Individual Research Paper
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Social Media and Media Literacy
Gabriella Corriere
MCOM2330 Mass Communications and Society Summer 2009
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
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Social Media and Media Literacy
In the last 5 years, the media landscape has undergone a dramatic transformation.
Consumers have changed the way they obtain news and information in a significant way.
Once upon a time television and print reigned supreme in the realm of content
distribution. New technologies have emerged affording consumers more freedom over
how and when they obtain information that is important to them. The Internet has been
the driving force behind this shift. Today more and more consumers are going online for
their daily dose of news and entertainment. Instead of planning a schedule around a TV
show, news broadcast, or waiting for the morning paper, people simply watch it online
whenever they want. This new platform allows consumers freedom and the power of
choice. The rise of the Internet has lead to more and more time spent online. As a result,
much social interaction takes place on “the net” as well. New technologies have sprung
up that have facilitated the creation of virtual communities that bind people together by
common interests, family ties and emotional connections. “Consumers are using these
networks to express their preferences and interests and use them to filter” the vast mount
of information available to them online and “ find interesting content” (Lerman, 2008,
p.1) In recent years, social networks have taken the world by storm. These networks
have developed into powerful vehicles for sharing and voicing opinions about products,
and services, politics and culture. As a result, the media has had to find new ways to
reach consumers who are now obtaining the majority of their content via these
nontraditional means. The media has successfully learned to harness the power of social
media technologies in order to tap into the collective intelligence and power of these
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-3communities. But what does this mean to the consumer? How are these new media
messages being used and what media literacy skills are required to interpret them
appropriately? I will attempt to answer these questions and reflect on what mass
communication theories are at play in the application of these new technologies.
The following report will explain how today’s media utilizes new techniques to reach
audiences in the face of new technologies and the evolving “mediascape”.
A brief review of the history of social networking reveals that it is not a new
phenomenon. It has taken years to evolve into its present form. It began in the 1950’s
with Phone phreaking. – when hackers learned to crack local phone systems in order to
use phone service for free. By stealing corporate voicemail system space, they also
created the first “blogs or podcasts” where they would leave information for other
hackers. (Borders, 2009) Then in 1979 Ward Christensen and Randy Suess developed
the Computerized Bulletin Board System (CBBS) and opened it to the public.
(Moschovitis, 2008, p.68) These boards allowed users to exchange ideas in a virtual
‘chat room” setting. Bulletin boards eventually were brought to the masses by companies
like Prodigy, and CompuServe in the 80’s and most memorably by AOL in 1989.
Then,
on August 6,1991 the World Wide Web became public and Usenets popped up to
facilitate discussion. Soon Internet forums replaced Usenets for this practice. Then, “in
1996 four Israeli technologists invented the instant messenger (IM) system for desktop
computers called ICQ. This was quickly purchased by AOL and it became a mainstream
hit.” (Borders, 2009) Online users began to become accustomed to staying connected to
distant family and friends in this manner. They began to share media with friends on line
via P2P services like Napster that popped up in 1999.
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-4Modern day social networking websites arrived in 1997 with Six Degrees and
Friendster in 2002. These sites used a format familiar to today’s social networkers and
allow users to create profiles and connect with friends. This concept proved popular and
led to the rise of more successful sites like Myspace and Facebook, (Borders, 2009). The
concept of weblogs or blogs now became popular with mainstream users as a result of
these websites. It became commonplace for people to keep these online journals of what
they do on a daily basis. Next social sharing of world news within communities became
possible and hugely popular thanks to sites like Slashdot, Digg and Delicious that made it
possible to share bookmarks of content that people found interesting on the web.
Today, IM isn’t enough. Users want real time streaming status updates from the
members of their communities. Facebook and Myspace introduced the concept of the
status update, but Twitter in 2008 took it to another level of popularity and spurred the
launch of several other new websites designed to help people keep track of their updates
or “Tweets”. The missing link to true streaming status updates was the mobile element.
With the launch of the iPhone in 2006, mobile updates were finally added in a useful
way. “Location-based social networking sites like BrightKite soon emerged and allow
people to use their mobile devices to “check in” at public locations and be seen by other
network members who are physically close by.” (Borders, 2009) They can choose to
arrange a meeting, or leave virtual notes or product and service reviews for friends who
visit those locations after them. Social networks have now evolved to a point that
consumers can stay connected to their communities and constantly share ideas and status
anywhere they go.
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-5So how does the public use these social networking sites? As noted previously,
today’s consumer primarily uses them to stay connected to communities that are
important to them. Users create these communities a by inviting friends and family
members to join them. Networkers also use them to establish new relationships and
expand their communities. They do so by creating biographical profiles for other users to
read that detail their tastes and interests in everything from music to books, and film.
These profiles come to represent their online persona. As a result, many people spend an
inordinate amount of time updating and “pimping out” their online profile pages and
decorate them in a manor that reflects the image they want to project. Social networking
sites allow users to join groups of other like-minded individuals who share similar
interests and tastes. These communities become virtual “social worlds” that users invest
much effort and time developing. As a result, users often have strong emotional ties to
these communities. Like in any physical community, the prevailing perception is the
more friends you have “the cooler” you appear to be. If you have a lot of friends, then
people want to become your friend too. Popularity gives weight to opinions. The “cool”
people on social networking sites become opinion leaders that people seek to emulate.
