Impacts of Social Media

 Social media apps like TikTok make it easy for independent artists to create music and grow their careers. TikTok’s algorithm recommends videos based on what a user has already interacted with (Millete). This allows creators to find their audience and promote their music easily. An example of this would be the artist Noah Kahan whose song “Stick Season” went viral on TikTok. He admits he almost deleted the first demo he uploaded but he is sure glad he didn't (Kahan). His album by the same name now has over 60 million streams.

Social media, more specifically social media influencers, also have the ability to help small businesses. People tend to look for other people's recommendations when purchasing items and influencers add a human element to advertising (Nielson). An example of this would be the food reviewer Keith Lee on TikTok helping Frankensons Pizzeria. Lee received an email from an employee of the pizzeria asking him to review the food because business was slow (Cheong). Lee’s positive review went viral and Frankensons Pizzeria’s business exploded. The restaurant's owner stated they were overwhelmed by the number of orders they were receiving (Cheong). 

Social media also has the ability to spread misinformation. The way that many social media algorithms work is that they will recommend content similar to what users regularly interact with (Madrid). This will lead to more misinformation being shared and later recommended on social media (Madrid). An example of this would be when the false rumor that schools provided litterboxes for students who identified as cats. This rumor, which originated as a Facebook post in October 2021 from a school in Canada, spread like wildfire (Kingkade et al). Multiple republican politicians, including Tim Krayyenbrink, Scott Jensen, and Heidi Ganahl all spoke out against it (Kingkade et al.).This rumor was also spread on an episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” and other social media websites. 

I think that social media has a lot of positives and negatives and I find it hard to assign one over the other. I kind of see social media as this morally gray wasteland. On the one hand, it can be this wonderful rewarding place. You can connect with others and share your interests. You can share your art and your music without the need for big labels. On the other hand, the internet can be quite isolating and toxic. There is so much homophobia, racism, and misinformation and it all becomes so draining. A lot of the time I do not think social media is worth it.

Works Cited 

Cheong, Charissa. “A Local Restaurant Owner Said He Was Struggling to Make Ends Meet. Then a TikToker Reviewed His Food, and the Impact Was 'Life-Changing.'.” Insider, Insider Inc., 11 Jan. 2023, https://www.insider.com/keith-lee-tiktok-review-frankensons-pizzeria-las-vegas-business-success-2023-1.

“Getting Closer: Influencers Help Brands Build More Personal Consumer Connections.” Nielsen, The Nielsen Company, 19 Dec. 2022, https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2022/getting-closer-influencers-help-brands-build-more-personal-consumer-connections/.

Kahan, Noah. [@noahkahanmusic]. “I almost deleted the initial TikTok 10min after posting. Thank God I didn’t or my life wouldn’t have changed. What’s your favorite lyric from ‘Stick Season’? #fyp #newmusic #jewishedsheeran #forjewpage.” TikTok, July 7, 2022, https://www.tiktok.com/@noahkahanmusic/video/711929285821286327

Kingkade, Tyler, et al. “How an Urban Myth about Litter Boxes in Schools Became a GOP Talking Point.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 14 Oct. 2022, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna51439.

Medzerian, David. “Study Reveals Key Reason Why Fake News Spreads on Social Media.” USC News, USC University Communications, 17 Jan. 2023, https://news.usc.edu/204782/usc-study-reveals-the-key-reason-why-fake-news-spreads-on-social-media/.

Millette, Allie. “How Independent Musicians Are Using TikTok to Engage New Listeners.” The Hofstra Chronicle, The Hofstra Chronicle, 17 Nov. 2020, https://www.thehofstrachronicle.com/category/arts-and-entertainment/2020/11/17/how-in

dependent-musicians-are-using-tiktok-to-engage-new-listeners.