I'm reminded of my sister's favorite cartoon - JEM. The show centered on a small-town girl catapulted from underground video sensation to global superstar. It always amazed me how at the simple touch of an earring - Jem would magically transform into her superstar alter-ego to battle it out with the "Misfits".
This cartoon bares an incredible resemblance to sociological behaviors that I have witnessed as a Digital Content Manager. From a mundane photo, *CLICK* and many people transform into filtered murals of themselves. Sometimes only vaguely depicting who/what you would see in-person. Scary!
But I am noticing something quite different on the horizon - the earring is no longer subduing the tenacious, hyper-consumption of filtered pics, pre-scheduled insights, and scathing (edited thrice times over) political rants. The social media global audience is now thriving on a resource - more precious, more involved,...further evolved. TIME. Live, in-action TIME.
We have reached a nexus in social media evolution where filtered no longer suits our fancy. The "Jems" of social networking are now multi-tasking, think on-the-fly socialites - who are forcing celebs, influencers, and otherwise relevant public personas into deeper waters.
For example, Periscope - a NEW live-action social media platform owned by Twitter - exhibits thousands of broadcasts where users are simply 'scrambling' to keep up with the tireless pursuit of social networking fame and notoriety. But as I quietly watch (I'm a creepy lurker, I know), it's (Periscope) filled with 'unrehearsed, unfiltered' ramblings - destroying my esteem for a once "sharp, professional public persona". In one single swoop, I've watched as prominent celebrities have fallen prey to their own ambition to keep up with social media trends (apparently, without consulting their PR personnel - first).
Note to listeners: The curtain is drawn back on the Great & Powerful Oz. Be careful not to present yourself as a flying monkey. #selah
Thanks for reading.
