May the Microtransactions be with You : EA’s Downward Spiral After their “Star Wars: Battlefront 2” Controversy

A long time ago, in a console war far, far away… It is a period of great gaming, young Kat turns on her Playstation 2, and won her first victory against the ‘easy’ mode in Guitar Hero 2. During her battle, she managed to rack up points via the game’s ultimate weapon, the “star power“, a technique with enough boost to help you unlock awesome outfits for your characters. Pursued by nostalgia, Kat races home to her internet, looking up the Playstation 4 Guitar Hero Live game, and restore the gaming experience she once had….

…until she found out that she would have to use real money to unlock practically anything in the game, including tokens to play songs! I came to a predicament: do I want to buy the newest installment of my childhood guitar/ band games? They were expensive back in the day, being that you had to buy the game AND the instruments. But now, with Guitar Hero Live, I would have to buy the game, the instruments, AND cool in-game content. For me, It isn’t worth it. Microtransactions have made me weary about purchasing my old- time franchise favorites in modern times.

At first, microtransactions seemed great on phone games, where it would get you extra moves, lives, and in-game trinkets to make the levels easier, but that’s because the game was initially free- they needed to make their money somehow. But, is it still worth it for a AAA-titled console game that already ranges from $60-$80?  This seemed to be a huge turn-off for people testing the beta version of Star Wars Battlefront 2 (Note: the $80 reflects the deluxe edition).

In the past, you would feel a sense of pride and accomplishment from playing hard, racking up points, and spending them on awesome, in-game prizes. But, by introducing micro-transactions and the “pay to play/ pay to win” attitude, EA and Star Wars: Battlefront 2 had successfully ruined their fans’ gaming experience and trust through their microtransaction fiasco.

History

It’s a long and somewhat- complicated road that EA has taken with this new game. However, Gita Jackson from Kotaku guides us through every step of this controversy in her article, “A Guide to the Endless, Confusing Star Wars Battlefront II Controversy“.

On August 4th, EA released information that the game Middle-Earth: Shadow of War will contain a loot box system that can be obtained through in-game points or real money. These loot boxes would feature not only cosmetic upgrades, but also “experience points boosts and better gear.” Fans of the game were displeased with this system.

In September, despite the negative majority opinion surrounding the loot boxes, EA released other games that featured this system, including NBA 2K18 and Destiny 2, in speculation that Star Wars: Battlefront 2 would receive this this as well.

October 10th is where it all went down, with the release of Star Wars: Battlefront 2 Beta. Fans noticed the return of the Star Cards system, but this time, they came in loot boxes. In a video by Game Spot, they explain that the Star Card system, “Offers class and hero-focused amplifiers that increase stats and grant new abilities for progression in online modes.”, adding that, “It’s now a required part of long-term player growth.”, thus putting the “pay to win” idea into repetition.

 

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They go further to explain what Star Cards are, stating that they help aid added increase to damage, health regeneration, and attaining other skills. On top of that, there are four different types of Star Cards, each varying in quality, like modern-day currency. You have “Common”, “Uncommon”, “Rare”, and “Epic”, with increasing stats for higher ranks. These are vital for increasing the level of the character. You can attain them in the game, but you will be rewarded with randomized loot boxes, where you could receive Star Cards through. However, it may call for dedicated amounts of time playing, depending on how much you’re awarded with each time. This makes hard work and luck a “necessary aspect of the Battlefront 2 experience”. This system encouraged players to buy loot crates just to advance in the game. Another concern for the Beta was that the “Epic” leveled Star Cards were available through the purchase of loot crates, making it feasible for players to reach a high rank early in the game, becoming OP’ed (over-powered).

(Game Spot video:  https://www.gamespot.com/videos/embed/6441968/?t=1m17s )

Two days later on October 12th, EA noticed the backlash and voiced their revoking of their “epic tier” Star Cards. On Halloween, they implemented changes in their system, so that players can craft their own “epic” cards. (Now, the only other way to obtain these “Epic” cards besides crafting them is if you have bought the pre-order or deluxe edition of the game).

