Authenticity in the Age of Social Media.

Opinion

Let’s not even put up a fight okay. We live in a world that is heavily dominated by social media culture. In the digital age, online business has been at the forefront of focus for small entrepreneurs, creatives, entertainment artists and big corporations alike.

In the modern time, you find that even in some of the most remote locations, people are doing whatever they can to create thrilling content that will drive attention to themselves and what they offer, with the desire to ultimately convert their audiences into a loyal customer or fanbase.

From sharing stories about their fine travel experiences, to what they had on their plate at that fancy high dollar restaurant, and even that moment when they totally embarrassed themselves just to get a good laugh from their viewers. But we’re not judging, OK? We’re just keeping it 100 as we say. Social media has taken over the world.

With this, many people are finding out that they are more than capable of doing things that once seemed to only be possible for a select and chosen few. As we evolve in the digital age and the rising search to find the soul tribe of people that vibe with your brand, the number one thing that will always be valued more than anything else is your authenticity.

The Vine and Authenticity in the Social Media age

Do you remember the Vine? The video app that took off back in 2013? It was one of the first short video applications to take the world by storm, quickly rising into popularity with hundreds of millions of daily viewers worldwide. Although its success was short lived due to its uniquely outlandish content, the vine showed us something that we would never forget.

Authenticity and lack thereof. See the Vine was a social media app that allowed users to upload short clips that were less than 10 seconds long. Some of the funniest videos could be found being uploaded on the platform. As the vine began to rise in popularity, so did the number of outrageous videos. Many people were doing just about anything they could to go viral, including dangerous or obscene stunts and gestures that resulted in extreme harm or embarrassment.

It wasn’t long before we realized just how far people were willing to go to gather, well, in this case, their six seconds of fame. For many people, it was all worth the attention, but for some it was a damaging experience they’ll never forget.

Authenticity is the quality of being genuine or authentic. Trustworthy. Unique. In the world of social media, often times, authenticity is completely thrown out the window. Rather than posting content that shows the presence of moral fiber and consideration for young people, a few are willing to temporarily put these things on hold until a later date, or maybe never.

The gravity and pressure to climb the ladder cause them to do things that often times then none go on to negatively impact future generations. The level of influence that social media has on younger people is far greater than that of adults.

With the average teenager having just as much or more technology than their predecessors, the need to be authentic and to maintain moral fiber in the modern time in order to positively impact young people who may be watching is a growing concern. And because social media marketing is largely driven by what the audience wants to see, versus what you want to show them, the challenge and hunt for balance lies in being who you are and not what you think people want you to be.

Staying true to one self and not allowing the desire to be seen to consume you to the point that you’re willing to do more than what’s absolutely necessary from a professional standpoint.

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