Social media has become something
that dominates many areas of society. One of the biggest areas it has
encompassed is television. Since its beginning, television reaches a tremendous
audience. As the way television is consumed has changed so has the way
audiences talk about it. It used to be a more personal talk but with social
media it is no longer personal. What do I mean by personal? I mean a
face-to-face conversation. While these conversations are still happening,
talking about it through social media has become a bigger platform. These
bigger platforms are having positive and negative effects on television shows
and audiences.
The Nielsens are basically just a
tool to tell a network and advertisers that people are watching the commercials
aired during a show…We decided that as fans we could tell them the exact same
thing using Twitter. And unlike the Nielsens…we could show that not only were
we watching, we were paying attention” (Watercutter).
The use of social media for
television can be positive. The Chuck
fans were able to give its show a fifth season through Twitter.
Fans
tweeting on Twitter and making statuses about shows on Facebook has found shows
looking at the new platforms to see how their shows are doing. While Nielsen
used to focus mainly on one platform, they have now begun to research new
platforms: “Over the past year, millions of TV fans across the U.S. have come
together on Twitter each week to discuss TV’s biggest moments as they happen
live without leaving the comfort of their own couches. Nielson ranked the top
series, specials and sports events on Twitter this year…” (Nielson.com). When
comparing the top ten primetime programs, through Nielson boxes and Twitter,
there were some differences. Several shows were not even considered as top
programming but more people were talking about them. For example, The Bachelor and Game of Thrones were two shows that did not make Nielson’s top ten
list but on Twitter they were the number two and three talked about show.
Tweets are becoming the new way for shows to see how their audiences feel.
While social media
is having positive aspects for television shows, many audiences cannot stand
it. Why? Fans of shows do not want them to be ruined. They do not want to be
scrolling through Facebook or Twitter and see what happened in their show that
they missed. In her blog, Gingermostly, rants about ruining a show by tweeting
or writing a status about a show:
Before you
tweet/Facebook/Google+/Whatever something take a moment and ask yourself ‘If I
hadn’t watched this yet, would reading this ruin it for me?’ If the answer is
‘yes’ please DON’T DO IT. If you really just cant help yourself… at least
extend the courtesy of plastering a big WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD sign”
(Gingermostly).
Audiences member are not the only
people realizing that shows can be ruined through spoilers. Creators of shows
are realizing this as well. Amy Sherman-Palladino, creator of Gilmore Girls,
understands how spoilers impact viewers and with its revival is truly thinking
of the fans: “My preference would be they would not be released at once…
Because the last thing you want is for someone to jump to the last episode and
[ruin] it for everybody- which I think would happen, quite frankly, in this day
and age of binging” (Lulic). Spoilers on
social media have a huge negative aspect on audiences.
The
positive and negative impacts of social media can influence a show in numerous
ways. The question now is how much more the influence will go and the impact it
will have on both the audiences and the studios.
Works Cited:
Hunt, Teddy. "Has Social Media
Changed Television? - Social Media Explorer." Socia l Media Explorer Has Social Media Changed
Television Comments. Social Media
Explorer, 31 Jan. 2014. Web. 14 Feb. 2016. <https://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/social-media-marketing/has-social- media-changed-television/>.
Gingermostly. "Kindly Shut It- A
Rant About Spoilers (Does Not Contain Spoilers...)." Web log post. Gingermostly.
Gingermostly, 1 Dec. 2014. Web. 7 Dec. 2016. <http://gingermostly.com/2014/12/kindly-shut-it-a-rant-about-spoilers- does-not-contain-spoilers/>.
Lulic, Michelle. "Bustle." Bustle.
Bustle.com, Feb. 2016. Web. 14 Feb. 2016. <http://www.bustle.com/articles/139283-rory-is-single-in-the-gilmore- girls-revival-so-theres-more-romantic-drama- ahead?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=pro&utm_campaign=fbpro&sr_s ource=lift_facebook>.
RenewChuck. "This Is OFFICIAL
!!!!!! #Chuck Is Back next September. Our Campaign Has Worked !!!! #NotAnielsenFamily #SaveChuck !!!
Love." Twitter. Twitter, 13
May 2011. Web. 14 Feb. 2016. <https://twitter.com/SaveChuck2011/status/69082727680442368>.
