I rub my eyes and look hazily at my alarm clock as its beeping sound saturates the silence. It’s the 5 am wake up call to get the day started. I reach out for my alarm, whack it quiet, roll over and grab my phone. Lying in bed with my phone above my head I tap the screen and open Instagram. As I scroll through the various pictures of friends at a party the night before, cat memes, and inspirational quotes to see if I can get any motivation to get up, I look at the time and realize 15 minutes has already gone by, I’ve officially had my first dose of my first addictive substance of the day. I then open my Facebook app to see if I’ve missed out on any news, if anyone has friend requested me, or if I have any likes on posts or photos for my own gratification and a small dopamine hit. Sometimes FOMO gets the best of me.
Aside from Instagram and Facebook, throughout the day when I’m not working, I peruse the likes of Pinterest, LinkedIn, and YouTube. On Pinterest I used to post and market my jewelry shop, but since I’ve been in school I haven’t had that much time to promote it. On a daily basis, I’m opening up the web and YouTube at the same time, to teach myself more about business and expand my skill sets. Employers hire for skills, not theory, and LinkedIn is where I always keep an eye out for other opportunities for employment, to expand my network and promote my professional accomplishments. Another site I frequent is Skillshare, which is an online learning platform that you can get with a subscription. On this site you can learn about the different Adobe applications, photography, blogging, music, and plenty of other skills, even cooking! If only I had an affiliate link…
Investing in my education is a priority for me, and I typically use digital media in the form of books, pdfs, and other online articles to expand my knowledge and aptitudes. Another way I educate myself is through Podcasts. I use these to listen to the news, learn about politics, and get inspiration to make smart decisions with my money. Some podcasts I would recommend are:
- The Ken Coleman Show (Career Advice)
- The Rachel Cruze Show (Money and Life Advice)
- Global News Podcast (Exactly what it says )
- Think Fast, Talk Smart: Communication Techniques (Strategic Communication Podcast from Stanford University)
- The Ben Shapiro Show (Conservative Political Opinion Podcast)
- Pod Save America (Liberal Political Opinion Podcast)
- The NPR Politics Podcast
Positive and Negative Reactions of Digital Media
Reactions are defined as “an action performed or a feeling experienced in response to a situation or event”. Keeping this definition in mind, let’s start out by defining some of the negative reactions I’ve had using digital media, and maybe you’ll be able to relate!
Comparison
The first and most obvious reaction to me is comparison. It’s so easy to compare my life to someone else’s when I’m scrolling through Instagram’s perfectly curated photos, outfits, and home designs. Unfortunately because of this comparison problem social media tends to permeate into my life, I also react by buying things I don’t need through Instagram ads and YouTube Links all the while busting my budget. (I worked hard to make my budget okay!) No but really though, comparison could be at the top of my list of negative reactions when it comes to social media.
Laziness
And let’s be honest, digital media has made me a tad bit lazy. Instead of getting up and going to the gym, I find myself watching YouTube videos of other people in the gym under the guise of information and motivation. Before I know it, an hour has gone by and I’m still not at the gym, or on my run, or even working out at home. Now, digital media isn’t solely to blame for this problem, but it does add to it. Digital media has also made me lazy when it comes to my personal relationships. I can just shoot a quick text, Facebook message, or even just scroll through social media to see what my friends are up to instead of making plans to see them in person. I have found that while social media has made us all so connected, we are truly missing out on real human emotional connection that only in person communication and relationship can bring.
Attention Span and Memory
Those ten second TikTok videos get me every time… but not only that I can feel that my attention span has gotten worse over the years of quick media reads and 10 second video feeds. I also find that because information is so readily available on the internet through digital books, podcasts, and a simple google search that my memory has also waned because I no longer have the need to keep things stored up there. Information is readily and easily accessible.
