The Rise of Social Media
Since the creation of social media, it has been changing the world. Social media has allowed us to easily communicate with anyone from anywhere. It has changed the way we date, the way we find music, and the way we watch movies and TV. Social media has revolutionized so many things in the world today.
Social Media and TV/Film
With the rise of social media writers and directors can now better target what an audience will enjoy, this is good and bad. The good of this is an increase in diversity and an end to negative stereotypes. A good example of this are movies like Love Simon, Booksmarts, and The Edge of Seventeen. However, knowing what your audience wants can easily go bad. Sometimes writers/directors are trying too hard to pander to a certain audience. A good example of this is the Netflix 2021 film titled Moxie. This movie follows a group of teen girls fighting against misogyny. The movie has a very diverse cast and follows a white lead as she tries to find her voice. Its attempt to be “woke” makes it very cringe-worthy and predictable.
An Audience With A Voice
Everyone has an opinion but before social media audiences were not able to voice their opinions on their favorite shows and movies effectively. However, thanks to social media audiences can come together to share their opinions. For example, many fans have formed online polls to vote for their favorite characters or which characters they ship more. With audiences being able to connect with each other this has created Fandoms.
The Rise of Fandom
The Gen-Z Effect
Generation Z (people born between 1997-2015) is obsessed with a revolution. This is both good and bad. The good in this is that most members of Gen Z are very outspoken when it comes to standing up for what they believe in. The bad with this is that most of Gen Z feel like it's their responsibility to save the world. Generation Z is trying to overthrow the system that older generations have been raised on.
The End of Negative Tropes
Since Generation Z is trying to overthrow the patriarchal system, they are actively voicing their opinions on social media. They are rebranding TV/film tropes like the nice guys, damsel in distress, the bad boy, or the cool girl. Rebranding these tropes will create a better society.
Social Media In Film
Writers and directors have found ways to implicate social media in tv/film. The first most popular example of this was the Cecily von Ziegesar 2007 book adaptation of Gossip Girl. Gossip Girl follows a group of privileged teens living on the upper east side. As the teens deal with messy romances their secrets are exposed by Gossip Girl, an anonymous blogger. This early portrayal of social media in film opened the door for many other shows following a similar formula. A great example is Pretty Little Liars, a 2010 book adaptation. It follows four teenage girls, who are being haunted by an anonymous figure who uses email, text, and different forms of social media to haunt them.
In recent years, writers have started to write more about the realism of social media. For example, 2018 coming of age story, Eighth Grade. This film follows a thirteen-year-old girl who deals with social anxiety. It captures what it's like to be a teenager in the age of social media and perfectly displays the pros and cons of social media. The main character can easily be herself when she is posting on Youtube or Snapchat, however, when she is offline and in the real world she suffers from social anxiety and deals with body image issues.
The darker side of social media is also being displayed in films with movies like Unfriend and The Social Dilemma. Unfriend is about a group of teenagers who are having an online conversation when they are suddenly greeted by a random user. The user starts to harass the teens. This film shows a real dangerous possibility that comes when you're not safe online. Another film that shows the dangers and realism of using social media is The Social Dilemma. The movie is a documentary that speaks with the makings of the most popular social media apps, they talk about how addicting and controlling social media can be.