On November 11th, they released a playable pre-release trial period only for EA Access subscribers. Gita adds, “Now that the game’s currency system has been revealed, fans have some problems with it.”, noting that the two main currencies in the game, credits and crystals, can not only be obtained by in-game play, but can also be bought.

The next day, players voiced their displeasure regarding unlocking characters. To unlock them, you’d have to use your credits. But as Gita points out, it costs 60,000 credits to unlock Luke Skywalker, one of the franchise’s main characters.

Character Luke Skywalker shown next to R2-D2 in a cut-scene from Star Wars: Battlefront 2.

On November 13th, they ended up lowering the cost of unlocking heroes, making an overall game price adjustment. Luke’s price went down to costing 15,000 credits. However, the amount of credits earned during the single player campaign reduced too.

Lastly, on November 17th, just hours before the game was released, EA temporarily removed microtransactions from the game, including the ability to buy crystals, which were used to buy loot boxes. An article from The Wall Street Journal explained that the reason why this resulted was because James Pitaro, head of Disney Interactive Media and Consumer Reports, voiced his displeasure about the controversy (Note: Disney owns the Star Wars franchise, and they have significant leverage on the Battlefront games). As of the time of this article, there has been no talk of implementing microtransactions again.

Although the game is out now and loyal Star Wars fans are playing them, many can’t help but to remember EA’s greedy attempts at sucking in cash via microtransactions. Ultimately, EA ended up paying billions for it.

EA’s Stock Decline

After the Beta controversy, Erik Kain, a Forbes Magazine contributor, observed that EA’s “share prices have fallen 8.5% month-to-date, wiping out $3.1 billion in shareholder value in the process.” To be fair, Erik also points out that although shares declined before the launch, Battlefront 2 contributes to a more “gloomier forecast.” EA loyalists and stock holders have voiced their discontent by selling their stocks, but compared to their shares in the past, their stock prices have never been higher at $110 per share.

Michael Pachter, analyst for Wedbush Securities (focuses on the video game industry), draws comparisons to to EA’s other games and microtransactions by stating, “In FIFA, the single-player game allows access to all players, and only the Ultimate Team Multiplayer mode requires card collection.” He goes on to say, “The same is true of the [Grand theft Auto 5] vs. GTA Online, with the former having all content available and the latter (multiplayer) creating items for MTX purchases.” (Note: MTX also stands for microtransactions).

EA’s Reaction and Defense

During the negative buzz around the Beta failure, EA’s CFO (Chief Financial Officer), Blake Jorgensen responded to the situation at the 37th NASDAQ Investor Conference by saying that as an organization, they have learned a lot from this experience and, “If we’re not learning, that means we’re failing in some way.” He adds that they’re trying to listen to their consumers in order to “decide what’s the best way to build great games.”

Later at the end of November, he addressed the microtransaction issue, and stated, “Some people have more money that time,” adding, “you want to always balance those two”. It seems like he’s blaming the customers’ financial situation for not liking the system, making the situation worse.

Infamously, the EA Community Team also took to Reddit  regarding the seemingly unfair rate at which players would accumulate currency in the game (besides buying it, of course). They spoke about their efforts to change the game by stating that they, “will continue to make changes and monitor community feedback and update everyone as soon and as often as we can.” However, the Reddit community wasn’t buying their “we’re changing and we really care about you” attitude. This post single-hanedly  received 673,000 down-votes, the most a post has ever got on the Reddit platform. Fans felt used, and many of them were not going to accept EA’s apology that quickly.

The full post of EA’s response to their Beta situation, receiving the most down-votes on Reddit history.

