Convergence of Social Media and Television

Convergence of Social Media and Television

Television shows have changed in a number of ways over the years. Contrary to popular belief, shows are not just a senseless past time that makes us dumber and dumber as we follow along. Today, a variety of shows require more knowledge and are more engaging than what they were in the past. The evolution of TV has been remarkable and now certain trends are evident in almost every show that arises. From dramas to comedies or even children’s programming, there seems to be something to gain from tuning in. The convergence of social media and TV has impacted television in a number of approaches. This blend of medias has taken small screen viewing to another level and now various forms of media affect the consumer experience in many beneficial ways.

Initially, television was very straight to the point, each episode had it’s own purpose and you would most likely find out that purpose before the next episode. One wouldn’t necessarily have to keep up with all of the episodes to fully understand what’s going on in the next. Older shows like Starsky and Hutch, or some of my favorite sitcoms growing up such as, Martin or The Fresh Prince, all have this in common. The author of Watching TV Makes Us Smarter uses dialogue from Woody Allen’s Sleeper as an example of how many show’s before used “pointing arrows” to basically walk us through everything, making sure we don’t miss a beat, therefore not requiring much thought. This lackadaisical form of entertainment is most definitely played out and networks are far more eager to feed our intellect what it wants. During this time, TV ratings were collected from surveys sent through the mail but now with the use of ever growing technology and social networks such as Facebook, Twitter or YouTube, feedback is attained with ease. The number of likes a Facebook fan page has indicates where a show stands in comparison to others, as the use of hash tags on Twitter makes seeing individuals opinions effortless. A great deal of shows now include a hash tag in the lower corner of the screen. For example, my current favorite show Empire included the text “#empire” in the lower right hand corner for the entire duration of the last episode. This tactic gets the conversation started and allows people to join in and see what others have to say. YouTube also ties into these social networks by serving as a platform to share ads and commercials. With the click of one button your favorite show is now shared with your hundreds, thousands or even millions of followers, creating an even bigger fan base and more money for corporations.

Social networks aren’t the only way television is taking advantage of new technology and media. Media content providers such as Apple or Google have their own outlets too. The saying “There’s an app for that” still reigns supreme even in the context of television. Popular drama, The Walking Dead now has an app where fans can predict the number of zombie deaths, which weapons they used the most and which character was most dangerous during each episode, and can watch their assumptions come to life. This fun, interactive way of experiencing the show keeps loyal fans engaged by offering them rewards such as sneak peaks and behind the scenes clips. Apps like these also connect to social