less talented and authentic. So how do we recognize the fakes separately from the really talented rising stars? Yes Daniela, it seems like anybody can be famous but that it my follow up question.
Aiello, McKenna, “How Justin Bieber Turned His Bad-Boy Reputation Around in Time for His 22nd Birthday.” E! News. 1 March 2016. Web.
Blistein, Jon, "Justin Bieber Apologizes: 'I'm Not Who I Was Pretending to Be.'" Rolling Stone. 29 Jan. 2015. Web.
Daniela,
ReplyDeleteI thought that your post was very well done, and to think that around 10 years ago social media did not exist is insane. I know that I could not even fathom a world where social media was not right at our fingertips whenever we wanted. Not only do I use social media to interact with celebrities and see what they are up to, but I also use social media to interact with friends, and now even use social media as a news source. To think that this technology is only becoming more and more relevant, it is fascinating to watch as social media becomes a staple in our culture and every day lives.
It is crazy to think to think of the sheer numbers of followers that celebrities have on social media today. They create their own brand on social media, and let their fans perceive what exactly what the celebrity wants them to believe. “Celebrity images are culturally pervasive; they have become part of our day-to-day lives (Turner, 2004: 17) and part of the raw material through which we construct identities and engage in public discourse” (Marwick & Boyd). A great example of this is Kanye West, I don’t believe that Kanye is as crazy as he lets everyone believe that he is. However, when he goes on one of his absurd Twitter rants, his fans eat it up. Why would he not continue to do this? Like they say, any attention is good attention. It is just unfortunate that Donald Trump has the same mentality on social media that Kanye has.
We also saw how important social media can be with the deaths of celebrities. The Hollywood Reporter article talks about how twitter “crashed” the day that Michael Jackson died. “Twitter crashes upon new of Michael Jackson's death. According to a news report from the BBC that day, there were more than 100,000 Tweets per hour about the singer that afternoon” (Hollywood Reporter)
However, what sticks out in my mind about the day that Michael Jackson died is that was the last time I heard a news story break over the radio. I was on the way to my brother’s High School Graduation when we all heard that Michael Jackson had died.
The most positive part of social media is its effect on collective memory. Now, anytime there is a national news story all we have to go is go to Twitter, or Facebook and we can immediately connect with people to find out more about what is going on. Like with the Boston Bombing. I remember sitting on Twitter in class and finding out information faster then the news could report it. There is something incredibly powerful about that.
On a side note, social media continues to gain momentum and continue to gain more and more ways to integrate itself into our lives in many different ways. Just this morning the NFL announced that they will be streaming a regular season game on Twitter.
Work Cited
"Entertainment/Hollywood News." The Hollywood Reporter. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
Marwick, Alice. "Convergence: The International Journal of Research Into New Media Technologies." Sage Publications (n.d.): 139-58. 19 May 2011. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
Daniela,
ReplyDeleteI think that you have raised some excellent points about how social media has changed the celebrity landscape so greatly, the most significant being the development of fame through YouTube and platforms of the same caliber. My biggest question is, why do people care so damn much about what “Celebrities” “We conceptualize celebrity as an organic and ever-changing performative practice rather than a set of intrinsic personal characteristics or external labels. This practice involves ongoing maintenance of a fan base, performed intimacy, authenticity and access, and construction of a consumable persona” (Marwick and Boyd). Essentially, Marwick and Boyd are saying that in order to maintain the status of a celeb, you must keep an organized platform of yourself that the public can soak in on a daily basis. It is absolutely mind blowing to me that people who attain a certain level of fame are almost required now to keep up a daily amount of tweets and posts just to let their fans know that yes, they still love them. I much prefer to follow the lives of celebs who let their careers do the talking for them, not their social media profiles or a tabloid new program.
Of all social media applications that celebrities express their views on, my personal favorite is twitter. No other platform allows for a rapid secession of thoughts in a cohesive manner like twitter does. To be honest, I also gauge peoples popularity based on their follower count. If I am seeing a show and the headliner has an opening act yet hardly any clout on twitter, I immediately make judgments on that artist as a whole. In many ways though, twitter has taken on its own life as a conglomerate for all things, not just celebrity upkeep. “As you might expect, the company's selection of its "most influential" moments spans both world events and social campaigns, taking in the terrorist attacks on Paris, the refugee crisis in Europe, and the legalization of same-sex marriage in the US.” (Vincent). I think this is a far more appropriate utilization of social media in the world. Some celebrities use it strictly as a platform for promotion and putting others on blast (Kanye West anyone?).
I need to rant for a moment about the use of twitter and all social media alike. Last night I saw the artist Logic in New York City. In the middle of his performance, he cut a song midway through and issued the audience a challenge. He said “I challenge all of you to not touch your cellphones for the next three minutes and simply live in the moment with me. Do you even know what its like to live in the moment anymore”? He’s right. All we do is live our lives through media and now we have a burning desire to see how others live their lives, through media. I believe that we are far too reliant on social media as not only a form of entertainment, but now a necessary source for irrelevant knowledge that has become so desired.
Work Cited
Marwick, Alice and Danah Boyd, “To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter,” Convergence 17.2 (2011): 139 – 158.
Vincent, James. "Twitter's Year in Review Proves You Can't Beat a Boyband on Social Media." The Verge. N.p., 07 Dec. 2015. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.