 

Legislation Movements

This controversy shook legislators worldwide. On November 22nd, the Belgian Gaming Commission and the Justice Minister voiced their decision on wanting the game banned from their country, accusing EA of promoting gambling. They also stated that microtransactions are milking and abusing the players out of money. Although they haven’t finalized their decision as of now, they did note on their news site RTFB (translated), that the, “mixture of money and addiction is a game of chance.”

However, they’re not the only ones who want change. Hawaiian state legislatures voiced on a YouTube video that the loot crate system was considered gambling because players had no idea exactly what they were getting when they purchased them. representative Chris Lee, who ironically stated, “It’s a trap!“, and that it’s “something we need to address to ensure that (particularly) kids who are underage who are not psychologically and emotionally mature enough to be able to gamble…are protected from being trapped into these cycles…” He went on to say address the possibility of future legislation to prohibit children from spending real money in games.

Chris Lee and others talk about possible legislation regarding video game gambling.

Aftermath

EA has definitely gone on a roller-coaster ride these past couple of months, and brought up some major concerns in the gaming community. However, Star Wars loyalists who can get past EA’s mistakes still play the game (its full version has yet to bring back buying mechanics). As someone who has a Star Wars nerd for a dad and a bunch of the Star Wars games for the Nintendo 64 and the Game Cube, I was initially excited for Star Wars games to come out on my newest console. Although EA has (most definitely) learned from their mistakes, I can’t get past the fact that they attempted to change Star Wars into a “pay to win” game. Honestly, unless EA backs off from implementing mobile game microtransactions onto their future AAA titles, I will be excluding myself from buying these titles. EA has broke the trust of many of their fans, myself included. This cannot be marked as a mistake on their part, but I am happy that they had the common sense to listen to their consumers and remove these mechanics from their Battlefront 2 installment. For now, I will just stick with one of my favorite games- SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom.

This is not the Greatest Celebrity in the World, No, This is Just a Tribute: a Look at How Jack Black & Tenacious D Interact with Their Fans

Jack Black rose to fame while performing an acoustic metal/ comedy rock duo with partner Kyle Gass in their mid 90’s TV series “Tenacious D”. From there, he went on to act on titles such as “School of Rock“, “Nacho Libre“,” Kung Fu Panda“, and “Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny“. He even appeared on an episode of “Sesame Street”! Him and partner Kyle Gass have always been an advocate for marijuana legalization, which has even been explored in their Tenacious D movie.

From kids to adults to metal fans to weed fans, Jack Black has quite a diverse following. How does he cater to all of his fans through the use of social media? How can you juggle that much diversity? By looking at different types of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, we can get a closer look of how he handles his fans.

Facebook

JB’s Facebook page has 7.2 million likes. He posts a lot of different things on here, from regular, every-day photos, to memes, to promotional content, he really reaches out with this platform.

Many of his posts appeal to the nostalgia of people who grew up with him in the early and mid 2000’s. He posted a picture of a scene from the “Pick of Destiny”, showing him and Kyle sitting with their guitars around a tape recorder. He caption said, “how did that song go?” in reference to both the movie and the song “Tribute“, which in itself references a scene in the movie where they battle the Devil with music, and later forget how that song went (and is also the title of this post!).

 

Jack Black and Kyle Gass sit around a tape recorder making music in “Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny”.

This post received 7.2K “reacts” and 307 shares. Replies included quotes from the movie such as Nick- Kordy Grey’s, “You know what? Lets (sic) just lay down a fresh tasty jam”. Others, such as Gus Rettke, commented about how great the movie was, saying “TPOD. Great movie. Stronger than you might imagine. I think my mom would dig it. Is there a cut with the Strong Suggestive language backed off the VH meter peg.” The community really helps each other out on this platform, pointing to other Jack Black performances that users may enjoy. Ryan Wuttke chimed in saying, “The HBO show was even better than the movie and it’s all on YouTube.’ Gus replied with enthusiasm, saying that he’d look into the series.

Although Jack sometimes posts random things like pictures of food (just like every-day Facebook users, or at least my sister), he also promotes things on his page, such as him guest- starring on a “Carbonaro Effect” episode on TruTV, reminding fans to tune in.