The transmission of ideas in this environment takes on a powerfully viral characteristic.
By creating these environments, Social networks serve as an important and effective
vehicle for the transmission of ideas and a place to voice opinions about products,
politics, and culture. This makes them a valuable forum for marketers to be heard.
As discussed in the text, the fragmenting affect of time spent online has caused
traditional media to suffer declines in viewer/readership and has lead to decreased
revenues. (Baran, 2009) As a result, the media have sought to infiltrate this world in
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-6order to maintain their reach to the consumer. Many major media outlets have attempted
to integrate these tools into their content delivery mix in a variety of ways. One
technique employed to accomplish this goal is to purchase social networks outright.
News Corporation, the media giant, purchased MySpace on July 19, 2005 for $580
million dollars. (bbcnews.com, 2005) They have since leveraged the viral nature of this
site to promote content for their subsidiary media channels. This cross promotion
includes their news, television, film and music outlets. Whether they realize it or not,
MySpace users are now heavily exposed to a wide array of News Corp. properties
Another, less expensive way that media outlets are attempting to leverage social
networks is to become part of “the conversation”, and participate in them. Social
networks have had a significant impact on mass communication via the proliferation of
blogs. Now everyone is a journalist. (Baran, 2009) This development has been viewed
as a threat by major TV and print news outlets. Many of them have joined the ranks of
bloggers and are contributing their own journals online.
Many marketers engage social networks to reach consumers on a personal level
previously unavailable to them. They leverage both the emotional ties users have to
communities and viral nature of this space to position products to potential consumers.
Recently, Proctor and Gamble launched a viral campaign intended to target teenage girls
for their Tampax product. They released a series of non-branded viral videos on
MySpace and YouTube depicting the trials and tribulations of a young teenage boy who
woke up one day to find his “boy parts” had been replaced with “girl parts”. Subsequent
videos show the character dealing with the trauma of his first period, and eventually
becoming a fan of Tampax tampons. Proctor and Gamble set up profiles for the character
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-7on social networking sites where he blogged and “tweeted” updates on the drama of
dealing with his new body. (Clausen, 2009) P&G choose to maintain anonymity initially,
in order to create intrigue and capture audience’s attention. At first glance, the videos
appeared to be user-generated content that anyone could have created. Without this
element, viewers would not likely have anticipated the next installation of the story.
A more positive and consumer friendly approach to leveraging social media is to
use it to gain insight into consumer buying habits and requirements. One way they do this
is by tapping into the power of prosumer communities to help create products people will
enjoy and buy. “Prosumption is becoming one of the most powerful engines of change
and innovation the business world has ever seen. Co-creating with consumers is like
tapping the most uniquely qualified pool of intellectual capital ever assembled.” (Tapscott,
2008, p. 147) A recent example is Del Monte Corporation’s use of prosumer feedback to
create the “Breakfast Snausages” product for dogs. Del Monte asked members of a dog
lovers community group what their dogs like to eat for breakfast. Many members
responded that they enjoyed bacon and eggs in the morning. Additional feedback revealed
that these doggy “parents” would be more likely to purchase products that contained
amino acids and omega three. Del Monte used this feedback and created a very successful
product seen in stores today. (Clausen, 2009) In this scenario users are aware of their
participation and are likely to be come promoters of a company who took their feedback to
heart.
An understanding of the mass communication theories that apply to social media
provides insight into why it is such an effective vehicle for communication. Most of the
rules of mass communication that apply to film, television, print and radio apply here,
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-8because the medium is a hybrid of all of them. However, the extended reach and
availability of the Internet makes it all the more powerful. Feedback is received more
directly, as in interpersonal communication. This gives marketers and the media the
ability to change their messages more quickly and customize content. The interactive
nature of this forum permits a more intimate connection between the media and audience.
These changes to the communication process force us to alter our view of the mass
communication theories that govern it. Marshall McLuhan famously stated “the medium
is the message.” (Baran, 2009) This social medium is different. What appeals to users
and consumers of online social media are the flexibility and freedom of choice it provides.
It gives the “receiver” control again. Users have the ability to limit what emails they
receive and from whom. They can choose to disable an RSS feed, cancel a pop-up ad or
reject a friend request. The user can wholly shape their experience. This power and
control exemplifies uses and gratifications theory of mass communication that states that
the media does not do things to people; rather people do things with media. (Baran, 2009)
Users can make the social media format their own.
Because in many respects, this medium is similar to direct, interpersonal
communication trust is an important element in how effectively a message reaches its
audiences. Fortunately, the interactivity of the medium makes it conducive to forming
trust with the consumer. Users perceive the exchange of information, the immediate
response to feedback, and instantaneous assistance as acts of good faith. These are trust
building activities. The media and marketers have an opportunity to relationship build
with their audiences in a very personal way. The more trust they engender, the more open
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-9and receptive their audience will be to them. Therefore, the more effectively their
messages are communicated and understood.
