Blog 4: Generation Like

The documentary "Generation Like" is all about social media and how younger generations interact with it. One of the biggest ways is making money. YouTubers such as Tyler Oakley and Steven Fernandez post videos that get a lot of views, then brands sponsor them, which means the creators get paid to advertise the brand in their videos. It seems like the documentary sees this as a positive thing because Fernandez talks about his hope of getting his family out of poverty with this money. 

Another way social media is used is creating your identity. Douglas Rushkoff says "you are what you like" meaning when you "like" or "share" something on social media, for example: a clothing brand, a movie franchise, or a band, it becomes apart of you. He compares this to hanging up posters in your room. Ceili is a big fan of the Hunger Games franchise. She posts a lot of content about the movies on multiple social media platforms. The franchise has become part of her identity.

One more example is business and brands use social media for advertisement. They post content on social media which get likes and increases the value of the brand. For example, Oreo posted a picture of an oreo cookie with layers of cream in the colors of the rainbow representing gay pride. This post shows they are in favor of same-sex marriage. It got over a million likes which means over a million people associate themselves with it, and raises the value of Oreo. Another example of this is when the Hunger Games: Catching Fire was coming out, they released campaigns asking fans to spread their content. Companies are basically asking consumers to advertise for them for free, and consumers are okay with it. 

One upside to social media the video talks about a lot is the idea of it empowering you. YouTubers collaborate with each other to introduce their audiences to the other creator. They're working together to lift each other up. When a post gets a lot of likes it can feel empowering because those likes give you value. One downside to social media is the exact opposite. Ceili compares social media to The Hunger Games, saying you feel alone in an arena trying to get people to like you to get more followers and sponsors. Social media can tear people apart. If a post doesn't get enough likes, people will sometime delete the post.