The Power and Influence of Digital Media Users

Credit: Juliette Toma, Los Angeles Times

During the late 1980s, cable television officially replaced public broadcast networks ABC, NBC and CBS as the main source of news and entertainment. People in the late 20th century found cable television more appealing than broadcast networks because of its countless, interest-specific programs and unrestricted media content. Both features of cable allowed these television owners to have more control over the media content they consumed.

Control over media content consumption heightened with the development of video-on-demand (VOD), an additional facet of cable television that launched in the 1990s. Cable subscribers in the late 20th century and early 21st century found VOD fascinating because they could watch, rewatch, pause, fast forward, rewind and record most films, shows or live events on a schedule convenient for them. Although cable television was the first prominent emerging media tool used to gain control over media content consumption, the creation of digital communication technology transformed this phenomenon.

Digital communication technology provides media users with more authority over the news and entertainment they consume and gives them the opportunity to become creators who can influence others with the content they produce. This shifts the power from traditional media professionals to digital media users who also act as producers.

Compared to cable television, Internet-based communication platforms such as social networking sites allow individuals to do more than choose the type, manner of engagement and consumption time of content. Through social networking sites, digital media users can interact with long-term, personalized content without actively looking for it. Digital media users acquire and maintain readily available personalized content through what communication researchers call ‘the algorithmized self.’

In other words, some users on social networking sites know that algorithms harness an individual’s online behaviors to determine their content preferences. These algorithmic-aware users manipulate algorithms by liking, commenting or resharing news and entertainment that reflect their personalities to see similar information on a social networking site’s recommended content feature. Following like-minded content creators is another tactic that digital media users implement to only receive very specific, personalized content online.

Creation of the algorithmized self, however, is the most common on TikTok. Unlike other social networking sites, digital media users only must like posts on the video-sharing platform’s For You page feed to get content more uniquely tailored to their interests. This feature is one of the main reasons TikTok is currently the most used social networking site. Digital media users do not have to pay money or put much effort into obtaining authority over what content they consume on the video-sharing platform.

Besides allowing digital media users to have control over the news and entertainment they consume, social networking sites give individuals the opportunity to create content. Ordinary people who create content that reaches a mass audience and receives high engagement on social networking sites are known as influencers. While celebrities gain fame through entertainment industries such as sports, television, music and film, influencers use social networking sites to become well known. Although influencers are not synonymous with celebrities, these social networking site stars have celebrity capital. This capital allows influencers to shape public opinion and behavior and obtain access to privileges initially reserved for celebrities.

For example, Louisiana native and former LSU student Addison Rae Easterling became an influencer after posting dance videos to trending songs on TikTok and interacting with her followers on the video-sharing platform. Easterling’s stardom on TikTok caused her to obtain celebrity capital which resulted in economic and social benefits, including an above-average income, brand deals, an acting and music career, connections to celebrities and invitations to Hollywood events.

In summary, the rise of social networking sites is causing communication researchers to examine how users leverage these online platforms. Research shows that social networking sites let digital media users acquire power through the creation of the algorithmized self. Social networking sites also allow digital media users to become influencers which results in the obtainment of celebrity capital. The rapid increase in digital media users with power and influence implies that social networking sites will continue to be the dominant technology within emerging media.