The interactive nature of social media reflects the selective exposure theory of
mass communication that states that people will only expose themselves to messages that
are consistent with their preexisting attitudes and beliefs. (Baran, 2009) As users create
their customized content portals, they will undoubtedly elect to allow content that aligns
with their personal views of the world. This selective process makes it harder for some
messges to be seen or heard by certain segments of the population. In order to broaden
their reach, the media must engage creative strategies to ensure those messages are visible
to audiences that would otherwise not see them. This selectiveness will pose a greater
challenge for marketers in the future as social networkers continue to cultivate and filter
their online experiences.
How can consumers make sense of this new media? Social networkers must take a
multi pronged approach to developing media literacy skills in this space. First, they must
learn to pay attention to the messages they receive and filter out the noise. The Internet is
a big place, but tools exist that can be used to help customize the user’s experience online
and help limit the flow of information received. For example, many social networking
sites provide filters for limiting contacts to proven friends and family. Another important
and related skill to develop is to elevate expectations of the content received. Online users
are bombarded with messages. Thinking critically about each and every message would
be an impossible task. Users must take steps to proactively limit media content to
messages that are important to them. By doing so, they are more apt to analyze and impart
more meaning to the messages they ingest. In this way, “the bar” of their expectations is
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- 10 effectively raised. Social networkers should not just read any blog, and take it to heart.
They must learn to choose their reading content, and select credible sources. Readers
should take the time to validate the expertise of bloggers before accepting their
commentary as factual. Concurrently, they must learn to read between the lines for hidden
bias, agendas or sales messages. Regardless of the apparent credibility of a source, users
must continue to apply critical thinking skills to these messages and question the validity
of information they receive. Even the New Your Times has been wrong before.
The most important key to media literacy in this space is learning to apply the
knowledge of genre conventions of all the other forms of media. This can be a complex
undertaking because all the formats come together here – print, broadcast radio, TV and
film. True literacy comes from understanding the production values of film, and radio.
For example, the type of marketing campaign P&G conducted requires a special hybrid
of media literacy skills. The ability to recognize highly produced video, and the language
of product placement, as in traditional film and television must me applied in order to
understand that what one is viewing is a commercial and not an independent short film.
Literacy also, means understanding how placement of information on a website
contributes to the understanding of a message just, like it does in print. Developing this
skill will contribute to their ability to understand how messages effect them emotionally.
Social networkers must learn to look at content from many levels both logical and
emotional. Learning to identify emotional reactions to an image, and understanding why
content elicits that response is critical to interpreting and assigning appropriate meaning
to it. Finally, as in any media space, users must educate themselves on who is sending
these messages i.e. who is paying for them. Today’s social networking and social media
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- 11 websites are monetized in different ways, but are primarily supported through advertising
sales. Users must obtain knowledge of how these sites are monetized in order to
completely understand the messages they are being served through them.
The social media landscape is still evolving. New technologies like Twitter will
continue to surface and make huge waves. Media outlets will persist in finding new and
inventive ways to use these tools to capture our attention. Social media is the nexus of
media formats. The ‘text’ of messages sent via social media can be sent in any form from
video to music and print. This is where they all come together. This convergence
combined with the accessibility of the Internet also blurs the lines of mass communication
and levels the playing field between individuals and the media. Media literacy in this
space means not only learning style and convention but also the individual production
values of each media genre. The best way to accomplish this end is to engage in the
medium itself. Never before has learning about the media been so overwhelmingly
complicated yet easily accessible. Novices to social networking can set up a Facebook
profile, and immediately write a blog, download music, post pictures, and record a voice
greeting to play on their site. A video capable cell phone empowers anyone to express his
or her “inner Scorsese” with ease. These communities provide an endless resource of
“friends” who can help you get started if you don’t know how. In the end, the consumer
carries the burden of educating themselves in all forms if media in order to be truly literate
in this space.
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References
Baran, S. J. (2009). Introduction to mass communication media literacy and culture.
Moschovitis, C. J. P., Poole, H., Schuyler, T.,Senft, T. M. (2007). History of the interneta chronology: 1843 to present.
Tapscott, D., & Williams, A. D. (2008) Wikinomics – how mass collaboration changes
everything
Israel, S., & Scoble, R. (2006) Naked conversations
Shirky, C. (2008) Here comes everybody-the power of organizing without organizations.
Lerman, K. (February 2,2008). Social browsing & information filtering in social media.
Anonymous, (July 19, 2005) News Corp in $580m internet buy. BBC news.com
Retrieved on June 20, 2009, from
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4695495.stm
Borders, B. (June 2, 2009). A brief history of social media
Retrieved on June 20, 209, from http://socialmediarockstar.com
Clausen, A. (May 20. 2009), P&G social media strategy, Advertising Age Podcast
Retrieved on May 20, 2009, from http://adage.com/adages/
Clausen, A. (May 24 2009), Del Monte social media strategy, Advertising Age Podcast
Retrieved on May 24, 2009, from http://adage.com/adages/
Clausen, A. (June 6. 2009), Inside the mommy blogging business, Advertising Age
Podcast Retrieved on May 20, 2009, from http://adage.com/adages/