Jack Black reminds fans to tune in to the Carbonaro Effect on TruTV to see him and Michael “blow some minds”.

With 966 “reacts” and only 45 shares, it seems that his fans prefer him posting about his old acting career and movie references. To give him the benefit of a doubt,  people tend to react more towards nostalgia than something new. Although there are significantly less comments on this post (45 comments), all of them are positive, such as Nicholas Youngwirth’s “Your life is an inspiration”, and Jenny Shockley’s, “@Matthew Shockley, we have to record this for the girls!”

Lastly, Jack black is aware that he’s sometimes a guinea pig of memes on the internet, especially “Dragon Ball Z” ones. In his playlist of videos, he shares two videos of him going super saiyan (a super saiyan is when one or many of the character in the anime power up), complete with drawings of golden super saiyan hair and glowing eyes covering his face. The two scenes of him as a super saiyan are of him screaming in “School of Rock” and “Tropic Thunder“.

Jack Black going super saiyan in the “Super School of Saiyan Rock”.

This post received 77K “reacts”, 11k comments. DBZ fans raved on this post, commenting references to the anime like Nicholas Dunn’s “Super Kami Guru allows this”, and Jeffrey Winninger’s “You’d make a pretty good Yanjarobi if they tried again at a live action DBZ film.” In this case, JB is catering to a whole different crowd- an anime crowd. These are short and easy references to make to gain traffic populartiy and a couple of laughs from the Jack Black, School of Rock, AND Dragon Ball Z fans.

Overall, his Facebook has very diverse posts, ranging from everyday pictures, to funny memes, nostalgic posts, and promotional ones.

Twitter

Jack Black doesn’t have a personal account, but rather identifies with his Tenacious D band on Twitter. This eliminates catering to younger fans who liked him for his acting in titles such as “Nacho Libre” and “Kung Fu Panda”. This is strictly for Tenacious D fans. This page has 162K followers, which is definitely less followers than his personal Facebook page. This is because not all Jack Black fans may like his musical career, they like him specifically as a comedic actor. This page hasn’t posted since September.

However, this page was great at communication with international fans. They update on concerts and tours, announcing dates and where to find tickets.

Tenacious D hypes up Mexican fans as they prepare to play a show in two weeks.

This post had 605 likes. Most comments were from fans asking if they would cancel their concert in Mexico because of the recent earthquake (at that time). As opposed to just replying to the comments, the Tenacious D Twitter released another tweet of a picture giving all the information on their show cancellation, saying, “We love you, Mexico. We will be back to play for you as soon as we can. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.” Comments were asking of the band’s return to Mexico and statements of understanding regarding the cancellation.

Tenacious D sends out information regarding their recent show cancellation.

Their last and most recent tweet on the page was a direct relief fund for Mexico earthquake donations. Tenacious D really connected with their fans during the Mexico earthquake crisis, giving them updates and even asking other fans to donate towards the recovery of Mexico- especially because they had to cancel their show.

Tenacious D supporting relief for the recent 2017 Mexican earthquake, urging their fans to donate to the victims.

Although they tried giving help to their fans, they never updated the fans on when exactly they would come back. Nothing else has been posted since then.

Instagram

JB’S Instagram page has 1.6 million followers, which is significantly less than Facebook’s 7.2 million likes. This page is pretty much a repeat of what’s posted don that Facebook page. The same “Pick of Destiny” reference picture that was on Facebook received 74,583 likes on Instagram. That’s about 67,000 more likes. Although he has a smaller following on Instagram, the reach and engagement is a lot more successful on this platform. The comments on this post are about the same, too, making references of the movie. However, many Instagram fans commented #TENACIOUSD2, asking for a sequel of the first movie.

The only difference between his content on Facebook and Instagram is that he posts more videos on Instagram, which means he posts more frequently on this platform. One of his videos shows a 13-year-old Jack acting for a commercial for the game “Pitfall!” on the Atari 2600.

