Children and Social Media

Like most things, there are both positive and negative effects of social media; and it's up to each individual to decide whether or not they are going to participate. That being said, what about kids? I think few people would argue that adults shouldn't be able to use social media, but should kids use social media? Unfortunately, I don't think there's an easy answer. Social media provides the opportunity for both good and bad.While it can be used as a creative outlet and platform to socialize with one's friends and peers, it can also be used as a bullhorn to tease and corrupt. No parent should sleep on social media and underestimate its power over younger children. It's important for a mom or dad to understand the temptations and troubles of platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. It offers physical danger in the form of malicious users who may seek to trick and hurt you kids as well as emotional trauma in the form bullying and trolling. Despite these concerns and possible negative effects, there are still plenty of positive effects of social media, too. Kids can socialize and communicate with their friends and families anywhere; and they can also use it as a creative outlet for their projects and works. Ultimately, it's up to each parent to decide what's appropriate for their kid. Do the pros outweigh the cons? Are the cons to much of a risk? There are no easy answers.

Content Creators and Social Media

It's hard to deny the impact social media has on today's world. Everyone has a smartphone; and on those smartphones are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more. The internet and all of its resources are at the fingertips of billions of people around the world. This means that if you have a social media account, you have a microphone and a chance to build your own audience. It's no surprise that companies and businesses around the globe have wasted little time plugging that microphone in and turning on their speakers. One area of business that has especially taken advantage of social media is content creation. Through the use of social media, content creators like Barstool Sports and The Onion have reached millions of people and have expanded their audience.

If you release a random poll asking people which sports brand they recognize more---ESPN or Barstool Sports---there's little doubt that most would say ESPN. However, while the former is struggling, the latter is growing. Barstool Sports has taken full advantage of social media and all of its tools and opportunities. By understanding their audience and speaking directly to them, they've chiseled off a large chunk of the sports media market. By channeling the memes, humor, and frankness of social media, they've embraced the freedom and political incorrectness of the internet as a means to contrast themselves with traditional sports media. Their unapologetic immaturity is a strength in a time when people yearn for authenticity. Overall, they have much in common with another content-creating company---The Onion.

Like Barstool Sports, The Onion also uses social media to publish and spread its humorous satire and comedic content. While Barstool Sports mostly publishes sports satire, The Onion published a variety of satire ranging from politics to pop culture. While traditional paper media falls at the waste side, online publishers exploit social media and its ever-growing audience. Content can be shared directly with readers and clicks generate business-sustaining ad revenue. Gone are the days where writers and journalists (if you can call The Onion writers journalists) where articles must be approved by ivy-league editors and publication donors. Don't get me wrong, The Onion has editors too, but the standards have been eased. Similar to Barstool Sports, a publication like The Onion that's honest about its intentions is refreshing to its readers.

Non-traditional content creators like Barstool Sports and The Onion have found their home on the internet and social media. They can take their articles and publications directly to readers, while not having to sacrifice their originality. Not only can they speak to their readers, but their readers can speak to them via online communicative tools such as comment boxes and sharing features that're available on social media platforms. Social media is a microcosm of the internet which, at its best, is an open playground for creative content creators to create and share without fear.