Question

How do social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube potentially change the dynamics of media coverage in the context of a system controlled by a few large companies? Could Instagrammers and YouTubers be considered culture jammers? Explain your answer.

Answer 1

Social media has completely transform the media environment. It has made the information spread like anything within a short span of time. The information has been made available and accessible to everybody. Moreover, the system is controlled by a few large and influential companies. The companies which are influential and quite wealthy are able to create sensation and captures the maximum media coverage. Search Engine optimization has enabled companies to pay to Google and be in the top list when any person searches for relevant information.

Few large companies buy the media space on YouTube and Instagram and keep advertising about their products and services. Companies also dont have to wait for long to make the news public. As soon as the news is released, it can be put on social media and within seconds it reaches to the entire mass crowd.

Instagrammers and YouTubers are basically culture jammers criticisng the political and advertising message. Taking the recent case of Citizenship Amendment Act being made public, there were series of conversations and criticism over the social media. As the mass cooperation can be achieved on social media, like minded people come together and start criticising the political act. Same is true with advertising message, where people write their reviews and blogs on social media and influences the people to make certain decisions. Thus social media users like YouTubers and Instagrammers can be considered culture jammers.