Is Social Media Exploiting or Empowering its Users?
Have you ever used a social media platform like YouTube? You may have tried to access and probably explore it a bit. Modern Americans have opportunities to access information and entertainment in the palm of their hands. Although most of the people, especially the youth, spend more of their time in social media and considered as time-wasting, its use also requires being perceived in another way. In fact, with the increase in people’s dependence on technology, the number of entrepreneurship on the internet has persistently increased. For example, nowadays, most of the internet and web-user entrepreneurs can effortlessly reach their customers, negotiate, and conduct business with ease across the globe. Social media has made the managers and accountants have an easier time to execute their jobs, engage clients, share business ideas, and as an opportunity to establish their reputation to market their organization. However, digital platforms and works are affecting the concepts of entrepreneurship and digital products by exploiting consumer labor.
The business operations have changed as a result of social media. Currently, the entrepreneurs that have adapted to social media have an extensive marketing network and can access more resources for their businesses as well as customers quite easily. Social media has opened opportunities such as improved interaction with the customer, strategic marketing plans, and partnership, among others. A study by Ambrose Jagongo indicates that active engagement with the customers helps generate a database useful in the construction of a business that leads to increased sales. Also, he adds that social media tool has helped greater market accessibility and has helped break geographical barriers between the producers and clients (Jagongo, 2013). The Figure below indicates the percentage of entrepreneurs that have adapted and made social media as a tool for business.
Figure 1 (Jogango, 2013)
Christian Fuchs has found it daunting and controversial to understand the state of social media in today’s era. The author has tried to explore and understand social media by exploring the diverse participants, stakeholders, and activities that take place in social media. In his exploration, “Culture and Economy in the Age of Social Media” (Fuchs, 2018), the author tries to make the audience understand the social media platforms by putting into consideration its interaction with the culture and economy in today’s era.
Christian Fuchs introduces his critical idea that today’s use of social media is literally on the path of exploitation. The author brings in a concept of materialistic culture, where regular use of social media may not have a pleasant ending. The idea of extensive use of social media can bring in a tremendous influence on both economy and culture (Fuchs, 2018). The author draws in and matches today’s use of social media with the Marxist culture theory. That brings in a notion that one social class can potentially oppress another in the name of helping them. The continuous use of social media depicts global exploitation and the gradual construction of capitalism. That is, if social media takes root in economic and cultural development, then it can be easier to control the economy, trade, and industrialization by the private owners of the new systems. Therefore, according to Fuchs (2018), the owners of social media platforms can lure, exploit, and take advantage of the users.
A critical review on “Digital Labor and Karl Marx,” Christian Fuchs enumerates the exploitation of human labor by the ICT capitalist industries in some states such as China. The exploitation by the corporations rages from the miners in the field to the hardware assemblers. For example, the unpaid media prosumers in the Foxconn media industry in China is a good indication of exploitation (McQuade, 2015). A case study about a miner worker, ‘Muhanga Kahawa,’ an enslaved miner in North Kivu (Democratic Republic of Congo), brings the reality of exploitation. The case describes the condition and living standards of Muhanga, as they extract the mineral materials used to manufacture digital devices such as iPhones and laptops.
Furthermore, due to the expansion of the mining fields, the residential area reduces. The miners are poorly paid to the extent of going without food. Their lives are also in danger in the course of the labor processes. ‘As you crawl through the tiny hole, using your arms and fingers to scratch, there’s not enough space to dig properly, and you get badly grazed all over. And then, when you do finally come back out with the cassiterite, the soldiers are waiting to grab it at gunpoint…..’ (McQuade 2015). That gives an idea of the way the world progresses to adapting materialistic culture and capitalism. The whole issue indicates that, although technology improves the standards of its users, there is massive exploitation in digital labor. That also gives doubts about whether the overall intension about the use of social media platforms will be exploitative or helpful to its users.
YouTube is another social media platform that blurs the line between the consumer and the producer. It is one of the platforms viewed as the best by most of its users or viewers, whereas it’s an entirely different issue. “Analysis of the ten most viewed videos on YouTube shows that transnational media corporation, the organized exploiters of artists, and consumer’s surplus value-generating labor, controls YouTube’s political attention economy” (Fuchs, 2018). That means the artists have found the opportunity to exploit the users or consumers blindly to gain more fortunes. Meanwhile, the consumers have no knowledge they are under exploitation as they gain nothing in the name of becoming a ‘Fan.’ That indicates the social media has exploited its end-users in a significant way.
The music industry has invested heavily in digital platforms. Web 2.0 has given today’s generation to interact, collaborate, and share information through social media (Morris, 2013). That has changed the way the artists and consumers interact. However, that has resulted in another situation known as “co-creative labor” between the artists and fans. “Artists now have greater access to a wide variety of tools that allow them to produce, distribute, and market their music and to circumvent the traditional paths of circulation” (Morris, 2013 p.275). That means there are a gradual erosion and disruption of the traditional understanding of music economics. That is because direct connection between the fans and artists bypasses the labels, the managers, and the concerned producers, bringing in a paradigm shift in music industry (Morris, 2013). That brings in notion of cultural entrepreneurs, who through social media can organize human, financial, and human capital to generate revenue by holding cultural events and activities, such as in a crowded market places. That has made the artists dependent in terms of marketing and distribution of their contents. Since most of the artists are not well-versed with some activities such as marketing and distribution, most of them are left stranded and may not conduct their work according to their prospects.
