How to become famous, without really trying

With new technology, mainly the internet, the world is becoming a more social place. Many argue that technology is actually taking away from social interaction and in a way it is, but it is not taking away from communication; it’s just gone digital.

Life before the internet
Say you go on a family vacation to Hawaii and you take a picture of your brother doing a crazy dance on the beach. When you get home, you would have the picture developed and maybe frame it so the rest of the family could see. You might take the picture to school or work to show your friends and tell them about your trip. Total amount of people who have access to the picture: about 30.

Life after the internet
You go on the same trip and take the picture of your brother. You upload the picture to Facebook or Flicker. Number of people who have access to the picture: millions.

As individuals, we have a lot more power to reach people now than we ever had in the past. This is from the rise in social media with such sites as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Flicker, and Blogger. Before the internet, if I wrote a poem and wanted people to read it, it could take years to get it published in a book of poetry and then the only people with access to it would be the ones who bought the book. With social sites such as Facebook or Blogger, I can publish my poem minutes after I write it and have it read by at least 100 people. That’s power that we often take for granted.

Social media is good for society because it puts the power of information where it belongs: with the people. We are no longer being told what to believe by major media corporations, we are now communicating with each other and forming our own opinions as well as the power to influence the companies that once controlled us. Social media allows people to unite even across a nation. When Amazon.com removed gay and lesbian themed books from its top list, the people responded with a nation-wide protest on Twitter. One company’s action that would have gone unnoticed by mainstream media became the topic of the news only because so many people were already reporting it. In a way, the general population is now telling mainstream media what to report. YouTube videos have been aired on national news just because of online popularity. YouTube videos have even been parodied on popular T.V. shows such as Robot Chicken and The Simpsons.

Original video

Simpsons parody

Social media is making stars out of everyday people. Waiting to be noticed by a talent scout is no longer required. Anyone with a webcam could end up being the next YouTube star. The popular video “Charlie bit my finger” was a home video shot by a proud mother, but now Charlie and his older brother have millions of fans and imitators. YouTube has made people stars for things most talent agents would scoff at: dressing up as a ninja and answering questions (Ask a ninja), protesting the ill treatment of Brittney Spears (Chris Crocker), and making a sexy music video about Barack Obama (Obama girl.)

Social media does have some downsides. It allows easier access to pirated material. YouTube faced a lawsuit when users posted clips from their favorite shows. Social media also makes rumors easier to spread. Dominos Pizza faced consequences when two of its employees posted a video of themselves doing unsanitary things with the pizza ingredients on YouTube. The company received numerous complaints and many customers vowed to never eat at Dominos again. The rogue employees claimed it was just a prank but Dominos still got a taste of the power of social media.

Despite its downsides, social media plays a beneficial role in keeping the world informed, entertained and connected. Mainstream media is using social media to connect with its readers through Twitter to better understand what people want in their news. Companies are using social media to advertise their products, and around the world, more and more people are connecting with the millions already logged on.