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Welcome to the NerdBrand Podcast where today we will be talking about how Postmodernism has influenced the evolution of channels and resources.
What the heck is Postmodernism?
Postmodernism is an intellectual and cultural movement characterized by skepticism toward grand theories and ideologies and opposition to epistemic (this will be fun to pronounce btw) certainty and the stability of meaning.
A technology platform, for instance Facebook, embodies postmodernist values in facilitating multiple and fragmented narratives, the proliferation of irony and pastiche, and the prioritization of personal expression over objective truth. (Sufferin Succotash!)
Evolution of Social Media Channels
- Early days: Launches of websites like Six Degrees (1997), LiveJournal (1999), and Myspace (2003) marked the early days of social media.
- Expansion: The launch of Facebook (2004) and YouTube (2005) brought social media to a broader audience and expanded the types of content shared.
- Mobile: The rise of smartphones and the launch of mobile apps like Twitter (2006) and Instagram (2010) made social media accessible anytime, anywhere.
- Live streaming: Periscope (2015) and Facebook Live (2016) allowed for real-time broadcasting and brought immediacy to social media.
- Ephemerality: The launch of Snapchat (2011) popularized the concept of ephemeral content, where messages and posts disappear after a short time.
- Video: TikTok (2016) brought short-form video content to the forefront and has since become one of the most popular social media platforms globally.
- Social commerce: Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest have added features to allow for shopping directly from the app, blurring the line between social media and e-commerce.
How Do We Trust What is Thriving and What is Dying?
To be cautious of what platforms you regularly use, both in the perspective as a user and a content creator.
- Privacy concerns: Data breaches and the mishandling of user data have eroded trust in the social media companies' ability to protect personal information.
- Misinformation: The spread of fake news and propaganda has raised questions about the reliability of information shared on social media.
- Polarization: The algorithmic amplification of polarizing content and echo chambers have reinforced ideological biases and the breakdown of civil discourse.
- Addiction: Research has shown that excessive use of social media can negatively affect mental health and well-being, leading to a loss of trust in the platforms.
- Manipulation: Evidence of foreign interference, propaganda campaigns, and astroturfing has highlighted how social media can manipulate public opinion.
Conclusion:
As time and technology has progressed in our society, we’ve challenged each stage of evolving platforms to create a newer and better way of doing things. This has been proven with the various compositions of social media platforms through postmodernist influence.
There is always that new bright, shiny object that we all want
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