Glossary

14.3 Television's relationship with social media and online platforms

4 min read•july 30, 2024

Television's relationship with social media and online platforms has transformed the industry. Shows now integrate hashtags and live-tweeting to boost engagement, while enable and personalized recommendations. This symbiosis has reshaped content creation, audience interaction, and viewing habits.

Social media metrics influence programming decisions, and platforms serve as promotional tools for TV shows. Meanwhile, online streaming has expanded global reach and facilitated time-shifted viewing. This convergence presents both challenges and opportunities, driving innovation in storytelling and audience engagement.

Television and Social Media Symbiosis

Complementary Channels and Audience Engagement

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  • Social media platforms extend audience engagement beyond traditional broadcast times
  • Television shows incorporate social media elements (hashtags, live-tweeting) to encourage real-time audience participation
  • Cross-platform storytelling techniques create immersive audience experiences
    • Transmedia narratives blur lines between television and social media
    • Example: "Westworld" companion websites and social media accounts that expand the show's universe
  • Social media provides instant feedback mechanisms for television producers
    • Allows for rapid adjustments to content based on audience reactions
    • Example: Showrunners monitoring reactions during live broadcasts to gauge audience response

Social Media Metrics and Television Strategy

  • Social media metrics influence television programming decisions and content creation strategies
    • Trending topics and viral content shape show concepts
    • Example: Netflix's "You" gained popularity after moving to the platform due to social media buzz
  • Television networks leverage social media for targeted advertising and promotional campaigns
    • Utilize user data and analytics to reach specific demographics
    • Example: HBO's use of Instagram Stories to promote "Game of Thrones" to younger audiences
  • Social media analytics gauge audience sentiment to tailor content
    • Producers adjust storylines or character development based on social media feedback
    • Example: "The Walking Dead" writers considering fan theories and reactions when crafting future episodes

Social Media's Influence on Television

Content Creation and Inspiration

  • on social media inspires television show concepts and storylines
    • Viral challenges and trends incorporated into television content
    • Example: "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" featuring popular TikTok dances and challenges
  • Social media influencers and celebrities integrated into television programming
    • Leverages online followings to boost viewership and engagement
    • Example: stars appearing as guests or hosts on traditional talk shows
  • on social media influence television narratives through collective advocacy
    • Can affect storylines, character development, or show renewals
    • Example: "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" fans successfully campaigning on Twitter for the show's renewal after cancellation

Enhanced Audience Interaction

  • Live social media integration during broadcasts enhances audience participation
    • On-screen tweet displays and real-time polls
    • Example: "American Idol" incorporating live Twitter voting for contestant performances
  • Social media platforms serve as critical promotional tools for television shows
    • Targeted advertising and organic content strategies drive audience awareness
    • Example: Netflix's use of memes and GIFs on Twitter to promote new and existing shows
  • Cross-platform engagement strategies create immersive viewing experiences
    • Second-screen apps and companion content
    • Example: "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch" interactive film on Netflix with social media tie-ins

Online Platforms and Television Consumption

Evolving Viewing Habits

  • Streaming platforms enable on-demand viewing and binge-watching behaviors
    • Challenges traditional linear broadcasting models
    • Example: Netflix releasing entire seasons at once, promoting marathon viewing sessions
  • Online platforms facilitate time-shifted viewing
    • Audiences consume television content at their convenience
    • Example: DVR and catch-up services allowing viewers to watch shows days or weeks after initial broadcast
  • Second-screen viewing becomes prevalent consumption pattern
    • Audiences simultaneously engage with mobile devices while watching television
    • Example: Live-tweeting during major television events like awards shows or sports games

Content Discovery and Global Reach

  • Recommendation algorithms on streaming services influence content discovery
    • Leads to niche content consumption and the long tail effect
    • Example: Netflix's personalized recommendations exposing viewers to lesser-known titles
  • Online platforms expand the global reach of television content
    • Breaks down geographical barriers and fosters international audience communities
    • Example: Korean dramas gaining worldwide popularity through streaming platforms
  • Integration of interactive elements reshapes audience expectations
    • Choose-your-own-adventure narratives and personalized experiences
    • Example: "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch" allowing viewers to make decisions that affect the story's outcome

Challenges and Opportunities of Television Integration

Industry Disruption and Innovation

  • Content fragmentation across multiple platforms challenges traditional audience measurement
    • Necessitates new metrics for success in the television industry
    • Example: Nielsen incorporating streaming data into its ratings system
  • Proliferation of online platforms intensifies competition for viewer attention
    • Requires television producers to create more innovative and engaging content
    • Example: HBO's high-budget productions to compete with streaming giants
  • Online platforms offer opportunities for niche programming and diverse content
    • Enables shows that may not be commercially viable on traditional broadcast television
    • Example: Quibi's short-form content designed for mobile viewing (although ultimately unsuccessful)
  • Digital rights management and content licensing present complex challenges
    • Television networks and producers navigate multi-platform distribution
    • Example: Negotiating streaming rights for syndicated shows across different services
  • Integration enables more sophisticated audience targeting and personalized advertising
    • Increases potential revenue streams for television industry
    • Example: Hulu's ad targeting based on viewing history and demographics
  • Cybersecurity and data privacy concerns arise with connected viewing
    • Protecting user information becomes crucial for platforms and networks
    • Example: Implementation of two-factor authentication on streaming services to prevent account breaches
  • Convergence facilitates new forms of storytelling and audience engagement
    • Interactive documentaries and augmented reality experiences emerge
    • Example: "Bandersnatch" interactive film on Netflix allowing viewers to make choices that affect the storyline

