Reflecting

        Over the course of the semester, I have learned about many new aspects of the social media world and what is has to offer us day to day.  We have gone over user generated content, social media and online relationships, crowdsourcing, social media and politics, business, learning, the digital divide, social media and the future and applied all of these topics to the field of entertainment.

        Social media has become a way of life for many people.  As entertainers, we become influenced by what others do within the walls of a social network.  With Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc, everyone is posting and sharing about what they are doing with themselves, what projects they are working on, what cause they are lending a helping hand to.  Sharing with followers and friends to promote what it is entertainers want their fans and the public to know about them. Advertising, advertising, advertising!  People in the entertainment industry want to be heard and seen by all.  Social media allows us to easily see the good, the bad and what it is we have to offer to others.

       Social media has a definite impact on the world of entertainment.  Without social media, entertainment, video production and film, photography, etc. would not be the same as it is today.  People in the entertainment industry, such as actresses, actors and those behind the scenes such as directors and producers have all become dependent with using social media to promote their "brand" and anything that has to do with their name. In the entertainment field, it is all about being heard, and what better and easier way to be heard by your fans than to communicate with social media.
       



      

The Future

       Social media is becoming more and more popular everyday.  People have added the use of social media as an everyday communication device.  In the world of entertainment, celebrities and those working with them have grown to depend on social media as an outlet to reach fans quickly and conveniently.  With social media growing day to day, and what it has become in the past few years, we can only wonder what the future holds for social media.

       Those working in the entertainment industry (Actors, Singers, Musicians, Directors, Editors, comedians), always have eyes on them.  They want to please the people looking up to them and make a good statement for themselves.  With social media use, such as Twitter, which has become a very popular way for entertainers to communicate with fans, celebrities can let the fans know what they are currently working on, what they did that day or at the moment, easily put their name out there for everyone to see.  I can only see this growing in the future.  It definitely helps those trying to make a name for themselves because it makes the fans feel more involved in their personal lives.  The fans want to know the people they idolize on a personal level.

      Social media can support individuals in the entertainment world because it is crucial for those in this line of business to be able to reach their fans, reach others in their community, and to let their voices be heard.  People obsess over celebrities, we all have our favorite movie stars and singers.  Fans want to know their opinion on everything.

      Social media can also harm those in the entertainment industry if they are not careful about what they post.  An example of this is when comedian, Gilbert Gottfried, used the earthquake in Japan as a way to tell jokes on Twitter.  He lost his job as the voice of the Aflac Duck over these jokes.  In the entertainment industry, nobody wants to work with someone that is publicly making a fool of themselves while negatively commenting on serious issues.

     In the future, social media can continue to help the name of celebrities and those that want their voices to be heard by those that look up to them.  Social media will only continue to grow in the world of entertainment with Instagram, Twitter and whatever else has yet to be created.  Celebrities love to be loved.  Social media is the easiest way of showing the world what you have to offer!




http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/tweets-gone-wrong-in-2011/2011/12/16/gIQAKPcb4O_gallery.html#photo=1