The Impact of Social Media on American Culture Essay Example

Among the significant impacts brought about by the internet, social media is arguably the greatest one. There has been a steady increase in social media usage in this decade. Whitney notes that "Instagram and Snapchat are popular among 18-28 year-olds, while Facebook is popular among 30-65-year-olds in America.” Almost every American uses social media regularly, and it has significantly altered the American culture from how people communicate and interact with each other to how they run their activities.

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The benefits of social media are distinct. It has turned the world into a global village by increasing communication through social media platforms. People in America can communicate with people in different geographic locations can easily through chats and video calls. Also, it has created job opportunities for numerous people that produce content. The rate at which people are consuming social media videos is incredible such that Instagram advertisers have registered a 600% increase in influence from videos (Whitney, 2019). Businesses have discovered the value of social media marketing, and are gaining the benefits of traditional marketing at a lower cost. The benefits are greater visibility and improved audience perceptions, thus establishing more durable and lasting connections. Also, it has played a significant role in bringing American’s together. Social media is positively benefiting American Culture.

Conversely, some people may argue that social media has negatively affected America’s culture. People are isolating themselves from society due to social media (Kloog, 2019). However, communication between people has increased on social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter. Probably, these people are actively connecting with others through social media. Opponents may argue that social media has affected American’s ability to understand emotion (Kloog, 2019). But, social media uses emoji, and video calls that allow users to openly express their feelings using facials and voice variations to understand better, thus boosting positive relationships among people. Overall, the effect of social media on American Culture depends on the angle one uses to analyze.

YouTube has singlehandedly changed the relationship between American’s and entertainment. It is a vast and successful video sharing platform, currently the second-highest in ranking on the search engine, after Google. YouTube has approximately two billion users globally (Whitney, 2019). It offers a broad range of entertainment, and the users are free to select the type of entertainment that they prefer. It is not as limited as the television programs that follow specific programs throughout the day. Unlike previously, when content creators struggled to stand out, anyone can create videos on YouTube. Besides, YouTube offers accustomed music experience giving recognized artists and upcoming talents an equal platform. The success stories of Ed Sheeran and Justine Bieber pinpoint the power of YouTube in nurturing undiscovered artists into stars (Whitney, 2019). Anyone from any region can upload their music and reach audiences with the same breadth and scope as major record labels artists. YouTube has grown the relationship between American’s and entertainment.

Social media revolves around sharing stories. People can reach out to others and communicate with them, irrespective of whether they are friends or strangers. They get to share their stories through posts, photos, and videos. It is easy to connect with other people since there are no geographical or social restrictions that previously hindered communication. As the number of people that find their voices and share their diverse stories increases on social media, there is a growth in the culture of acceptance and appreciation of diversity. This has increased awareness in so many aspects, such as mental care and decreased discrimination. Companies are also embracing this culture and finding new avenues to tell their stories, thereby enabling brands to create healthy and powerful connections with their audiences. Through the sharing of stories, social media has brought American’s together.

Instagram is a popular social media site that has had a massive effect on marketing, communications, and the community. Instagram is responsible for the spread of the 'selfie' trend. Many people took selfies primarily to post them on Instagram. Well, people are still taking selfies, inclusive of celebrities. Instagram has diversified beauty standards (Brooks, 2018). Many people share pictures of their faces with pimples, and bodies with stretch marks, which has helped undefined what beauty is. It has also changed the way people travel. Instagram exposes consumers to images of glamorous destinations around the world, and travel behaviors are changing. The effects of Instagram on America's culture are apparent.

Social media has created job opportunities for influencers and content creators, who are changing the culture of how brands and consumers interact. They have attained widespread prominence because of their ability to mold and influence people's decisions and acts online. More than half the population aged between 19 and 35 are likely to follow influencers (Whitney, 2019). Content creators' primary responsibility is to create content through visual and creative forms. They create libraries of creative assets as contracted employees. A few of the successful Instagram content creators are Juliane Falk (@shotbyfalkpictures) and Damian Denis (@dou.bled). The two generate visuals for Reebok (Whitney, 2019). On the other hand, online influencers act as distribution avenues for content created by organizations and content creators. Their primary role is to widen the exposure for products, which makes them crucial to firms' marketing segment. An example of an influencer is Kenny Gonzales (@the_perfect_pair). He has played a significant role in connecting manufacturer Crep Protect with the sneaker community (Whitney, 2019). It is evident that social media, through influencers and content creators, changes the culture of how brands and consumers interact.

Facebook is the most popular social media channel that exists and serves as the standard measure against other modes of communication. It has more than two billion users, of whom half the number are daily users. This means that Facebook shapes the opinions of most people, and it influences American culture. It is a powerful marketing platform as it facilitates communication through its built-in messaging app on Facebook. American politicians are optimizing on such platforms to share their political ideologies, enhance unity, and national cohesion, especially since it is expensive and impossible for each one of them to get space in the televisions. Facebook has also brought people with common objectives and beliefs together through the creation of groups. The incorporation of Facebook Messenger with Instagram and WhatsApp, allows the users of all three sites to communicate efficiently. Facebook significantly influences American culture.

Conclusion

Social media has had a significant impact on American Culture. It has facilitated communication between America and the rest of the world regardless of the geographic barriers. It generates revenue for numerous people that have commercialized their social media accounts. Businesses prefer to use social media for advertising since it is cheaper, provides greater visibility, and improves the audience's perception. Social media offers a wide range of entertainment and offers everyone the opportunity to upload their content and reach audiences from any region. It also provides a platform to share social and political ideologies. However, some people may argue that social media has made people isolate themselves, which hinders the ability to express emotion. But the benefits of social media are way numerous. In sum, social media has had a positive impact on American Culture.

References

Brooks, A. (2018, October 07). 7 Unexpected Ways Instagram Has Changed the World. Retrieved August 18, 2020, from https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/7-unexpected-ways-instagram-has-changed-the-world/539032/

Kloog, Y. (2019, October 15). The Negative Impacts Social Media Has On Society. Retrieved August 18, 2020, from https://www.theodysseyonline.com/negative-impacts-social-media-society

Whitney, S. (2019, November 09). Impact of Social Media on American Culture. Retrieved August 18, 2020, from https://infographicworld.com/how-social-media-impacts-american-culture/