"Tops of 2015: TV and Social
Media." Nielson. Nielson, 8 Dec. 2015. Web. 7 Feb. 2016. <HTTP://WWW.NIELSEN.COM/US/EN/INSIGHTS/NEWS/2015/TOPS-OF- 2015-TV-AND-SOCIAL-MEDIA.HTML>.
Watercutter, Angela. "Twitter
Campaign Tries to Save Chuck From Cancellation." Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, 24 Apr. 2011. Web. 14 Feb.
2016. <http://www.wired.com/2011/04/chuck-fans-take-to-twitter/>.
I agree with Markella that social media and television are becoming interwoven as a form of communication among the audience especially during live television. In fact, I first experienced this when I watched Miss Universe 2015 live on my television with family and friends. The show was running smoothly until Steve Harvey announced the incorrect winner. It became a fiasco when he had to return to stage and apologize for his mistake. I still remember my jaw dropping but not because he messed up, but the fact I knew social media would be saturated with all types of reactions. The first thing we did was check Twitter to see responses from audience members watching the show as well. There were several tweets that used a humorous approach to respond to Steve Harvey’s mistake. Here’s a link to a couple examples http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/217099/the-funniest-and-snarkiest-tweets-about-missuniverse2015.
ReplyDeleteThe immediate response on social media from viewers watching Miss Universe 2015 illustrates a collective understanding that social media is a platform for conversation. As Nielsen explains, “big program moments inspire more fans to jump into the conversation” (2015). This is certainly true for Miss Universe 2015 since it’s a global television event. It also illustrates the interdependent relationship that is forming between television and social media. Another significant example was the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards where Kanye West stated he would run for president in 2020 (Nielsen, 2015). As stated in Nielsen’s “Tops of 2015: TV and Social Media”, West’s announcement was the “most tweet TV minuet in 2015” (2015). Although social media has created a platform for viewers to create a dialogue, it has also become a portal for celebrities to interact with the viewers.
When Steve Harvey took responsibility for his mistake on live television, he utilized Twitter to express his apology afterwards. He tweeted “I’d like to apologize wholeheartedly to Miss Colombia & Miss Philippines for my huge mistake. I feel terrible”. He then followed up with “Secondly, I’d like to apologize to the viewers at that I disappointed as well. Again it was an honest mistake” (http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/20/us/miss-universe-wrong-contestant-crowned/).
Society’s usage of social media has conditioned participants to understand that it’s an influential component in communicating directly to viewers. For Harvey to have apologized on Twitter means he is well aware that Twitter would be used simultaneously while Miss Universe 2015 aired and would be saturated with a variety of remarks related to his mistake. To conclude, television is the source and social media is the platform where the audience expresses their feelings or opinions. The line between the two continues to meld together and I wonder what this means for the future of TV.
References
The Making of Social TV: Loyal Fans and Big Moments Build Program Related Buzz. (2015,
August 24). The Nielsen Company, Media and Entertainment. Retrieved from http://www.consumer-insight.com/us/en/insights/news/2015/the-making-of-social-tv-loyal-fans-and-big-moments-build-program-buzz.html
Top of 2015: TV and Social Media (2015, December 8). The Nielsen Company, Media and Entertainment. Retrieved from http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2015/tops-of-2015-tv-and-social-media.html
Television is no longer a solitary experience. It has become more interactive, and many of the media choices that people make are based on the information that they get from their friends online. Whether people like it or not social media is becoming the biggest driving force in television. I know what I am about to say puts me in the minority but I love spoilers. I don’t think I have actively watched a live show in 10 years (not including sports). That being said I don’t scour social media for my spoilers, I go on very credible cites like Wikipedia and read each episodes/movies synopsis. That doesn’t mean that I spoil shows for everyone, it just means that I like to know what I’m getting myself into before I watch an episode. I think it’s rude to spoil shows for your followers without a fair warning to them. The way I have found out about certain shows like, True Detective and Breaking Bad, was when I was scrolling through my twitter feed and saw spoilers, which piqued my interest.
ReplyDeleteI may not feel the same but I can see where blogger Gingermostly is coming from, when in regards to spoilers she says, “you are robbing that person of the opportunity to experience that moment and the surprise/sadness/ terror/insert genuine feeling here that comes along with it” (Gingermostly). I personally try to avoid any genuine feeling while watching a movie/TV show. I need to know what is going to happen so I do not feel any genuine emotion while watching TV or movies.
