Social Media: Not So Social Anymore
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Remember when you’d go on Instagram and most people popping up on your feed were actually your friends? I do. If we think back to the beginning of social media, that was its whole endeavor: to bridge the gap between millions of people in a way that had never been possible before. This connection provided an uncharted concept that completely transformed the way we communicate with one another. In the present day, we see the flourishing of a hyper-digital world where we can ask Chat GPT to give us input on almost anything, including tasks as simple as tracking our macros for us. With technology advancing so rapidly, aspects of connection once revolutionary don’t even seem to compare.
It’s natural for things to change, especially when involving the market of companies and applications; constantly striving to keep up with the times of their users. Whether we realize it or not, there’s been a significant shift in how we use social media. What was once just a digital link between individuals has developed into much more.
If we aren’t using social media to socialize, what are we using it for? I would argue that social media has become a search engine which we use as a means of self-exploration. These apps now allow us to discover and delve into niche interests, ideas, and opinions in video essays and content that lasts longer than ten seconds. If asked, I would not be able to measure how many sub-cultures I have found through TikTok and Reddit that I never would have discovered myself.
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The commercialization of social media has played a key role in this shift among end users. Would I have ever purchased multiple Arabic perfumes as a non-Arab chronic Sephora shopper if I hadn’t seen so many positive review videos on TikTok? Probably not! The entire video-review-to-TikTok-Shop pipeline is a perfect example of how some of the most effective marketing is done online through social platforms. We’re all familiar with the terms “influencer” or “content creator,” and that’s because it seems everyone is one these days. Can we blame them? Once we see enough everyday people blowing up on these apps, monetizing their content, and getting one step closer to “financial freedom,” we wonder why we aren’t doing the same.
Consequently, with such an overwhelming amount of people trying to attain a large following and build a social presence, there is a notion of “falsity” that has begun to brew online. Mass resentment surfaced when the public realized how curated and deliberate the online presence of individuals had grown to be, leading to a widespread call for authenticity in our generation.
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The desire for authenticity and to “be real” caused a culture shift so impactful that two French guys launched an app based solely on the concept. The BeReal app, which sends a daily time-sensitive notification prompting users to share photos from a random part of the day, took the world by storm after its release in 2020. Our newfound values translated over to how we use social media. Content creators moved from prioritizing “going viral” to creating niche online communities, bringing a loyal customer base to buy whatever product or service they were advertising. This process is evident in many niche communities, with Nara Smith being a prime example. A 22-year-old mother of three, Smith notoriously promotes the “trad wife” lifestyle, making everything from scratch while working as a full-time model and content creator. Now if that isn’t niche, I don’t know what is. Her 9.7 million TikTok followers eagerly consume both her recipe posts and product promotions.
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The platforms curated for digital communication and virtual updates have evolved tremendously over the past decade, adapting to link individuals and serving as tools for networking and promoting personal brands. Social media has become a fundamental aspect of our daily lives and a space where many engage to cultivate our identities while obtaining our media, culture, and shopping lists.
Strike Out,
Writer: Victoria De Notaris
Editor: Emily Montarroyos
Graphic Designer: Emma Muersch
Tallahassee