Key Terms to Review (18)

Audience studies: Audience studies is an area of research that examines how different audiences engage with media, including their preferences, behaviors, and interpretations. This field focuses on understanding the relationship between media content and the viewers or consumers, considering factors such as demographics, cultural backgrounds, and social contexts. By analyzing how audiences interact with media, researchers can uncover insights into viewing habits and the impact of media on society.
Binge-watching: Binge-watching refers to the practice of watching multiple episodes of a television show in one sitting, often facilitated by streaming platforms that allow for the seamless playback of episodes. This behavior has transformed viewing habits, leading to changes in how television is produced, distributed, and consumed across various platforms and formats.
Convergence culture: Convergence culture refers to the merging of old and new media, where content flows across multiple platforms and audiences engage in various ways with that content. This blending transforms how stories are told, allowing for participation from fans and reshaping traditional production and consumption patterns. It emphasizes the interconnectedness of media, where television, social media, and other online platforms interact to create a dynamic ecosystem for content delivery.
Cultural Studies: Cultural Studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines how culture influences and shapes society, focusing on the ways in which media, texts, and everyday practices create meaning. It explores the relationship between culture and power dynamics, as well as how different social groups negotiate their identities through cultural practices, making it essential for understanding various aspects of media, including television.
Digital divide: The digital divide refers to the gap between individuals and communities who have access to modern information and communication technology, such as the internet, and those who do not. This gap can be influenced by various factors including socio-economic status, geographic location, and education levels, affecting opportunities for participation in digital spaces.
Fan communities: Fan communities are groups of individuals who share a common interest in a specific television show, genre, or creator, fostering connections through shared experiences, discussions, and activities. These communities often exist both online and offline, utilizing various platforms to engage with content, share fan art, create fan fiction, and participate in discussions. The rise of digital technology has allowed these communities to thrive, giving fans more ways to connect and express their passion for their favorite shows.
Hashtag activism: Hashtag activism refers to the use of social media hashtags to promote social or political causes, mobilize supporters, and raise awareness about important issues. It connects individuals and communities around specific topics, allowing for the rapid dissemination of information and fostering online engagement, while also bridging the gap between digital spaces and real-world activism. This phenomenon has gained traction alongside the rise of social media platforms, especially in contexts where traditional forms of activism may be less effective or accessible.
Henry Jenkins: Henry Jenkins is a prominent media scholar known for his work on fan cultures, participatory media, and convergence culture. His research emphasizes the role of audiences as active participants in media consumption and production, rather than passive recipients, highlighting how fans engage with media texts and create their own meanings.
Influencer culture: Influencer culture refers to the social phenomenon where individuals, known as influencers, leverage social media platforms to affect the behavior and opinions of their followers. This culture emphasizes the power of personal branding, content creation, and audience engagement, shaping both media consumption patterns and production practices in the television industry. As influencers gain popularity, they often collaborate with traditional media, resulting in a blending of online and offline entertainment experiences.
Media literacy: Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media in various forms. It empowers individuals to understand the role of media in society and critically engage with content, recognizing biases and underlying messages that shape perceptions and opinions.
Second screen experience: The second screen experience refers to the practice of using a secondary device, such as a smartphone or tablet, while consuming content on a primary device, like a television. This phenomenon is shaped by digital convergence, allowing viewers to engage with additional content, interact with social media, and participate in real-time discussions while watching their favorite shows. As technology advances, the second screen has become integral in enriching viewer engagement and shaping new content delivery methods.
Sherry Turkle: Sherry Turkle is a sociologist and psychologist known for her research on the impact of technology on human relationships and communication. Her work often critiques how digital media and online platforms affect our ability to connect with one another, emphasizing the complexities of social interaction in the age of social media.
Streaming services: Streaming services are digital platforms that allow users to access and watch video content in real-time over the internet, eliminating the need for downloading files. These services have transformed how audiences consume media, offering on-demand access to a vast library of films, television shows, and original programming, while also influencing the production and distribution strategies of content creators.
Transmedia storytelling: Transmedia storytelling is a narrative technique that spreads a single story or story experience across multiple platforms and formats, allowing for deeper engagement and a more immersive experience for the audience. This approach harnesses the unique strengths of each medium, whether it’s television, film, social media, or video games, to tell different parts of a story or explore various aspects of a fictional world.
Twitter: Twitter is a social media platform that allows users to post and interact with messages known as tweets, which are limited to 280 characters. The platform fosters real-time communication and engagement among users, making it a significant tool for sharing information, opinions, and updates related to various topics, including television programming.
User-generated content: User-generated content (UGC) refers to any form of content, such as videos, blogs, posts, and reviews, that is created and shared by users rather than by professional creators or brands. This phenomenon is a key feature of the digital landscape, significantly shaping how media is produced, consumed, and interacted with across various platforms.
Viral marketing: Viral marketing is a promotional strategy that encourages individuals to share a marketing message with others, creating a rapid and exponential growth in the reach of the message. This approach leverages social media platforms and online networks to facilitate sharing, making it easier for content to go viral and reach large audiences quickly. By tapping into existing social connections and encouraging user-generated content, viral marketing enhances the impact of promotional efforts on television production and consumption.
YouTube: YouTube is a video-sharing platform that allows users to upload, share, and view videos. It has transformed the landscape of media consumption by enabling creators to produce content independently, fostering a participatory culture where viewers can engage with and influence the creation of content. This platform has also become an essential tool for television producers and networks, impacting how shows are marketed and consumed by audiences.
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