A comical video uploaded by Jack Black, mashing together his acting for Atari commercials and his recent acting in the remake of Jumanji.

Throughout the commercial, it comically cuts to scenes of the “Jumanji” trailer (Jack’s most recent acting job). Connecting the two jungle themes, it makes modern-day Jack look like the “Pitfall Harry” character that young Jack talks about as, as modern-day Jack fumbles around and ultimately gets eaten by a giant alligator. He added a clever caption of “Pitfalling into Jumanji” to complete the joke.

Some comments are regarding the nostalgia of the Atarti 2600. User @monica.goodyear48 commented, “Oh how time flies!!!!”, while @just_stacey_w stated, “i always wanted Pitfall!”. Other comments were either a simple, “LMAO!”, or along the lines of “super cool!”.

Another video was posted over Thor Ragnarok’s use of the song “Immigrant Song” , which was used in a scene in School of Rock years prior. Jack was angry, saying it “totally poached our jam”, and that they were “parading around town like they thought of it”. He then challenged Thor to a “battle of the jams”, creating a hashtag “#SchoolOfRagnarok”.

Jack Black challenges Thor Ragnarok to a “challenge of jams” after using a song that appeared in one of his movies years earlier.

This caused a pique of interest in many people, getting 1.4 million views. One user by the name of @bosxman admitted, “…Let’s face it u [sic] can put that song to two old English women drinking tea and it would kick ass”. Other fans decided that it wasn’t a big deal and Jack was just being jealous. @joel.slaya commented, “I think he’s mad that the song was wayyy [sic] cooler in [T]hor”. Another user @ffkkoff said, “[H]e just wants to be famous again calm down”.

Whether people were or weren’t on his side, he definitely got  a lot of publicity for this created challenge, which reached Jack Black, School of Rock, AND Thor fans. By doing this, Jack stirs up a lot of attention towards his page, making this the best platform his hosts.

YouTube

Tenacious D has a Vevo-based YouTube page with 229K subscribers. But, this platform is strictly Tenacious D music videos. With only 14 videos (one of which is an explicit version of another song, and another audio-only video), this really isn’t an impressive platform. Most comments on these videos are just praises of the band and mentions of their Pick of Destiny movie (since songs overlap or talk about events in the movie).

All of the videos on the Tenacious D YouTube page.

Their most recent video was three years ago. Although they have three albums, only a selected handful of music was chosen to be put on their Vevo. This plarform isn’t really successful in reaching audiences outside of their niche. They have one live video (Go Show), where they play music in public; but they could benefit with more of these sort of videos.  Vlogs could help them keep their fans’ interest and capture new fans, and live recordings would build a better appreciation for their talent.

Final Thoughts

On some platforms, Jack Black really shines; but on others, he totally flops. The platforms that host Tenacious D- specific content are the ones that are really lacking. Their YouTube could benefit from uploading videos of their live performances or even vlogs during touring- anything to keep their fans up-to-date on their whereabouts. Their Twitter definitely needs start posting again. They were doing well promoting their concerts and tours, but dropped off the map after the earthquake post. They could have at least come back and updated their fans on when they would return. These platforms don’t balance his diverse fans- and the ones it does cater to isn’t big enough. By adding more content to his Tenacious D page, or even creating a YouTube of his adventures separate of Tenacious D, he could gain more traffic on that platform. He has videos on Instagram and Facebook; he might as well start posting them (or new ones) onto YouTube.

The Facebook page definitely more successful than the Tenacious D platforms. He updates quite frequently, although he could benefit from posting more often. Although his Instagram has less followers, it definitely gains more traffic and attention. He could continue differentiating his Instagram from his Facebook by posting more videos. These seem to be popular. These two platforms do a great job at catering to his multiple fans, by making Tenacious D music references, old movie references, and even references outside of his niche (anime). He keeps all of his fans by using nostalgia, because all of the fans have one thing in common: they followed Jack through the early and mid 2000’s.