The example about certain shows being some of the most tweeted about but didn’t necessarily have the ratings to back them is very interesting. Blogger Teddy Hunt says, “Facebook is a great way for networks to promote their shows because when someone likes a page on Facebook, all the friends in his or her network are notified” (Hunt). I wonder if networks will start to not look into the Nielson ratings as life and death and start to use social media following as a basis to renew a certain show on their network. If a show has a rabid social media following it would be harder for a network to cancel the show just because Nielson says they aren’t getting the very best ratings. If they have a large social media following it could cause even bigger problems because if they cancel it the fallout on social media could be troublesome.
Along with potentially getting your show renewed from a great social media following, social media could start to set advertising prices. According to Nielson, “identifying and cultivating relationships with loyal authors could be powerful TV networks and advertisers as they each look to maximize earned media driven by TV content and advertising” (Nielson). Here they are acknowledging that active tweeters are playing a large part in keeping the show in good graces with its public. Do you think we will get to the point where shows social media following starts to drive up the rate for advertising costs? I think we will because these active watchers (people who use social media during shows) will have a bigger influence on other people potentially watching the show than a non-active watcher.
Side note: I desperately tried to catch up on Breaking Bad so I could watch the series finale live but I didn’t make it in time.
Works Cited:
Gingermostly. "Kindly Shut It- A Rant About Spoilers (Does Not Contain Spoilers...)." Web log post. Gingermostly. Gingermostly, 1 Dec. 2014. Web. 7 Dec. 2016.
Hunt, Teddy. "Has Social Media Changed Television? - Social Media Explorer." Social Media Explorer Has Social Media Changed Television Comments. SME Digital, 31 Jan. 2014. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.
"THE MAKING OF SOCIAL TV: LOYAL FANS AND BIG MOMENTS BUILD PROGRAM-RELATED BUZZ." Nielson.com. N.p., 24 Aug. 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.
I too agree with what Markella has said about social media changing the way that society views television. Audiences have taken to social media platforms before, during and after the program has aired. Actively watching shows and using social media to communicate about specific programs have also changed the way that networks view television. This change has reflected positively in favor for television shows because now they can analyze and search what audiences and talking about in terms of the show.
ReplyDeleteUsing social media is another tool aside from Nielson ratings to understand what viewers like or dislike about the show. Audiences and networks are not the only people actively participating in social media buzz about programs. “On average, 25% of all program authors Tweet about premieres and 16% Tweet about finales. Between these two groups combined, networks can expect to hear from an average of 38% of program authors during those two moments“ (Nielsen). These moments in television are huge for program marketers and should be capitalized on. This gives Networks the ability to have fan interaction with authors and make them feel as though their opinion matters and can be taken into consideration.
However one thing to keep in mind is how social media can be a negative aspect for audiences. Social media is constantly being checked and updated and for those that do not get the opportunity to watch a scheduled program live their experience could be ruined. Live tweeting and status updates about programs are difficult to avoid if you are or aren’t watching a program but for those who aren’t currently watching it checking social media can be a consequence. “When you tell someone what is around the next corner or blurt out something stupid like ‘wasn’t it sad when so and so died? I cried so hard!’ you are robbing that person of the opportunity to experience that moment and the surprise/sadness/terror/insert genuine feeling here that comes along with it” (Gingermostly). Whether you are in a different time zone than someone else or just waiting to watch the program at your convenience checking social media can come at a cost.
For me personally I know that I am constantly flipping back on forth through all my different social media platforms. Almost all forms of social media take to live television and react with audiences as the show goes on. When special events such as the Grammy’s air on television I feel compelled to watch that over a show such as the bachelor that airs weekly but also available to watch at a more convenient time. The only problem with that is I give up the opportunity to watch the program with out any big moments being spoiled.
It’s interesting to see how social media adapts to the way that television is being watched. With so many loyal television fans that don’t necessarily watch their shows when scheduled that get so frustrated with social media spoilers, I will be curious to see if it gives a motive to watch the program live.
Works Cited:
"THE MAKING OF SOCIAL TV: LOYAL FANS AND BIG MOMENTS BUILD PROGRAM-RELATED BUZZ." Nielson.com. N.p., 24 Aug. 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.
