The human need to connect emotionally through stories is ancestral, but technology has invigorated this craving for stories. The “digital era” led to an acceleration in communication technology and the beginning of the Information Age, which already spans over 80 years -from the late 1950s.
We have witnessed tremendous changes in mass media that transformed how audiences produce and receive storylines. The increased speed in digital bandwidth has allowed mass media to live-stream their reach and content globally.
Social Media and Storytelling
Social media channels, in addition, have extended audience engagement. The USA has 302.35 million social media users. That means 90% of the total US population uses them actively. There are 4.9 billion social media users in the world as of 2023.[1]
With this extended reach and a vast audience, the opportunity to grab a small device and reach a large audience has become a tool and a weapon. Stories are told in a few dozen characters, only in seconds. Storytellers have a short window of opportunity to connect emotionally with their audience.
At best, social media storytelling aims to inspire, engage, motivate, or compliment someone or something. At worst, stories are used to moralize, try to coax us, cause fear, nauseate us, and make us feel guilty, frightened, or uncertain. All accounts are crafted to compel us to take action: buy, go, vote, love, or hate.
The rich emotional content of these stories, proliferated by technology, has increasingly made us numb -like children playing violent video games- or extremely reactive -not being able to have a civil conversation or listen to what others say. Audiences need more incentive to spot “viral” stories because their attention span is shorter than ever.
Great storytellers take advantage of channel multiplicity, this multidimensional opportunity to share across various media channels or platforms, migrating from one medium to another. The catch, though, is to adapt the story to all these different formats while maintaining the essence and intent of the message.
On the other hand, digital content globalization has crossed cultural and national boundaries, forcing storytellers to submerge themselves in new cultural perspectives to adequate the message to a massive multicultural audience. We have traveled a new frontier in communication and found new ways for dominant societies to expand even more their influence on distant corners of the world.
Using Stories from Mass Media
Why am I using examples of stories from movies and TV shows and not maybe classical literature or theater? First and foremost, I am a movie nut and love, love movies. As a marketing and communications consultant for many years, I have seen the evolution of society’s messages reflected in movies and TV shows. From innocent kisses to open naked sex, war stories to Star Wars, horseback riding bank robberies to skyscrapers’ white-collar corruption, they continue to bring a reflection on messages society sends us all.
However, there are other reasons to help you explore your own story through mass media.
You have ample access to mass media: There is a vast increase in the use of mass media. Many of you might not have seen the movies or TV series I mentioned in these chapters, but you have the opportunity, if you so desire, to access them in mass media (streaming or reruns).
Mass media is a public opinion influencer: Mass media is one of the most relevant public opinion influencers of all time.[2] Media companies have become content creators, storytellers, and interpreters of information. Think for a moment, what stories have you watched lately that are still stuck in your mind? What movies or TV shows have moved, inspired, or made you laugh? Which made you reflect on certain issues, work, family, or relationships?
Mass media is also an agent of socialization: Opinion pundits get inside people’s homes and heads every day through a wide range of media channels such as television shows, movies, the radio, newspapers, social media, ads, and others. What are your preferred media or social media outlets? And what are the ones you hate?
Mass media is society’s means of telling us who we should be. It portrays stories with different characteristics, meanings, and intentions. They can promote specific gender roles’ stereotypes, imply which social protocols are adequate, tolerable, or punishable, or define which acts of violence, addictions, or perversions are acceptable or unacceptable in a society. Do you see yourself in those images or stereotypes when you watch a show or a movie? How do some portrayals of people or situations make you feel? Do you feel acceptance, rejection, or indifference?
Mass media also offers the best way of social listening: People engage with comments, images, preferences, and behaviors in mass media. We can infer values, track behavior style and frequency, analyze preferences, and anticipate responses through their opinions. According to Hootsuite, social listening is “… a key component of audience research. You’re missing valuable insights if you don’t have a social listening strategy.” [3] What do your customers think about you or your brand? What are they saying about your competitors? Are those your exact preferences, values, or behaviors? How do you respond to them? We will analyze some examples in the next chapters.
All this chatter, such a noisy environment, demands compelling and unforgettable stories that stand out from the crowd and reach their target. Whether competing for business or jobs, for personal affection or brand loyalty, those who master this craft will make a difference. Consequently, you can choose to continue being a wallflower or dive into the art of storytelling to learn the many ways your stories need to be told.
A memorable soundbite, a moving image, or a heart-rending emotion, timely conveyed, gives you a leg up to be recognized as someone who influences others and encourages them to take action. The ideas and tools I’m sharing in “Speak Up! Tell Your Story to Influence Others” chapters will help you master the essence of your story to grow closer to your personal or professional purpose. Take action! Click to buy:
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[1] Social Media Users — How Many People Use Social Media In 2023 https://www.demandsage.com/social-media-users/ (Accessed January 2023)
[2] Mass media, Encyclopedia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/topic/public-opinion/Public-opinion-and-government
[3] Hootsuite – “What is Social Listening, Why it Matters, and 10 Tools to Make it Easier”– Blog by Christina Newberry – November 27, 2018. https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-listening-business/#whatis (Accessed February 2020)
