Positive Impacts of Social Media

In some of my previous blogs, I have focused quite a bit on the critiques I have of social media. This time, I want to focus on some positive effects that it has had on our lives. Quite often social media has many negative connotations that surround it.  Since it is a massive part of our lives, let’s take a second to focus on some positive aspects. These aspects span from information sharing to building relationships. Check out the TikTok below of Goodman Factory talking about some positives of social media.

@goodmanfactory.com

Reply to @alexlaforest5 #fyp #foryou #socialmedia #tiktok #genZ #goodmanfactory #jlavish #millennialsoftiktok #selfdiscovery #askthegoodman #goodmanfactorypodcast #rizzygoodman

♬ original sound – Goodman Factory

Video posted by Goodman Factory on TikTok

Sharing life hacks and information on social media is a very important positive. Learning from each other in a way that is instantaneous, is an incredibly useful tool.  For example, learning how to fix appliances just by searching Youtube, TikTok or even Reddit. This is something I have used in my personal life that has saved me money.  Learning how to fix something myself instead of having to hire someone to come and fix it. Not to mention the countless amounts of other information and life hacks you can find easily just by spending a little bit of time on social media.

Making connections is another positive that has come from social media. Not just any connections but, connections with people who enjoy the same things you enjoy.  For example, the video game community and the sports community are huge on social media. Not only that but, the subgenres within these communities are huge.  Let’s say you are a huge fan of a particular indie video game but, none of your friends or family can relate. It can be very easy to feel alone and frustrated because of that. Finding the right communities online and surrounding yourself with people who are passionate about what you are passionate about, can make a very positive impact in your life. This can even lead to life long friendships in which you would have otherwise not had without social media and it’s many communities. Check out the TikTok below of Zerociro discussing how to find a community within video games.

https://www.tiktok.com/@zerociro/video/7214950651728727342?q=finding%20your%20community%20in%20video%20games&t=1698072187481

Video posted by Zerociro on TikTok

What are some positive impacts, that social media has had on your life? 

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Major Movie Studios Are Paying Influencers to Attend Movie Premiers

The authenticity of social media influencers, has been a hot topic as of late. Something I have found interesting is that major movie studios are reaching out to influencers, paying them to talk about their movie and in some cases offering to send them to the movie’s premier. In this day and age, theatre ticket sales are not what they used to be and the latest marketing tactic enlists the help from Instagram and TikTok’s biggest influencers. Some examples of movies that have used this tactic in recent history are Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and Mission Impossible. Check out the TokTok below of Christi Fritz attending the movie premiere of Champions.

@christifritz

Such a fun night🫶 #nyc #champions #moviepremiere #shortsinvite #woodyharrelson #moviepremiereoutfit #nyclife #redcarpet

♬ original sound – Christi Fritz

Video posted by Christi Fritz

The hype for a movie on social media can impact the results of the box office but, can the impact of an influencer make a big difference? Well, it is not a guarantee but, in some cases it pays dividends. Nowadays, most movie premiers will guestlist different influencers. They receive the full red carpet treatment and the expectation is that they will share their experiences on their social media accounts. That being said, many movies still do bomb at the box office regardless. Even when certain influencers do their best to promote the movie, sometimes there are bigger factors that get in the way of a movie’s performance at the box-office. It can certainly, make a difference to their followers, if an influencer gives live reactions to a movie on the red carpet and talks about how amazing the film was. Plus, inviting a dozen influencers to a premier and paying them $3 000-$10 000 to give good reviews of the movie and share their experience at the event, is a relatively cheap marketing tactic. Especially, when you think about the millions of dollars studios will spend on TV spots and billboards. Check out the clip below of TikTok influencer Krysten Wags explaining how she was invited to a movie premiere.

@krysten_wags

First movie premiere? CHECK. First RED CARPET?! HERE WE GO #pickmyoutfit #moviepremiere #losangeleslife

♬ original sound – krysten wags

Video posted by Krysten Wags

Authenticity can be very difficult for influencers to maintain in these situations, where they are being paid to promote movies. In some cases, they can even lose followers if they feel that their authenticity has been lost. At the same time, for these influencers, it can be difficult to choose between authenticity and a paycheck. I have even heard influencers talk about how they have turned down opportunities to attend movie premieres and promote the film, just to maintain that authenticity. On one hand, it is hard to turn down the money and experience but, on the other hand, it could impact their brand negatively. Check out the clip below of TikTok influencer Anna Catify attending the premiere of Morbius and walking down the red carpet. Keep in mind that Marbius received a 15% on Rotten Tomatoes. Note that in her video she never actually talks about the film itself or gives a review but, the description states that she loved the movie.