Gingermostly. "Kindly Shut It- A Rant About Spoilers (Does Not Contain Spoilers...)." Web log post. Gingermostly. Gingermostly, 1 Dec. 2014. Web. 7 Dec. 2016.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this blog post; I find the conversation of how the use of social media is having an effect on television extremely interesting. When you have two massive media outlets that are extremely successful on their own and bring them together there are bound to be mixed reviews.
ReplyDeleteWatching television traditionally was either something you would watch by yourself, or with friends and family so you could talk about your favorite shows. It has now transformed into watching a show by yourself and tweeting or making a Facebook status with updates about the show as you watch. The other popular option is still to get together with friends and family to watch shows but with the presence of phones, computers, and tablets it is much different. Instead of talking to one another about the show, viewers will also tweet and make status updates about the show they are watching.
You made an excellent point when you said that fans of television shows tweeting and making statuses during shows is a way for companies like Nielsen to be able to see how shows are doing in new ways. Now that people have taken notice that social media is a good way to evaluate how audiences are receiving television programs I think it is great that people are paying attention to what people have to say through it. Nielsen even went further than just looking at regular tweets, for random television showings; they followed tweets of viewers that regularly watch specific programs. “The study found that the total number of individual Twitter authors that Tweet about a program across a season is significantly larger than the number of individuals that contribute to program-related conversation in a given week. For the programs in the study, an average of 10 times as many authors Tweeted about a program in total across a season compared with the number of authors who contributed in an average week.” The people at Nielson can look at this data and not only see what people think of the television show but also the viewers viewing patterns for that specific show.
As you also noted that live tweeting and making status updates about shows also has the very big downside to it of causing the very real possibility to spoil the show for other viewers. In the Gingermostly blog the author states, “Quit assuming your friends have tuned in to watch at the same time as you. Even if they are in the same time zone as you are, we live in the age of DVR and people (gasp!) have lives outside of television. Maybe I’m not even going to get around to watching for a couple of days. Maybe I’m saving up all the episodes so I can spend an entire Saturday binge-watching.” As helpful as it is for audiences to live tweet for companies to look at, and as much fun as it is as well it is a very annoying feeling to have a show you were looking forward to get ruined before you watch it.
As with many instances of social media usage there are going to be mixed reviews and effects of it and television is no exception. It is interesting to see how the two mediums are working together to benefit viewers and those in the television industry.
"THE MAKING OF SOCIAL TV: LOYAL FANS AND BIG MOMENTS BUILD PROGRAM-RELATED BUZZ." Nielson.com. N.p., 24 Aug. 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.
Gingermostly. "Kindly Shut It- A Rant About Spoilers (Does Not Contain Spoilers...)." Web log post. Gingermostly. Gingermostly, 1 Dec. 2014. Web. 7 Dec. 2016. .
As social media has become a more and more influential aspect of our lives, it is evident that social media has made a huge impact on the way we watch and talk to others about television. I agree that this impact has been both positive and negative. Before social media, most major networks relied on the Nielsen ratings to gage weather there show was successful or not. However, now with the rise in popularity of streaming services, OTT services and time-shifting devices, it is almost impossible for networks to get an accurate rating. This is when social media comes in. By allowing its users to communicate with one another instantly from anywhere in the world, networks now can view and listen to the conversations, the social “buzz”, that is occurring. The point that I want to make, however, is that not all these conversations can be completely accurate. This is because I believe not everyone feels the need to voice his or her opinions on their social media accounts. Yes, the die hard fans will still always take to the Internet to express their feelings, but I really don’t think networks should solely depend on this social “buzz” when determining if their series is popular or not.
ReplyDeleteNote that I said if the networks shouldn’t depend on social media when determining if their series is popular or not. I make this note because I actually do think that live events, such as sports games and award shows, do actually draw in a huge amount of tweets that can be used to accurately gage the entire audiences (everyone who watched the show, not just those who tweeted about it) reaction. Nielsen stated in their article, Tops of 2015: TV and Social Media, that, “sports—particularly football—dominated viewers’ TVs in 2015. In fact, eight out of 10 of 2015’s top 10 telecasts—as well as several of the top regularly scheduled programs—were related to gridiron goings on!” (Nielsen). I feel like people want to tweet about these popular live events because they know that all their friends and families will be watching the events and want to discuss the show with them. This sole reason is why some people don’t discuss their favorite television shows on social media, because they don’t want their friends and family to see their feelings.
