For the past few years, the phrase ‘going viral’ has been shown, to a increasingly greater extent, to shape what we might see and hear in the media – for better, or worse. Snapchat stories, vines, Youtube videos, memes, etc. gain attention and become news, earning their ‘stars’ perhaps longer than five minutes of fame, and instead spawning television appearances, or merchandise, for example.
How much is this a sign of the ongoing pace of what we consume as media on the internet, and how much of it can be controlled? Does this have any good, or detrimental effects (e.g. using examples, is there anything very good, or very bad, that has happened from a particular video/article/picture, going viral?)?
This is definitely a current, relevant topic that can be widely explored. Some good aspects would be viral causes that help a charitable organization or raise awareness of a certain issue, the 2014 ice bucket challenge to raise ALS awareness and funds for The ALS Association, for example. A downside that is slightly less specific is how the pressure to 'go viral' effects the quality of content that people and content creators churn out. As a writer who has looked into freelance opportunities, there is no shortage of online publications that demand writers who are able to produce 'attention-grabbing' articles with vague titles to pique the curiosity of bored internet users. The actually quality of the writing is secondary to the amount of clicks an article can attract. Sites are clogged with slideshow articles with clickbaity titles to bump up ad revenue. More of a comment on the decent of online writing content and journalism I suppose, but a topic that could be relevant while exploring the 'going viral' aspect of modern online culture. – Analot6 years ago
Look at parody fiction, and discuss at what point it stops being "Parody" and becomes "Art", can these coexist? Is parody automatically art?
Suggestion: Hillywood Productions; YouTube
That's a really interesting topic! Parody can parasitic in some ways; it often doesn't have a life of its own, doesn't age well, etc. Maybe to become "Art" it has to be able to stand on its own, divorced from the very thing it's parodying? – JamesBKelley6 years ago
Spoilers for the end of Critical Role – Vox Machina.
Is the success of Critical Role purely due to the story of the PCs in the world created by the DM, or as I would suggest, is part of the attraction getting a glimpse into the relationships of a group of charismatic individuals?
By no means am I suggesting that watching these individuals play D&D for 4 hours a week provides any real insight into the reality of their lives. However, I do think there are glimpses into the people behind the characters that at times is as entertaining as the show itself.
The best example I can think of is the final fight of the first campaign between the PCs and Vecna. The game story was awesome, but as some commentators have pointed out, watching the visceral reaction of Sam Riegel when he chose to stop the BBEG instead of his friend was just as, if not more, engrossing.
Abridged series – a style of parody in which a preexisting show is summarized by new actors dubbing over the original show’s animation – have become increasingly popular, and as they have done so have evolved from simple comedy sketches to works that can be as focused on drama and complex characters. The writer should investigate a number of popular Abridged Series, comparing and contrasting them with their source material and noting any differences in tone, characterization, or storytelling style.
Sharing viral videos of heroic acts seems to be a double-edged sword. On one side are those who argue that sharing videos of heroic acts encourages others to do the same, and reminds our world that “good deeds” and “good doers” still exist. On the other side are those who argue that publicly sharing heroic acts is not in fact heroic, and that it is done for attention. Some critics even claim that some of these heroic acts are staged.
Analyze our culture’s attitude toward heroic acts. Consider the arguments on both sides, and the truth and facts behind these arguments. Also consider the celebrity-ism behind viral videos. Individual such as Antoine Dodson (“Hide yo kids/hide yo wife”) and Kai, the hatchet-wielding hitchhiker, not only became well-known for their interesting personalities and rather funny news interviews, but because of the “remixes” that their videos inspired. What can be said about our culture turning heroic acts into laughable, light-hearted memes?
Last, consider the way technology affects these heroic acts and the attitudes of people on both sides of the argument. For example, prior to the social media and viral video revolution, heroic acts were often shared through mediums such as newspaper and word-of-mouth. How has our culture’s attitude changed in this regard?
Analyse why the adolescents of our generation are so desperate to reach viral fame, and the impact this is having on the online world, and on their future. Discuss the rise of social media platforms, such as Youtube, Instagram and Musically, and the influence viral stars from these platforms have on our youth.
Ok, this could get interesting. Social media has the potential to promote narcissism but here's my question: is it the chicken or the egg? Does social media merely activate genes already planted in someone's DNA, therefore only effecting people who are genetically predisposed to narcissism, or can it have an effect on any average teen? – ReidaBookman7 years ago
Being a kid in the early 2000s who was into video games and film, I wanted more than anything to be a famous YouTuber like iJustine or Mitchell Davis. I was a shy kid, but I loved performing. I reckon seeking viral fame has something to do with sharing a bit of yourself from the comfort of your bedroom. Something extraordinary about social media is that it allows 'celebrities' to have an intimate relationship with their fans. There has never been anything like that before, and it helps these people feel connected to others. So one possible argument could be that adolescents just want to be loved, but now they have the resources be loved on a larger scale by millions of strangers on the Internet. – Shannon Kelly7 years ago
This would make a very interesting article! A side note could also enter the dangers of viral fame; identity theft and bullying...
Could have many different avenues!! Goodluck! – AbbyMay7 years ago
An interesting topic, indeed. Consider looking into phenomena such as the Cinnamon Challenge and Choking Game, which have dangerous and even fatal elements. You could compare/contrast with things like the Ice Bucket Challenge, which was tied to helping raise awareness of ALS. – Stephanie M.7 years ago
This is a very interesting and important topic. An article could also look at the view on "internet fame" versus "traditional fame" and how this perception affects these people. – L.J.7 years ago
The platform of Youtube is perhaps at its most controversial stage in its development to date. Due to it being owned by Google and advertisements being a determiner of the conventional Youtubers income, there is a huge pressure on content creators to make their videos as uncontroversial as possible in order for them to receive such monetisation . This has resulted in watered down content, demonetisation of otherwise entertaining videos and even lawsuits such as the controversial ‘H3H3 productions’ debacle which was a battle which lasted over a year. Overall this topic would help shed some light on how artistic capacity is limited by censorship and demonetisation.
PSA Sitch did a really great video series about why Youtube ads are failing (he's usually political, but this one wasn't really, if that's a thing that would have irritated you) and why the advertisers are backing out. Highly recommended, way smarter and more complicated than I had imagined. It's called "Who's Really Attacking Youtube Ads and Why." – m-cubed7 years ago
The current opinion among content creators on the platform seems to be that YouTube’s methods of how content reaches its targeted audience is flawed. Why is this so? What struggles are content creators facing and how are they supposed to get their face on the map among the millions of uploaded videos while the top channels dominate in their respected fields.
This topic is fantastic. I have considered exploring something similar before. This is the best time to discuss something like this especially following the Pewdiepie incident and the H3H3 productions lawsuit. Youtube, since being purchased by Google, has become highly commercial and as a result is highly demonetised which has severely limited the artistic capacity of content creators. – AdilYoosuf7 years ago
