The mass accessibility and wide-ranging appeal of social media have given rise to new ways of achieving fame. America has been exporting pop culture while also elevating it on a high platform within its borders for generations. Therefore, it is no surprise that everyone has a secret desire to be famous.
Social media has given the opportunity to achieve these lofty ambitions without having to relocate, overcome barriers, or spend a great deal of money. In fact, some of these social media sites offer such a lucrative result for your effort that a lot of youth are choosing to be social media stars as a career. Established production companies are now looking for their ‘Next Big Thing’ from among these breakout online personalities.
Social Media Is Everywhere
Consider the sheer reach of social media platforms. Internet access is widely accepted as a human need. Having this need fulfilled gives you access to social media platforms across all your Internet-capable devices. Every time you post a story or share a picture, you create content. The old adage, “Do what you love, and you won’t work a day in your life,” is very applicable in this context. Social media stars are people who love what they do and have found a way to monetize their hobby.
Whether they make dance videos on TikTok or craft tutorials on IGTV, they are doing things they enjoy and would be doing anyway. They have simply added a camera into the mix and sharing their love with like-minded individuals. The connectivity of the Internet and the way it has removed barriers of communications means that the content released across social media platforms has the ability to reach everyone who is interested in that content. This creates a demand for highly specific, wholesome, and specialized content. People who enjoy woodworking in Finland can enjoy videos of a loving grandpa in China who makes wooden toys for his grandchild.
Accessibility Is Guaranteed
The ease of access to social media also means that fame and popularity are no longer dominated by handpicked, able-bodied celebrities who are trained to toe the media company line. Anyone can use social media. This guarantees accessibility to performers no matter what their shape, size, age, and/or disability.
Past media content has made use of disabled individuals to push harmful stereotypes. People with disabilities have been played on-screen by able-bodied individuals who have sadly made use of these harmful stereotypes. Social media platforms offer a way for people with disabilities to take back the narrative. They can write, produce, and star in content that celebrates them and does not dehumanize their existence.
This also gives disabled performers a level of demand power that was missing before. Not to mention that embracing diversity is beneficial to everyone. Performers can receive benefits such as regular breaks, healthcare and disability insurance, and meals for people with food allergies or intolerances, and many others, which they may not even have realized were their due till now.
Cross-platform Content
Media consumers want to be able to access their media across all their devices. They want to follow their media darlings from one social media platform to the next. This drives engagement and ensures consumer loyalty.
This is part of the reason so many films and television companies now offer V.O.D or video-on-demand services. Companies such as Disney and HBO used to dominate their marketplace. People and companies that wanted to work with them had to adapt to their ways. But now, social media offers consumers, companies, and possible employees to dictate the ways these companies communicate and conduct business.
Media consumers demand more content, more speed, and more ease in access. And companies that want to stay viable have to find ways to adapt. This also means that performers who begin their careers on social media have already established footholds across platforms and are able to adapt to consumer needs with more alacrity. This makes social media stars very desirable for this sort of large media companies to sign up and promote.
With zero barriers to making and broadcasting content, social media platforms are the future of entertainment. Media consumers no longer desire Hollywood stars who are larger than life and god-like paragons.
Consumers want real people whom they can identify with and who do real things that they truly care about and are not contractually obligated to do. Social media platforms offer this content with a minimum of fuss and effort required on the part of the consumer. The appeal is obvious.
