Media Consumption Revolution

Michael Jackson is dead!

I know I'm a little late on posting the news.

Aside from the personal impact the news had on me as a dancer and as a kid idolizing Michael, there is a very important undertone that needs to be looked at when it comes to media consumption and public reaction, and also their affect on this cultural revolution. Before we go any further, read this article.

"Because it wasn't just HOW lots of people first learned of Jackson's demise, but what they did once they found out."

Social networking sites are quickly becoming the opinion leaders of our time. Let's use Jackson's death as an example. As soon as the news broke, as said in the article, people tweeted and facebooked it. Text messages sent per second went bananas which led to more tweets and facebook status updates. Behold the newest trend in media consumption.

Let's continue with this consumption theme. I like to think of Twitter and Facebook as the appetizers for what the media wants us to consume. When a story breaks, someone will make a post about the story on these sites. From there someone else sees this post and looks into the story through more traditional means, the entree of the story if you would. These traditional means being CNN, newspapers, analysts, etc. This is ensued by a repost of the story so that someone else can go through the same process. This is public reaction to the way we consume media.

What I'm saying is that these social networking sites are changing the way all of us get our news and information, and the way we share that information with others. Facebook and Twitter are the buzz creating publicists for the mainstream media.

We are living in the middle of a cultural revolution. Many professors feel as if the students of my generation lack a certain amount of awareness about the world around us, and I agree. Many of my peers don't read the newspaper, and with the internet, many of us barely watch television. Now the media is effectively using these channels, social networking sites, to target a vast array of demographics. With these channels the media has become agile and versatile, so much so that lack of awareness becomes an active choice. Personally, I'm pumped about these new cultural trends in media consumption, and even more excited that people are reacting and responding. News media and the way our culture absorbs it is evolving and becoming more sophisticated and accessible. It's time to jump on the train and take advantage of it before you get left behind.

F.Y.I. - I found that article using my little brother's Wii video game entertainment system.

"I want to love you, PYT, Pretty Young Thing!"