Imogen Heaps is a lyric writer prominently known to exploit her fans in terms of labor. Upon the release of her draft, most of her supporters tried to recreate the songs. That shows how the British Pop-star carries out her entrepreneurship by exploiting fans to gain profits. The creation of music has shifted from being a mere performer-fan influence to more of getting closer for co-operation. Musicians are influential and, at the same time, are businesspersons. Therefore, bearing in mind that the internet is full of social media platforms such as MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, among others, the artists get an opportunity to reach out and exploit the fans in a significant way (Morris, 2013). Through such media, the musicians acquire an opportunity for the creation of personal connection with the fans that end up being ‘passionate laborers.” That eventually has a significant influence on people’s lives, and there is a need for intervention on the way such an impact can be controlled mainly to the young generation.
The study conducted by Leenders et al. involved analysis and the performance of 338 young music artists in the Netherlands, about fourteen percent are known as Digital age “Independents’ The musicians conduct their career without record labels and have decided to take advantage of social media. In comparison to that, seven to thirteen percent of the remaining portion of artists depend on a record label. Consequently, that gives them low identity almost across all the social media platforms (Leenders et al., 2015).
Live performances or on-site activities induce co-operation with the fans and helps young musicians exploit their synergies to the maximum to engage the customers. Some of the declining music platforms such as CD can still be revived by the artist through on-site CD sales during live performances while still engaging and strengthening the relationship with the customers (Leenders et al., 2015). Therefore, the comparison between the ‘independents’ and artists that depend on record labels indicate that, social media can have an impact on the performance of the upcoming musicians. That means, for a musician to be successful, they have to abandon the traditional means of communication to consumers and adapt to the new era methods. Some of the musicians will benefit more than others, hence, bringing in an idea that an artist cannot survive unless they adapt to the new system.
Furthermore, if more musicians try to fit into the new system, hatred and conflict can occur due to the fierce competition. Some may not have firm ground to initiate the process. Under that notion, social media may not be an empowering tool but as a system to put the music industry and economy under control.
Figure 2 below indicates that the leading portion of the social media users is music fans. That shows the music industry and its influence on social media are tremendous. As a result,
Figure 2. Public Figure and Celebrities (Crupnick, 2018)
Most of the worldwide social media users, especially on Twitter, have a long-lasting interest in the careers of their most favorite musicians (Crupnick, 2018). That is, the fans are on persistent follow-up and crave on the updates of the music projects, the lifestyles, and live tours. Consequently, most of the artists benefit from fans’ support by acquiring revenues, while the fans get adversely affected economically. Most of the young people get psychologically affected as the lifestyles easily influence them. Most of them compare their lifestyles with those of the celebrities, a situation that may induce negative thoughts and acts. That makes social media seem like a burden to the young generation as it is a system designed to control their mind. Under such a notion, social media is an exploitative tool to the end-user who does not benefit but left to struggle financially, psychologically, and self-construct, especially to the young generation.
Some of the prominent celebrities like; Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, among others, have something in common. According to the latest magazine, “CREATE AND EXPLOIT YOUR FAN BRAND” (Borg, 2018), all of them have specific brands of fans. The magazine also states that the nominated fans got awarded for being the best and supportive of their artists. Nomination means not every follower received presents. Also, the awards are not persistent and can happen once. The author also airs the steps a musician can create and exploit fan brands, but the fact is the fans get exploited more that they receive the awards. As the magazine title indicates, “CREATE AND EXPLOITe….,” is ironic and tries to sugarcoat the whole issue. The entire phenomenon happens around the social media as a tool to create and exploit the fans. That means social media platforms exploit users rather than what is known to empower in some circumstances.
Conclusion
In conclusion, suggestions from most of the proponents are controversial, and the question “Is Social Media Exploiting or Empowering its Users,” raises more questions than answers. However, according to the analysis above, it is an indication that social media can be more exploitative than being an empowerment tool. However, it is prudent for users to understand their goals toward using social media platforms. However, since there are ways social media can empower its users, it is critical to know the most beneficial utility, especially in terms of business, rather than being exploited and influenced by artists. The decision and solution from being carried away and exploited by others in social media lie in the hands of the users. That means social media is a double-edged sword since it has unfavorable and favorable consequences depending on the decision made. For instance, if used to please and benefit others, then, users become trapped in a den of exploitation. However, when applied to boost a business or for educative purposes, then it can be termed as an empowerment tool.
Work Cited
Borg, Bobby. “Create And Exploit Your Very Own Fan Brand – Music Connection.” Music Connection Magazine, 2018, https://www.musicconnection.com/tip-jar-fan-brand/. Accessed 24 Apr 2020.
Crupnick, Russ. “Music Scores A Gold Record on The Social Media Charts | Musicwatch Inc..” Musicwatchinc.Com, 2018, https://www.musicwatchinc.com/blog/music-scores-a-gold-record-on-the-social-media-charts/. Accessed 24 Apr 2020.
Fuchs, Christian. Social Media: a Critical Introduction . SAGE, 2018.
Jagongo, Ambrose. “Social Media and Entrepreneurship Growth.” Ijhssnet.Com, 2013, http://ijhssnet.com/journals/Vol_3_No_10_Special_Issue_May_2013/24.pdf. Accessed 24 Apr 2020.
Leenders, Mark A.A.M. et al. “How Are Young Music Artists Configuring Their Media and Sales Platforms in the Digital Age?”. Journal of Marketing Management, vol 31, no. 17-18, 2015, pp. 1799-1817. Informa UK Limited, doi:10.1080/0267257x.2015.1034158.
McQuade, Brendan. “Review Of “Digital Labour And Karl Marx,” By Christian Fuchs.” Journal of World-Systems Research, 2015, pp. 227-230. University Library System, University Of Pittsburgh, doi:10.5195/jwsr.2015.541.
Morris, Jeremy Wade. “Artists as Entrepreneurs, Fans as Workers.” Popular Music and Society,
vol. 37, no. 3, 2013, doi:10.1080/03007766.2013.778534.