Over the years, the entertainment industry hasn’t really changed too drastically, but like every industry, it has certainly evolved with time.
Something that has had an impact on entertainment, including how easy it’s now for the “ordinary man” to access and log in is the rise of social media and the internet as a whole.
This effect can be both positive and negative, so we’re going to check out some of the changes that have taken place in the entertainment industry thanks to social media.
Being famous means less than before:
From the very beginning of the entertainment industry, it seemed like celebrity status was reserved for a really special few. It does take something very unique for somebody to become famous, and while the elemental aspects of hard work never change, many people seem to have had only a modicum of luck.
Celebrities were idolized, and positively not as much as they’re today, but thanks to social media, today anyone can become an overnight star – and plenty of do. Justin Bieber is found on YouTube all over the place. Before social media, it was highly unlikely Justin would ever be found since he wasn’t actively pursuing a career as a singer.
Today, even although celebrities still look a certain way, they’re nowhere near as magical as we once thought. The ease with which people can achieve online fame has led us to define what celebrity is in a totally different way than we did before we had social media.
Celebrities are more accessible:
Before social media, or even the internet became a thing, celebrities seemed very far from normal people. Sure, we would watch them on TV and read about them in magazines, but in fact having the ability to connect with them in any way, let alone have them reply to us was something we could never have imagined in our pre-social media days.
While you possibly will not become best friends with former N-Sync members, you can get a deeper look into their day-to-day lives and who knows? You might even get some feedback if you ask one of them a question or compliment them on Twitter or Instagram.
Thanks to social media bringing the world as a whole closer together, celebrities are now more accessible to us, and even appear more like normal people, as they’re.
Fame effect is more visible:
At some level, we have at all times known about the downside to fame and fortune, but now with social media bringing celebrities into our lives in a more personal way, we can see those effects in play in real time.
Due to the stress and pressure it puts on those who work in the entertainment industry, substance abuse, mental health problems, and even tragic suicides are things we now hear about and see about on an virtually daily basis.
This is not necessarily a new problem – all we must do is look at the likes of Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger, and even Britney Spears to see that the entertainment industry has at all times had this problem, but it is only now that we’re realizing it more and more. and exposed to them.
More opportunities to enter the industry:
With more exposure and more awareness comes more opportunity, and that’s something that social media, and the internet in general has provided for those of us who have spent most of our lives in this digital world.
As long as the entertainment industry existed, so did many kids’s dreams of becoming famous singers, dancers, or actors, and even though those who show great talent, work hard, or even appear lucky at the right time have at all times been able to make that dream come true, today it’s much easier. to enter the entertainment industry.
Be it through social media itself, through talent reality shows, like American Idol, The Voice, etc., or just by finding and connecting with people in the industry more easily.
Most people now realize the potential of social media and the internet, so whether you want to be a singer, actor or even a anime scriptwriters, there are such a lot of opportunities available today thanks to technology and folks’s openness to try new things, so getting into the entertainment industry today would be a bit easier than it was 20 or 30 years ago.
Competition is higher than ever:
While there may be more opportunities for those looking to break into the entertainment industry, with this comes way more competition thanks to the ease with which people can market and promote themselves on social media and forge valuable relationships.
The competition in this industry has at all times been tough, but now it has reached a new high, and unless you are truly ready to go ahead and stand out, while still believing in your own talents and skills, then it can start to get really tough for you. you to get the rest you need.
It’s not just aspiring artists who find the competition fierce, but those who are already established – maybe even before our increased love of all things social media.
As well as having to compete with the numerous new artists that are emerging, they even have to compete with the new ways in which music and films are viewed and distributed, incl streaming service like Spotify and Netflix.
Less privacy than pre-social media:
Celebrities and those working in diverse areas of the entertainment industry have long been a source of public concern, and unfortunately this extends to the media, including the infamous paparazzi.
Today, even although the media and paparazzi are still going strong, they’ve to contend with social media and the undeniable fact that virtually anyone can now capture anything on their smartphone and have it go viral on Facebook and Twitter in a matter of minutes.
This is a problem for celebrities who previously had little privacy, and now find themselves with virtually no privacy thanks to every detail of their lives being shared, not just in gossip magazines and tabloid newspapers, but across digital media. world, too.
More exposure for fans and artists:
Back in the days before social media was a thing, we had to depend on radio, tv or waiting for the next weekly installment of our favourite music magazine to give us updates on a new song or album that was coming out. Then, if we’re lucky, we can use the cassette to record songs from the radio or wait until we can purchase a CD when it comes out.
Our parents experienced it even worse than we do – CDs are a technological marvel compared to what they’ve to do to listen to their favourite music.
These days, we literally have the latest movies and music at the push of a button, and even if we do not find out a few new song or album right away, it will soon be on social media someplace and we’ll be capable to get it. grip it.
We’re also able to discover more new music that we might not otherwise have thanks to streaming services like Spotify, iTunes, and Apple Music, so we can be more diversified in our tastes, which is never a bad thing.
It’s also great for artists – particularly up-and-coming artists looking to grow their fan base. They also benefit from more exposure to fans and since of social media, if someone likes something they will typically share it with their friends, and for artists this is certainly the best type of marketing they could ask for.
Fans have more influence:
Any good business owner or influencer who understands the role social media plays in their sales and marketing knows that listening to their audience is key.
The entertainment industry and celebrities are not any different. While James Cameron may not have taken your idea of making a Titanic sequel where Rose and Jack come back to life and live happily ever after, artists and industry influencers will pay more attention to the feedback than you think, and if they’re smart, they will act accordingly – sure. alone made sense to them, but thanks to social media getting used as a way of connection and communication, fans are now more connected than ever to celebrities, and will have more influence than ever before. ever owned before.
As you’ll see from the points above, social media certainly has an impact on the entertainment industry and how fans and artists benefit from it.
Whether you are an aspiring artist, movie star, or simply someone who loves and appreciates the industry and the creative talent within it, then you must understand and accept that social media is going to be a part of this industry, and it is not going anywhere anytime soon.