Learning
Which now brings me to my first positive reaction and impact of Digital Media. The ability to learn has grown exponentially. Now I can be at home and connect to a professor across the country and go to college online. I feel dedicated towards my classes and take the time to read the materials because, well, if I don’t then I’m completely lost. I have the ability to use digital books, access to research databases, and videos to help me learn the material. Information is easily accessible! Now I just need to dedicate my time to studying it and remember it.
Starting a Business and Career Perks
Nowadays, it’s easier than ever to start a meeting with coworkers or start an online business. All one needs is a video conferencing app, social media, and software for the business. A reaction that I’ve had when it comes to digital media is that I started an Etsy shop for making jewelry. I found it easy to use the software on my phone to take pictures of my jewelry, all the way to writing product descriptions with a Word document or Google Docs. The possibilities are endless when it comes to starting a business or working remotely.
Ability to Communicate with Others
Finally, we can communicate with one another quickly and easily, whether it’s by social media, phone, or even ads on the TV. Digital media is now one of the main forms of communication. Not only that, but we have the opportunity to reach a wider audience and talk to people from all over the world. This can help with networking and building more relationships with others. Although I do want to add a caveat, that the long term relationship management should be more personable, as I think that digital media works better for the short term.
Does Digital Media satisfy my needs?
Does digital media satisfy my needs? Yes and no. Digital media has made it easier to budget, check my bank account, keep up with friends and family, read books, learn new things, explore business and work opportunities, and so much more. One thing it does not satisfy is my human need for a deeper connection with others. It also doesn’t satisfy my need to eat healthy and exercise, though it can help facilitate it with healthy recipes and workout routines from YouTube. It helps me satisfy my need to hear and learn about different opinions other than my own and learn about cultures around the world. On the flip side, the social media aspect of digital media seems to only satisfy instant gratification, instead of long term gains. When one considers Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, digital media can only supply so much.
A day in my life with email marketing
As I go throughout my day, I get inundated with plenty of marketing emails from multiple brands and companies. How did I get started with these brands? More than likely something caught my attention on social media or an influencer persuaded me to check them out. Then I end up signing up for the email list for that “first time order” discount marketing tactic, which I’ve only used a couple of times. What else grabs my attention in emails? The headlines. What do they say? “It’s Selling Fast” and “Get 50% Off Store Wide” tend to grab my attention. My inbox is full of marketing emails, but since they end up in the Promotions box on my Gmail, I tend to not look at them for fear (a reaction to digital media) that I will buy something. (Which is the goal, I know full well.) Other than that, the email needs to have something that is a benefit to me, such as a job that I should apply for or a scholarship opportunity. Within an email, I prefer them to be short and sweet with a few visuals.
Digital Media and Marketing Today
Since we all seem to be attached to our devices it’s easier than ever for a marketer to reach into our brain and plant the seed of a brand’s message or an impulse to buy. According to Hubspot, digital marketing is “all marketing efforts that use an electronic device or the internet. Businesses leverage digital channels such as search engines, social media, email, and other websites to connect with current and prospective customers.” (Alexander, 2021). An example of Digital Media in marketing would be ads on YouTube or social media in general, email campaigns, graphics on the internet, and search results in google. Digital media has made marketing a more creative outlet and communicative practice and is now, I would argue, the backbone of marketing today. Digital media makes marketing quicker, easier, and allows the message to get across to multiple audiences all around the world. It connects the customer to the business. Digital media also reinforces ads, is curated to target the correct audience resulting in better ROI, and expands the reach, like I mentioned before, to target audiences all over the world, or even in different demographics and psychographics.
Digital media is the new way forward for marketing, gone are the days of billboards and print ads. It would be wise for companies, marketers, and consumers to pay attention to digital marketing and digital media trends of today. If we’re not careful, the subliminal messaging of digital media and digital marketing can suck us into purchases that could bust our budgets.
References
Alexander, L. (2021, May 25). The Who, What, Why, & How of Digital Marketing.
Hubspot. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/what-is-digital-marketing