 

 

NintenDO or DON’T: How a $38 Billion Company Handles their Social Media

Companies like Nintendo have been around far before social media. But, how does such a successful company adjust to the world of social media? They do so by joining them- and a lot of them, as a matter of fact. Nintendo currently has a following of millions of people between their multiple social media accounts, all of which differ from platform to platform.

Facebook

Nintendo’s primary Facebook page brought in 4.5 million likes. The make-up of the content on this page is primarily advertisement posts that redirect users to their main website. These include special looks at product growth and development via visuals such as pictures, gifs, and short videos. These include links to their “Nintendo Direct” videos, which announce new games and consoles, short videos covering launch parties, and even giving a chance for fans to win big by displaying their holiday sweepstakes.

To reach a wider audience, Nintendo shares content from their other niche Facebook pages. In one instance, the main Facebook page shared a gif from their dedicated Nintendo switch page, advertising their new Snipperclips Plus: Cut it out, Together! game, while hyperlinking the caption to their online store.

A screenshot of Nintendo’s Facebook advertisement for their new Nintendo Switch game.

Comments on the Facebook page range from only a handful to a few hundred, depending on which Nintendo fans they’re reaching out to. This particular post received 180 “reacts” and 1 comments, which is on the small end for Nintendo. This game has a smaller following, because it’s a new concept to the Nintendo world, coming out exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. As a simplistic puzzle game, this title didn’t stand out compared to other open-world Nintendo games with well-known universes, such as Mario and Legend of Zelda.

Comments on this post included supportive ones, such as Michelle Cong’s “Having so much fun playing this game with my Hubby.” However, others don’t seem to be into this new game. Jarell Dove was unimpressed, commenting, “I guess it does add to the Switch’s Library of games? I guess.” Adrian Hoback, a user who played the game, added, “I tried the demo of this game and I like it a lot. Just wish it had online to it.” This comment would be a perfect chance for Nintendo to reply on, whether it means telling him they’re working on an online version, or quickly commenting an apology, sympathizing on his wishes for an online multiplayer. However, Nintendo doesn’t comment on their fans’ reactions or criticism.

However, Nintendo seems to get a lot more attention when they post on topics such as Pokemon, which has been a staple in gaming since 1996. When sharing a post from their Nintendo 2DS & Nintendo 3DS Facebook page, they advertised the New Nintendo DS XL Poke Ball Edition.This shared post received 3.8K “reactions” and 502 comments. Although Pokemon fans loved this concept of a Pokemon- themed handheld, many questioned the practicality and purpose, including user Jeremy Sheer. He pointed out, “Why would anybody buy this one [?] [T]he Nintendo 3DS is on its way out?” Another user, Raza Mohammed, stated “Aren[‘]t Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon the last Pokemon games for this system and the 3DS…” Other comments praised the Pokemon-themed handheld, including user Kendall Gabbard. She stated, “Got one for my kiddo for his birthday! I can’t wait to give it to him. But it’s so cool I might have to buy one for myself too.” Another user by the name of Rangel Contreras added, “This was the best upgrade for my DS that I’ve ever had, the quality of life changes are great, and the button to the pokeball is great for those who fidget a lot.”

A screenshot of a shared post by Nintendo of America, advertising the New 2DS XL Poke Ball Edition on their Facebook.

Twitter

Although Nintendo has many Twitter accounts, I decided to focus on their @NintendoAmerica page because of me living in the states. Their Twitter page has 8.34 million followers, and updates about once or twice a day, which is a lot more active than their Facebook page. Although they use this page to also promote their products, they use it more to celebrate Nintendo culture and support their game designers and partners.

An example of celebrating Nintendo culture is acknowledging their history and anniversaries. This helps promote nostalgia and good memories with the company. An example of this would be their post where they celebrate the 10th- year anniversary of their Wii game Super Mario Galaxy.