@annacatify

LA Morbius premiere was amazing! Love this movie so much💙 #foryou

♬ Run Boy Run – Woodkid

Video posted by Anna Catify

If you were an influencer would worry that being paid to promote a movie on your social media accounts would negatively impact your authenticity?

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Behind TikTok’s Impact on Music

It is a simple fact that these days, popular music is heavily influenced by TikTok and its trends. Older songs such as Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” have in recent years re-entered the charts after gaining popularity through TikTok videos.  New songs that were fresh off the press like, “Say So” by Doja Cat, enter the charts, largely due to a dance that went viral on TikTok in late 2022. What goes viral on TikTok organically can be very unpredictable but how does this work so effectively?  Let’s say, an influencer uses your song in their TikTok video. They receive over a million views and now your song is being used by other TikTok users, then in the blink of an eye, your song gains enough popularity to top the charts. Check out one of many TikTok videos featuring “Say So” by Doja Cat below. This is a great example of a song going viral on TikTok.

@yodelinghaley

HERE IT IS!! the full say so dance🥺🥰

♬ say so by doja cat – haley sharpe

Video posted by Haley Sharpe

Music industry professionals have found a way to utilize this to their advantage. All they have to do is secretly pay off a few influencers to use a particular song in their TikTok videos. Now the song is being heard by millions.  Obviously, this may not always work out so perfectly.  That being said, when this marketing tactic is effective, it can certainly be used to manipulate the market and create hit music for a very small price. The problem I have with this is that this sounds like a modernized version of payola. Check out a summary and explanation of a recent reported Payola scandles below.

@victoria.ontour

artists were exposed for using payola! this is huge. im sure theres more names too #5sos #shawnmendes #marshmello #halsey #dualipa #panicatthedisco

♬ original sound – victoria

Video posted by Victoria (victoria.ontour)

Payola, otherwise known as pay for pay in the music industry, is the practice of secretly paying someone to play a song on the radio.  This is considered illegal, yet when someone secretly pays an influencer on TikTok to play a song, this is completely legal. The reason why payola is illegal is to protect independent musicians and the industry as a whole. These days, I would very much argue that TikTok can have a much greater influence than radio does. If anything TikTok’s influence on music has an effect on what songs end up on the radio. Maybe, it is time to update the legal definition of Payola and keep the music industry in check, instead of allowing them being able to munipulate the market.

Has your taste in music been influenced by TikTok? Should it be legal to pay an influencer to play a song in their videos? I would love to hear your opinions.

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Using Social Media as a Tool for Travelling

I cannot even open Instagram, without seeing someone I follow posting vacation photos.  Amazing beaches, beautiful mountain tops and busy music festivals with start-studded lineups are just a few common photos I see on Instagram almost daily.  Even I, the moment I land in a different country or head off on a road trip, almost immediately open up Instagram and start sharing my travels. Sometimes while travelling I will even use social media as a tool to try and find some beautiful and fun destinations.  I don’t follow any travel influencers personally but, exploring different photos on Instagram can be a very useful tool.  Below you can see am image I took of one of New Zealand’s treasures, the Champaigne Pool.

Photo by Michael Spinella

Social media can be a great way to share information on travelling. I recommend using it when trying to find beautiful travel destinations. Just a simple search on Instagram can lead to an incredible viewpoint, that you otherwise would have never discovered on your own. Just by searching the name if the city or country, even using a hashtag can lead you some incredible photos taht will ispire you to see it for yourself. Sometimes, you can even find information about places that you should avoid. I would argue that this is just as important as finding beautiful viewpoints. People are free to post their uncensored reviews of various places, so you know ahead of time to avoid it. Whether it is inspiration to travel or information on where you want to travel social media is a great source of information. The photo seen below is the along the coast of Gaspesie, Quebec whoch is an area I discover by searching on Instagram.

Photo By Michael Spinella

Of course, social media’s impact on trave isn’t alway positive. I cannot discuss social media and travel, without mentioning some of the downsides. Yes, it is believed by many mot hidden gems are no longer hidden gems because of people sharing information about it online.  Also, manypeople use photography techniques and Photoshop editing to make certain things look more beautiful than they really are in reality. For example, when I was in Iceland, I was inspired to go out and see the northern lights because of some photos I had seen on Instagram. The photos on Instagram were bright and colourful but, I very quickly learned that that was not a reasonable expectation. The northern lights are truly amazing, don’t get me wrong.  More often than not, you need perfect conditions to see anything that remotely resembles the photos I had seen online. My point is that social media can be a useful tool, it is not perfect. Certainly, it should notbe the only reference point you should use. Simply a tool to help you find inspiration and discover beautiful things or places Have you ever used Instagram to find inspiration on where to travel? How has social media impacted your traveling experience?

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