On Reading and Creating Digital/Social Media
READING SOCIAL MEDIA TEXTS
Social media platforms have become increasingly
popular since the early 2000s. In 2020, over 3.6 billion people were
using social media worldwide, the most commonly used site being Facebook.
Through social media, children and adults can find entertainment, keep up with
friends, share their lives, thoughts, and feelings, buy products, sell
products, promote their business, inform themselves, and connect with people
across countries and cultures throughout the world. For thousands of
people, social media is used several times daily, and the information shared on
these platforms can have a profound effect on communities and
individuals. The following questions will help you understand how the
format of social media allows you to receive a vast amount of information
within a simple post.
Who is making the post?
Scrolling through your newsfeed, a number of profiles are seen. Each represents a variety of people. Some are familiar friends, others are strangers. Some are companies, some are public figures, some are advertisements, some are artists, some are groups--and those groups can range from certified organizations to pages dedicated to the sharing of memes. Paying attention to who is making the post will give you clues of their intent, their validity, and their relevance to you.
Is there an image included? What does that image convey?
Often, social media texts will include an image. The image may clearly connect with the written caption, or it may not. The post may be just the picture with no caption at all. Analyzing a picture on social media may seem similar to analyzing a picture in a museum or a photo album--what is the focus, what is being framed, who or what is in it, where is it, what do the colors say, the lines, the texture, etc. However, pictures posted on social media have further context outside of artistic elements that must be considered. Each image is connected to the person or group who posted it, and therefore reflects, perhaps, their life, their point of views, their joys, their frustrations. More often than not, it gives us a glimpse into either the life or the mind of the person who posted it.
What does the caption say (if any)?
Captions can provide further information that is more clear and straightforward. It can express its intent possibly more effectively than an image could. Analyzing the caption can inform us what type of post this is: do the words ask us to do something, such as buy a product on join a cause? Do they address a particular audience? Is it a life update? A request for help? A complaint? Do they use emojis? Are there ONLY emojis? Captions add voice to the post and help us identify the character of the person posting and what their goals are.
What is the response by other social media users?
Posts on social media frequently involve responses from other users in the form of "likes" (or "reactions") and comments. Public reactions can give us further insight into the intent of the post and its intended effect on us. "Who is liking/commenting" is a key question to ask ourselves. Are they connected to the poster or are they strangers? Is the feedback positive and supportive? Is it negative and argumentative? Does it have several "likes"? Number of "likes" might tell us about the quality or intelligence of the post, but more likely it simply reveals the popularity of the poster. Another response possibility would be a "share" or "repost" of someone's social media text, which, when done in large numbers, allows certain texts to make its way across countries, contributing to a common culture among social media users worldwide.
Who is making the post?
Scrolling through your newsfeed, a number of profiles are seen. Each represents a variety of people. Some are familiar friends, others are strangers. Some are companies, some are public figures, some are advertisements, some are artists, some are groups--and those groups can range from certified organizations to pages dedicated to the sharing of memes. Paying attention to who is making the post will give you clues of their intent, their validity, and their relevance to you.
Is there an image included? What does that image convey?
Often, social media texts will include an image. The image may clearly connect with the written caption, or it may not. The post may be just the picture with no caption at all. Analyzing a picture on social media may seem similar to analyzing a picture in a museum or a photo album--what is the focus, what is being framed, who or what is in it, where is it, what do the colors say, the lines, the texture, etc. However, pictures posted on social media have further context outside of artistic elements that must be considered. Each image is connected to the person or group who posted it, and therefore reflects, perhaps, their life, their point of views, their joys, their frustrations. More often than not, it gives us a glimpse into either the life or the mind of the person who posted it.
What does the caption say (if any)?
Captions can provide further information that is more clear and straightforward. It can express its intent possibly more effectively than an image could. Analyzing the caption can inform us what type of post this is: do the words ask us to do something, such as buy a product on join a cause? Do they address a particular audience? Is it a life update? A request for help? A complaint? Do they use emojis? Are there ONLY emojis? Captions add voice to the post and help us identify the character of the person posting and what their goals are.
What is the response by other social media users?
Posts on social media frequently involve responses from other users in the form of "likes" (or "reactions") and comments. Public reactions can give us further insight into the intent of the post and its intended effect on us. "Who is liking/commenting" is a key question to ask ourselves. Are they connected to the poster or are they strangers? Is the feedback positive and supportive? Is it negative and argumentative? Does it have several "likes"? Number of "likes" might tell us about the quality or intelligence of the post, but more likely it simply reveals the popularity of the poster. Another response possibility would be a "share" or "repost" of someone's social media text, which, when done in large numbers, allows certain texts to make its way across countries, contributing to a common culture among social media users worldwide.
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