Generation Like.

"Weston Lawrence, Ben Peterson, and 4 others liked your photo."

"Your tweet was favorited by @brodyprice."

"9 people liked your status."

These notifications stream our many platforms of social media on a daily basis, informing us as users which of our connections "like" our content. The likes act as validity, as affirmation. On a surface level, they let us know our posted material is worthwhile, but when peeling back the layers, they are indicative of much more. They boost self-worth. They give us a sense of comfort, of security, of love. They remind us, in essence, that we are noticed in a saturated online environment vying for the attention of anyone and everyone. The documentary Generation Like explores this concept by examining both sides of the spectrum: those who like and those who are being liked.



1. Four key terms are important to the way users connect with each other online.

Interaction is a response of any kind. It is not necessarily metric. It can be stripped down to an individual level to observe how a user perceives a given piece of content. A YouTuber may peruse through feedback comments on a new video to gauge the tone of how viewers reacted to the video without counting how many comments were written or using the comment number as a means of direction.

Engagement is explicitly the number of people who interacted with a piece of content. It is a trackable, measurable slice of data that can be analyzed and evaluated based on an initiative's goals and growth. The Hunger Games campaign was able to track the engagements of its fan to determine a clear "top" fan based on a numerical value.

Reach is the number of people exposed to content. It does not necessarily mean each person noticed the content or interacted with it. It simply means that it was exposed to them in some way, whether they paid attention to it or not. A celebrity may hire a professional campaigner to design his or her website or online presence to widen the reach they are having. This may mean that the person is not even posting his or her own content, even if it appears that way.

Target is the audience for content. If a company or creator of content does not have an idea for whom it wants to reach  Companies often intentionally pay attention to what other things or people their fans "like" so that they can partner with those entities in order to have the most efficient target possible.


2. I typically like something on Facebook for one of three primary reasons:

• I agree with the content.
• The post makes me smile.
• To support the person who posted it.

I try not to like everything I see so as to allow my like to hold value, but I also want to be supportive of my friends. People post all varieties of content for many different purposes: some to share what's on their mind, others to say something comedic, others still to weigh in on a serious societal issue. Individual people are not exclusive to just one of these categories, and there is certainly a fair bit of grey matter in categorizing information. Usually, though, my choice to like or ignore something will pertain to one of the three reactions listed above.

3. There is definitely an influence in what I post and what I like if I am able to predict others' responses to it. People have a natural tendency to want to be affirmed and know that other people agree with them. And, for better or for worse, this can affect the content of what I post. If a certain post I share doesn't get a lot of likes, I might be hesitant to post something similar in the future or even be tempted to delete it altogether. Oppositely, if something I create gets what I would consider a "good" response, I'll be more likely to craft similar content.

4. An influencer is someone whose online presence directly impacts the users who intake his or her content. They buy in so deeply into the influencer's mindset, preferences, and hobbies that the influencer can be utilized by companies as a means of advertisement. Tyler Oakley is an example of a strong influencer on YouTube. His personal vlogs began to get so much attention that viewers wanted to purchase items that he featured, and now Oakley is a living, breathing ad for numerous products as companies give him things to include in his videos.

5. A clever tactic to sell a product is simply grabbing attention, and one way to do that is to tap into topical issues and current events in a way that does not really relate to the product itself, but places the product at the forefront of the public eye. It makes a statement that attracts attention in a shareable way. Oreo did this to support gay pride by making a Facebook post depicting an Oreo cookie with rainbow-colored filling. People who support the same movement may be inclined to share the post. In their mind, they're saying, "I support this movement." Inadvertently, however, they are also providing Oreo with free ads with each share they make, indirectly saying, "Buy Oreos!"

6. Companies must adapt to current technologies in order to remain relevant in the modern world and reach people where they're at. They can use social media platforms not only as an industry standard, but to infuse creativity into their marketing initiatives through the various mediums that social media allow. Vine allows a company to push themselves to relay a visual message in 7 seconds. Instagram challenges a company to communicate through a single image. They simultaneously remain relevant while also reaching the target in a creative way.

7. Marketers can use social media to build brand trust. If an influencer comes to have a steady amount of supporters, followers, or fans, other prospective influencers can use the trust associated with that person as a platform to boost their own self through collaboration. Trust is built toward the new person because the viewer already trusts the first person.

8. Celebrities can use social media as a way to market themselves. People want to follow celebrities they are fans of, and by building an effective online presence, celebrities can build their fan base to the point that when they have a new product releasing, users will want to purchase or experience it. A celebrity or chooses not to use online platforms denies himself or herself of an extremely effective tool to broaden his or her reach.

9. Corporate sponsorship is basically online product placement. An influencer has such a great impact on users that the users buy things that the influencer likes. The skater Baby Scumbag is an example of a YouTuber who utilizes corporate sponsorship. His skating attracted such immense attention online that clothing companies now give him gear to wear in his videos with the hopes that viewers will see the clothes and want to wear them themselves.

10. Marketers are transparent and invisible at the same time when using technology. They spur interactivity of their content through contests, sharing, and fostering a culture that gets people excited to tell others about their products and services. In a way, being so blatant about their motives makes them extremely transparent. They are directly telling consumers to participate and share their content. However, at the same time, do users realize the pawn they represent and the big-picture marketing plan they are part of? If they don't, then the marketers are, in a way, invisible, even though they also could not be more obvious. That being said, does it matter? If a user is willing to share the content and the company creates a healthy system of revenue, is it important if something is transparent or invisible? I would argue not, perhaps only not so in relation someone's personal values and what they deem to be behavior of integrity.

11. The Hunger Games involves contestants pitted in an arena and manipulated by forces beyond their control in a game of survival. If a contestant performs well, they are given resources from outside advertisers who support their game. This mirrors advertising using social media. A company, person, or group places content into the open with the hopes that it will catch on. If it does, other people or companies may support it or want to advertise with it, and only the successful will remain around at the end.

What an interesting documentary! To celebrate such a great film, please enjoy this video of a singing volcano. He sure is having fun at his own luau, wouldn't you say so?