For example, my mom is a huge fan of The Bachelor and watches the show every week. Although she is a die hard fan, many people would never know this because she does not go on her Facebook account to post her feelings on the show because she feels that people would kind of laugh at her for enjoying such a silly (yet addicting) show. In your post you mentioned series try to get its viewers to tweet about the show by using hashtags and although I do see some people doing it, I really don’t think that the majority of users watching the show even acknowledge the hashtag in the corner of the show at all anymore. Yes, I do admit that years ago when this feature first came out I made a few tweets using the hashtags, but now I would feel silly and even slightly awkward doing it. Although one of our articles this week, The Making of Social TV: Loyal Fans and Big Moments Build Program-Related Buzz, stated that new authors regularly join program conversation, I don’t think that number is nearly high enough to accurately represent all the viewers’ reactions (Nielsen). It may only be because I, myself or any of my close friends rarely have conversations on social media anymore, but I really don’t believe that this social “buzz” should be used to gage the entire audience’s reaction.
Works Cited
"Tops of 2015: TV and Social Media." Nielsen. Nielsen, 8 Dec. 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2016. .
"THE MAKING OF SOCIAL TV: LOYAL FANS AND BIG MOMENTS BUILD PROGRAM-RELATED BUZZ." Nielson.com. N.p., 24 Aug. 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSocial media has a positive impact for those wishing to watch and/or advertise on television because it provides instantaneous feedback on what audiences from different demographics think about a show. This is in contrast to the traditional ratings methodology. Nielsen, however, tries hard to change this paradigm, which basically provides the number of viewers and basic demographic data using geo-targeted overlays.
ReplyDeleteMy observations above are actually proven in Markella’s blog and her observations. For instance: a show not ranked in the Nielsen top 10 ratings may be listed as 2nd or 3rd on Twitter chats (Damianos). This shows a disturbing disparity between the available data and analytics used to rate TV shows today and suggests Nielsen is at a strategic inflection point; they cannot access demographic data from companies like Amazon and Netflix, and advertisers can simply mine big data generated by platforms like Twitter and Facebook without having to pay for it. Nielsen needs to create a new, more accurate means of gathering data that accounts for social media buzz as well as more traditional data collection.
Social media platforms are network, cable, and user-generated material; they are also free and ubiquitous, meaning that all media companies and content developers can use market sentiments to develop products that are viewer driven. This levels the playing field between all media outlets as everyone instantaneously knows what kinds of programming appeal to specific demographics plus those that do not. If a program happens to have high Nielsen ratings due to marketing hype, instantaneous chat feedback will highlight whether or not the market liked it and wants more. It is for this reason that social media can be good for TV shows that people like, but damning for shows that people do not like. In my mind it is playing an important role in driving “overnight success” and “overnight failure.” A study conducted by Nielsen found “the total number of individual Twitter authors that Tweet about a program across a season is significantly larger than the number of individuals that contribute to program-related conversation in a given week” (Nielsen). Nielsen has to now track the instantaneous chat feedback and social buzz that happens on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to account for the overall rating.
One of the most controversial issues with social media and television are spoilers. As social buzz around a television show increases, the chance you will run into a spoiler increases, too. Gingermostly blog states: “When you tell someone what is around the next corner or blurt out something stupid like ‘Wasn’t it sad when so and so died? I cried so hard!’ you are robbing that person of the opportunity to experience that moment and the surprise/sadness/terror/insert genuine feeling here that comes along with it” (Gingermostly). I’m sure we have all run into spoilers, and this is undoubtedly an issue for many people between social media and television.
Markella discuses the role social media plays in making talk and connectivity less personal. We should not forget that the advent of the telegram, telephone, fax, and, more recently, e-mail all did the same thing. Additionally, we need to consider that social media has expended personal communication. As a society we have been moving toward a reduction in face-to-face interaction for quite some time. Social media allows us to interact and potentially meet more people. So as more personal communication goes online, including conversations about, and regarding television shows, data collection companies (like Nielsen) will have to reflect this trend.
Works Cited
Gingermostly. "Kindly Shut It- A Rant About Spoilers (Does Not Contain Spoilers...)." Web log post. Gingermostly. Gingermostly, 1 Dec. 2014. Web. 7 Dec. 2016.
"THE MAKING OF SOCIAL TV: LOYAL FANS AND BIG MOMENTS BUILD PROGRAM-RELATED BUZZ." Nielson.com. N.p., 24 Aug. 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.