There
is no mistaking that social media has changed lives. The lives of the ordinary,
the lives of celebrities and the lives of entrepreneurs have all been changed
by social media in our society. Social media has brought together people that
may never have met or engaged together without the aid of social networking and
the internet itself. Social media has also created an arena for individuals to
attempt to become famous. Instead of waiting to be discovered, individuals can
now post videos to YouTube, or Facebook or create their own blog. Information
is so easily transferred throughout the internet that a video can become hugely
popular in a matter of hours.
Being
famous or being a celebrity is what inspires many people. Before the age of
social media, should one want to be famous they may have had to hound record
executives or send in thousands of demos. Celebrity status can be as simple as
posting your own videos on the web. A perfect example of the cult of celebrity
is Justin Bieber. His name is featured several times on my blog, but his story
is what it is because of social media. Justin Bieber began posting videos of
his performances, and singing at home on YouTube. He posted videos to share
with his family. These videos became hugely popular. Justin Bieber was
discovered by a recording company because of his videos and because of how many
followers he had. He signed a record deal and the rest is history (biography,
2012). Justin Bieber has a cult of followers and has made millions of dollars,
all of which started by posting his own videos.
Another
example is Rebecca Black. I do not know that everyone has heard of Rebecca
Black. The lyrics “It’s Friday, Friday gotta get down on Friday” may jog some
memories of this young woman, at least 16 million memories or so. This was the
amount of views that she had in 2011, I am sure the number has grown (NPR,
2011). Though the song is terrible, and not written by the singer it took off
after being posted on YouTube. The song is terrible, the video is terrible and
it really would never have made it to the radio on its own, but it is catchy.
Just like that, Rebecca Black became famous, not Justin Bieber status, but
famous. Social media has allowed an individual to take control of their own
destiny in a way that was never before available to them. I personally find the
old fashioned hard work and persistent dedication to be more appealing;
however, you cannot blame anyone for trying. The click of a mouse is much
quicker than flights and footsteps.
Individuals
are so interested in becoming famous that a website in Scandinavia has created
a place that is said to create local celebrities. This social networking site, DKBN,
short for Denmark By Night, was created for teenagers to post photos of them and
then rate others. The ratings are done by members of the opposite sex. You are rated
and the ratings allow you to see who is the “hottest” in your town. It also compares
those “hot” individuals amongst “hot” individuals from other towns. DKBN was created
specifically because they feel all individuals desire to be a cult celebrity. This
social media site allows individuals to make a name for themselves (red associates,
2012).
It seems
that celebrities outweigh heroes. People have heroes that are celebrities. Individuals
that were able to achieve what we have not been able to achieve is heroic to some.
It seems that real heroes and unsung heroes receive less attention. Though the internet
and social networking sites host millions of people, our society has become so narcissistic
that there is little attention paid to those individuals that are actually doing
something. Our society seems to place more value on celebrities and what our neighbor
purchased at the grocery store, than people who have truly lived a heroic life.
If a movie was made about your story, then people will know you, otherwise it seems
our generation has lost what a real hero is.
Biography. (2012). Justin Bieber. Biography. Retrieved on April 21, 2012 from:
NPR. (2011). Ridiculed YouTube Singer Rebecca Black Grabs A Mountain of Bull By The
Horns.
Retrieved on April 21, 2012 from: http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2011/03/18/134652534/ridiculed-youtube-singer-rebecca-black-grabs-a-mountain-of-bull-by-the-horns
Red Associates. (2012). Popularity-seeking Teens Pursue the Cult of
Celebrity on DKBN.
Retrieved on
April 21, 2012 from: http://www.redassociates.com/conversations/whats_wrong_with_media/dkbn/
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