Yes, it is true social media has become a form of self-expression and opinions. But sometimes it doesn’t just stop there. When opinions are involved, there are always two sides to the story. We all want to feel right and sometimes it is easier to just communicate online solely for this purpose. This is an example of confirmation bias. Only listening to people that feel the same way about every situation as you. It really boils down to comfort. And honestly, that is why we need in-person communication where we receive facial expressions and cues. Mass media and online communication are really amazing most of the time because you get to state your opinions, repost images or videos that you agree with, and comment on your opinions on everything. For example, presidential campaigns are one of the easiest ways to voice your opinion. Presidents are really good about relating to their audiences and creating a public persona which then leads to public opinion.
Anybody that participates in social media or mass media is open to public opinion and that is the only thing that most people care about when posting something online. They want the attention of others and want to feel that their opinions are right and matter. Interpersonally this can be very comforting because online you can form your own sense of identity.
When certain groups of people gather together like campaign groups, religious groups, ideological groups, etc… And share their opinions, It can provide a sense of community where they all share the same opinions, beliefs and moral values.
One of my favorite online campaigns was by the brand Always. This specific campaign significantly influenced and changed the way people view women in sports. It is called #LikeAGirl. When I first watched it I remember it impacting me immediately. It isn’t something that people took lightly. The ad was watched over 7 million times! Julia Forman talks about how impactful it all was in her article, “The Impact of Always #LikeAGirl Campaign.” This campaign successfully changed the minds of millions of people. Forman states, “According to a case study done on the campaign, the results of Always #LikeAGirl campaign led to 4.4bn+ media impressions and 177,000 #LikeAGirl tweets in the first three months. After the campaign, 50% of women chose to purchase the Always brand over competitors.” Personally, I think some underlying communication tactics were not only placing women in the video but how men view women in sports as well. Which brought everyone together to come to a consensus and to notice where the public was lacking.
When putting opinions together, promoting, expressing, etc it is important to remember it is healthy to express our opinions. But how are we all doing it in a constructive, healthy, ethical way? The answer is sometimes yes and sometimes definitely not. To communicate ethically you have to be able to listen, be open-minded, honest and show empathy and compassion towards each other. That is the healthiest way to communicate. It is way easier to get someone to listen to your point of view if you also listen to theirs.
This is the Always, #LikeAGirl video below!
https://youtu.be/dxrPeFKtUwQ?si=Xd7-iJpCBMuqi4hG
Works Cited:
Management, L. O. (2021, March 29). The impact of always #LikeAGirl campaign. https://www.liveoakcommunications.com/post/the-impact-of-always-likeagirl-campaign
Comments
Post a Comment