Social media provides many new problems and benefits for modern writers. The main advantage of social media for the modern writer is the new elevated importance and interest in the person behind the writer online. Though there are numerous advantages for a modern writer to cater to the new demand for a personality online, in this essay I’ll also explore the many disadvantages that also come with the rabid need for an online audience to engage and watch a real and unique personality no matter the cost or toll on the writer.
The notion of authenticity on social media and online in a general sense is a unique situation for the modern writer one that brings many advantages and disadvantages for the modern writer. Authenticity becomes under question most prominently with modern writers who partake in blogging and other forms of influencing with social media platforms. Blogging creates a blur in the line between author and work, and blogging is less about being an adapt writer but more being an interesting personality who appeals to the masses. The appeal of a blogger and influencer is that they are not a mythical figure like a celebrity, but they are in fact a real, genuine person like you and me. A blogger takes the form of a friend or sibling like person, who can take on this persona in their job as an online agony aunt, beauty guru, online personality and many other types of profession. This connection is an advantage in many ways for the modern writer, as social media creates a very real connection to your audience. As a modern writer, this connection can be one which is meaningful and fruitful, which can be incredibly rewarding as a writer, which is an advantage. However, a disadvantage of this rewarding connection comes from the performative elements that a modern writer must adopt due to fear that the persona of a friend or sibling-like figure might not be as well received when the social media content creator reveals they suffer with real life problems like most other people. A modern writer, like a blogger, may not be viewed like a mythical celebrity figure, but the audience who engages with a modern writer still have intense expectations and this is incredibly damaging as writing and attempting to a genuine person online shouldn’t be a detriment on a writer’s mental health by pretending to be happy all the time. Youtube star, Jillian Vessey (Pixielocks is the channel name) has recently commented on this briefly in the emotive video titled “Relapsing into Self Harm and Disordered Eating” where she not only discusses her struggles as a content creator and the expectations placed upon her when she deals with her own personal struggles but also the unhealthy nature of creators showing only the best elements of their life, at the 10 minutes and 25 second mark. This unique perspective from a real content creator shows not only effects of the expected nature of creators online and on social media, but the extent and vulnerability of showing an authentic self online.
The line of communication between writer and reader is one that occurs more often on social media rather than through the traditional methods of newsletter or book signings, you can engage with a writer on a far more frequent basis and one which is considerably more personal from the perspective of the reader which is an advantage for the modern writer and the modern audience. As instead of waiting in line for hours for a quick hello, signed book and other perks of the paid experiences that traditional authors can offer, you can achieve a free and frequent exchange with bloggers, influencers and writers through social media platforms. Engagement is such a key and fundamental aspect of being a successful modern writer, its especially important when reports show that “Teens spend 9 hours a day, tween 6 hours a day on average consuming media”. As teens and tweens are a generation which have been raised on the internet, and it is important to capture the demographic appeal as they are primarily engaging on social media, as they spend as large majority of time, consuming media. Even though the report does not explicitly say online media, there is an implied reading that its online media as mediums like TV and radio have become more and more unpopular with younger generations, who can now access similar mediums easier online through streaming services and social media. This demographic is important to engage with due to the sheer volume of time spent consuming media, as well, a more genuine connection to young adult and teen audiences is something that the market lacks, as most young adult fiction and media is manufactured and is a bit fade-like in nature, with similar themes running through them. Whereas online, the readership which is cultivated is more organic and this leads to the strong and intense bonds between writer and audience, therefore influencers who engage in topics of mental health, school and relationships become popular due to the unmanufactured nature of the content being delivered to audiences who are teens and tweens, as it feels authentic and genuine. The interactions and influencers’ awareness of their audiences needs through engaging with their audience, is such an advantage for the modern writer and due to the large intake of media from this demographic as a modern writer work will be viewed and engaged with through the sheer volume of time spent online.
The true advantages of social media come into play is when discussion is created between writer and audience, it automatically makes a reader feel engaged with the text and that makes the reader want more of the text, and will continue to seek out the works of the writer, as not only are they interested in the pieces itself, but also the validation and connection between the writer, as they are viewed like a friend figure. This dependent audience is good for business, as there will be a constant demand for the influencers’ work. Another positive aspect of social media and the internet in general, is the extreme cultivation of a fan base through the notion of “fandoms”. Wiatrowski writes that “Fandoms, in the information age, have become a well-connected global village capable of coordinated and immediate worldwide contact.” And “that fans congregate online as a method for creating a space wherein they can cheaply consume, create, and share their culture, much as they had done prior to the implementation of online media only with a greater connectivity and speed.” To create a fandom online should be the top priority of an online creator, and the modern writer can benefit significantly off a fandom especially if they embrace it and indulge their viewer base rather than push their audience away like older generations of writers have done and could afford to do in the past climate of writer and audience relationships. Isolating and penalising an online following/fandom is not a luxury an influencer/writer has online, as you are so intrinsically linked to your work, that to an extent audiences’ do not casually take in the work of an online media creator but instead they are taking in the pure and raw essence of that creator’s personality. So as a writer to deny your fan base and to criticise your following is almost killing the career you have made for yourself. This leads to an unbalanced relationship between online creator and audience, which is a huge disadvantage for the modern the writer as your audience is your lifeline, whereas traditional media can be picked up and enjoyed casually without much concern for who has written it. Yet, an advantage can come about with this unhealthy dynamic as it works both ways, as a creator with a personal connection, it is becoming increasingly easy to endorse products and advertise in a way that is unethical but effective, as you have cultivated a connection and as a modern writer you can manipulate that trust, and your viewership will believe you, as you are friend like figure, who is a genuine person and an authentic person, or so modern writers and influencers appear to their audience. This trend of marketing has been described as “fastest growing online acquisition method of the year (2017)” and the use of “the term “Influencer marketing” increased by 325% in Google searches”, showing how popular it is becoming and how this can be a tool and advantage for the modern writer.
However, going back to the initial question and valuation of the modern writers’ advantages and disadvantages regarding social media, and the use and exploitation of the social medias sense of personality, by creating a ‘genuine’ self online is one that in a sense of marketing and networking is unmatched, but the moral implications of brainwashing and subliminally advertising to tweens and teens who are in a vulnerable position at expense of a creator’s mental health, is a huge disadvantage for the modern writer. With the ever changing nature of social media and online spaces, these questionable moral practices paired with the economic gain of a modern writer, is one that people are questioning, which begs the question of how sustainable is this practice of manipulation? To conclude social media is a platform which is difficult to traverse, due to the nuisances of building a reputable character, yet once mastered the modern writer can benefit considerably from the advantages, despite the many disadvantages that follow social media.
References
Vessey, J. Pixielocks. 2018. Relapsing into Self Harm and Disordered Eating [online video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MMyo1mdvk8 [Accessed 17 November 2018]
Wallace, K. 2015. Teens spend a ‘mind-boggling’ 9 hours a day using media, report says [online] available at: https://edition.cnn.com/2015/11/03/health/teens-tweens-media-screen-use-report/index.html [Accessed at 16 November 2018]
Wiatrowski, M. The Dynamics of Fandoms: Exploring Fan Communities in Online Spaces [online] available at: http://www.academia.edu/491940/The_Dynamics_of_Fandom_Exploring_Fan_Communities_in_Online_Spaces [Accessed at 16 November 2018]
Fastenau, J. Under the Influence: The Power of Social Media Influencers [online] available at: https://medium.com/crobox/under-the-influence-the-power-of-social-media-influencers-5192571083c3 [Accessed at 16 November 2018]
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