The Over Stimulation of Love in a “Social Media” Society
Social relevance is like money; in the era of social media power is received by the acknowledgment of followers, fans and the click of a button; the like button. On Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok, the like button is the shape of a heart, the universal symbol of love. Social media has made love a product; over saturating, decomposing and fabricating its agency to a mere currency. Social media in capitalistic society promotes a false sense of love.
Ask any teenager or person posting content about the rush they feel when a post of theirs goes viral; the acknowledgement being seen and heard, appreciated, accepted is that of a drug. It holds, eerily, a similar component to the actual feeling of love. Today, a post with a certain amount of views, comments and likes can lead to a lump sum of money; through advertisements, affiliations, endorsements, fan advocacy etc. So, while the love pours in so does the money.
Most creators gain their following in their natural essence. Their relatability to their audience is what drives the viewer to follow and then to become a fan. Yet, I notice when love does indeed become a life changing amount of money, the natural essence of the creator dissipates. Creator’s like Emma Chamberlain, have confessed their inner struggle with the self; as she’s felt beholden to those who give her love and money, her followers.
In a Fast Company article, Emma is quoted saying, “A lot of creators start to feel like they don’t exist in real life anymore, and they only exist online,” she says. “But the truth is… emotionally it’s very, very draining and very difficult. And so I think that I wanna see creators taking more breaks end of story—and not being as hard on themselves when they do.” With over 11 million subscribers on Youtube, the average video receiving 4 million views, hundreds of thousands of comments and 15 million likes followers on instagram Emma is one of the most beloved content creators of our generation, but does Emma, like so many others, feel loved?
The use of the heart to express interest through the act of engaging content holds much more power than we as a society realize. The impact of social media in the context of money creates and changes lives. Love is being used as a market of means. What becomes of you when you are being displayed as a loved person but it does not translate other than through monetary means?