Social media is the 21st century’s way. It has risen to prominence in the past two decades and shows no signs of slowing down. There are several different generations that now interact on social media, using platforms like Meta, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and more.
Social media is a deeply personal way to show the world who you are. When you use it, you’re utilizing technology to reveal parts of yourself. That’s different from TV, where you’re watching passively without interacting.
While TV and social media apps or websites differ from each other in this way, there are times when they interact with each other as well. Let’s talk about that for a moment.
The Anti-work Subreddit
You don’t have to be very tech-knowledgeable to use social media. Signing up for a profile on a platform like Reddit isn’t like knowing about single-sign-on or being an IT admin. All it takes is a couple of seconds, and you can start talking to people all over the world.
That can be both negative and positive. Talking to people online can be a positive if you find communities with whom you can interact who seem to share your value system. It can be negative if you go on a site like Reddit, and people immediately start disliking your comments and downvoting you.
Sometimes, though, TV notices sites like Reddit. An example occurred recently when Fox News
conducted an interview with one of the moderators of the recent Reddit sensation anti-work.
The anti-work subreddit started as a place where people could complain about their jobs. Many of the individuals who used it felt like they were stuck in positions where they could not advance any higher. Their bosses never gave them raises, and they were having a harder time keeping up with bills, rent, and their food budgets because of rising inflation costs.
This sub started making Reddit’s front page regularly, and Fox News could not help but take notice. It was similar to a few months back when individuals on Reddit brought the GameStop stock onto TV when they began buying it up to prevent short selling.
The TV Interview
Fox News didn’t much like the idea of the anti-work subreddit. Some of the on-air personalities expressed incredulity about it and seemed to disagree with most of the sentiments that the people on there espoused. Fox decided to reach out to one of the subreddit mods to see if they would give an on-air interview.
They found one who would, and that individual appeared in a brief Fox News segment. This person, Doreen Ford, professed to be transgender, using female pronouns. She appeared on camera, looking disheveled. The interview took place in her home, with Fox contacting her from its studio.
Ford spoke about being a professional dog walker who works 20-25 hours per week. She said she wants to work less than that, echoing a trend that seems common on the anti-work subreddit. The Fox News interviewer seemingly could barely contain his disdain during the segment. He signed off by saying the network “had bills to pay,” apparently a dig at Ford.
The Fallout
After the interview, the anti-work subreddit essentially imploded. The other moderators fired Ford, the mod who had agreed to represent the rest of the group. They didn’t like the way she had portrayed the sub. Soon after that, they took the sub private. That means you would have to be a member in order to see what’s happening on the sub and to post there.
Much like what happened with the GameStop debacle, this was an interesting look at what can happen when social media and TV come into contact with one another. There are other examples as well, though not quite as jarring.
Can Social Media and TV Get Along?
Many celebrities use social media, and when they do, they’re inviting personal interaction, though they can always block people who say things they don’t like. Athletes use social media often, and when they do, the comments they make frequently end up on TV.
Tom Brady is an example. In the leadup to the Buccaneers losing to the Rams in the NFC Divisional Round last week, there was a segment on ESPN about how Brady seems a lot more playful and less buttoned-down on social media since going to Tampa from the more conservative New England Patriots.
Aaron Rogers, the Green Bay quarterback who has become a lightning rod for controversy following various anti-vax comments he has made in the past few months, sometimes uses social media to convey his thoughts and feelings. Invariably, what he says there ends up on TV, with ESPN, CBS, or Fox dissecting his posts.
What Lessons Can We Take from This?
The main takeaway from this is that when you use social media if you’re a celebrity, you can leverage these platforms for manipulation. If you want to change or direct the narrative surrounding you, you can say things on social media that you know will make their way onto TV. For instance, you might force a trade to another team if you speak disparagingly about your contract or head coach.
If you’re not a celebrity, then when you say things on social media, you’re not likely to garner this sort of mainstream exposure unless TV can no longer ignore what you say and do. The anti-work subreddit drama and the whole GameStop saga are prime examples. If you make a lot of noise on social media and millions of others take up your cause, the TV will notice, which will get you more exposure than you might ever dream of.
It’s fascinating to watch TV interact with social media and vice versa. People talk about TV segments on social media platforms, and social media platform interactions make their way onto the nightly news. With both technology forms here to stay, it’s worth wondering what the next unpredictable interaction between them will be.
