I just witnessed a mind blowing Frontline special called “Generation Like” (video here )…
The power of a like. The comparison between Hunger Games and social media was not far off. Kids of this generation (myself included) inundated daily by whether or not a photo being liked has anything to do with your mental status throughout the day is just fascinating to me. Who doesn’t get an instant high (if only for a second) when a photo posted on Instagram is liked…not only by your friends, but even a complete stranger?! Craziness! Or when your quippy status update for a marathon Scandal watching becomes shared by a high school pal whose best friend’s mother’s dog walker’s ex-husband’s new fiancé shares it with Shonda Rhimes, who, in return, tweets you back?! Hey, it could happen, and when it does…Hello, validation anyone?
In a society that has become so dependent on instant validation, master manipulators (or gamekeepers, if you will) make it seem like all the power is in the hand of the consumer. Who hasn’t “liked” something for a free coupon or a 2 minute extended preview of a new blockbuster? I know I certainly have. But, as the show says, take a look behind the curtain, and you begin to see that what looks like grassroots marketing (“Oh, won’t you please “like” my fan video) is actually part of a well-executed marketing campaign, masterly orchestrated by the brands themselves….designed to make you feel like you have all the control, when in reality, they control you. With every “like” or retweet, you become just another player in the worldwide orchestra that is brand commerce.
So I feel conflicted even writing and posting this…wondering, do I really even care if anyone ‘likes’ this post or not? And if they do, shouldn’t I be making some sort of commerce profit from that validation?
After watching this doc, I’m left perplexed between my Gen X/Y status…remembering how intuitive and innovative MTV’s TRL was….and knowing that I was totally being manipulated by brands and commerce while I watched the Pepsi presentation of Britney’s premiere video of “Opps, I Did It Again”. But I didn’t care…I was a teenager with no responsibility and ample amounts of time and I wanted to see it NOW NOW NOW. Even today, working in the industry, where the word “nudging” is better swallowed than “manipulating”, I can’t help but feel inspired and excited about how easily accessible (and lucrative) social media marketing is becoming…but I’m torn…part of me wants to jump on the bandwagon to see where this rodeo will take me, and the other part of me wants to hole up in a cabin deep within the woods with no wifi. (But as my Dad pointed out, I would probably last about 5 min without wifi…par for my generation’s course, I guess).
Whole point of this rambling is as a culture, where every Like is a transaction in not only commerce but social psychology, what happens when the power goes out?
Will you still like me then? Waiting for your validation (hit the Like button already) -S
