Thursday 3 July 2014

Cultural References in Social Media


Today, our cultural references come from some fairly absurd places (TOWIE being one of the most disconcerting) but nevertheless a cultural phenomenon, once coined, has the strength and power to pervade our everyday lives, penetrate through to our deepest levels of consciousness and earn Buzzfeed millions.

Who doesn't have some inkling of what a 'selfie' is? Who wouldn't know the origin of the hashtag #letitgo?  (If you are genuinely perplexed on these points, just go back to sleep). You don't even have to watch the stuff - I don't own a TV but I am alarmingly well-versed on the status of Lydia Bright's relationship with Arg (so over btw but a reunion would be totes emosh). But, despite everyone in the stratosphere knowing about these things, on social media, it becomes a clever secret.

As people, we are sometimes remarkably simple beings and the perception of a shared experience makes us feel really, really good. It reassures us of our place in the world - makes us feel plugged in and part of the unfolding universe. Acknowledging references to our popular culture makes us feel part of a shared identity; gives us the sense of psychological community (which, Freud will tell us, stimulates the pleasure principle in our brains). And it just feels good, ok?

So, when a brand puts out a post about their product and makes clever reference to something in popular culture (by clever I don't mean so covert that people will miss it but rather that the reference is well thought out in connection with the content of your post) PEOPLE WILL LIKE IT.
When referring to popular culture, brands usually do so with some level of irony or parody and browsers sense the tone, get the reference and hit like to reassure themselves (and others) that they're on the inside.

People who like a post like this are doing the digital equivalent of a smug little nod. 
What their little thumbs-up icon is saying is: 'Hey guys, I get what you're doing and I like it *wink*'. 
What it also says to the person's  friends is: 'Isn't this just too rich for words? You do get it, don't you?'

It makes them feel good and it increases engagement with your content. Result. Everybody wins.

So my suggestion is to read. lots. all the time. read, read, read. Don't actually WATCH Made in Chelsea - just read the bloody papers. Channel your inner-sponge: soak that shit up. You need to have a firm grasp of today's popular culture in order to make it on social networks.

In summary: there has never been a more important time to know all of Disney's song lyrics.







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