A screenshot of the 10th anniversary of Super Mario Galaxy on @NintendoAmerica ‘s Twitter page.

With an amount of 5.5K retweets, fans commented wondering when HD remakes of Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 would make an appearance and many others commented on similar game titles in the series, comparing the Galaxy games to other Mario installments such as Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario 3D World. The amount of attention towards multiple games in the franchise shows that the Nintendo Twitter has a highly engaged community of people who are hardcore Nintendo fans.

With the newest release of the Nintendo Switch, the Twitter page sometimes pays homage to the people who helped make it a success, such as (one of) Snipperclip’s creators who was ecstatic when he finally received the Nintendo Original Seal of Quality sticker on his games.

Snipperclips creator Tom Vian, sharing the unbelievable news of earning a Nintendo Seal of Quality on his game.

@NintendoAmerica retweeted his post, acknowledging his success while simultaneously giving him credit for the game and redirecting more traffic to his Twitter (for those who didn’t already know the face behind the game). His post got 345 comments, all congratulating him on a job well done, including praise of the game itself. Studio Octane (@StudioOctane), another studio who makes games for Nintendo, commented, “Seriously, we LOVE this game. You deserve every ounce of praise and acclaim this game receives. Well done, very well done.”

The Twitter also updates fans via exclusive content. Nintendo retweets exclusive content from other Nintendo partners. For example, they retweeted a post by @Pokemon, giving a link to an interview with Game Freak‘s Kazumasa Iwao and Shigeru Ohmori , regarding the new Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon games.

Nintendo of America’s retweet of an exclusive interview with Game Freak via Pokemon’s Twitter page.

By retweeting content such as this, Nintendo keeps the interest of the ginormous Pokemon community, raising excitement for the newest Pokemon games that launch on November 17th, 2017.

YouTube

Nintendo’s YouTube page has only 3,241,892 subscribers, and uses this platform to show case game-play of new installments, tease new games with trailers, and most excitable, post their Nintendo Direct videos, which announce new titles and consoles to the Nintendo community. Within the last year, their most popular videos had to do with their latest console, the Nintendo Switch. Their most popular upload to this date is “First Look at Nintendo Switch”,  released on October 20, 2016, with almost 34 million views for a video that’s only 3:37 long.

In this video, they show what the new console looks like, along with its features. This includes the multiple way the controller(s) can be used, two ways the game images can be displayed (via TV or Switch screen), and how portable the console is. The Switch brought a whole new concept to consoles, advertising itself as a portable console; small enough to be brought around, but more powerful than a handheld (not to mention its inherited 2-player controller design).

Nintendo’s most viewed YouTube video, giving potential customers a first look at all the console has to offer.

Most comments are of users shocked about the console already having been out for a year. Others commented their excitement about the (now released) game Super Mario Odyssey coming out, showing their enthusiasm for the future of the console. One user by the name of Black Lamb commented, “Looks like I’m selling my Xbox One”, getting likes from 845 people agreeing with him. Even popular YouTube gamers like “videogamedunkey” commented their excitement and impatience for he console and games to be released by saying, “[W]hen are they gona [sic] show that Mario?”

Nintendo really shines on this platform. As a video game company, their fans and customers rely on visuals to understand what’s to come. As consumers, they want to make sure that they’re going to like what they buy, and showcasing these details into a visual format may sway potential customers into their favor with exciting footage as opposed to announcing new things articles or pictures.

Instagram

Nintendo’s Instagram has 3.5 million followers, being on the lower side of their social media fan count.  This platform takes advantage of it being a picture-based  app. Instead of just putting advertisements and updates (which they do sometimes), they post many seasonal posts, figurine pictures, cosplays, and even pictures of company workers. This is the more lighthearted side of Nintendo’s platforms.

This past October, multiple pictures were posted in celebration of Halloween season. They took one of their products, Amiibos, and placed them in front of festive props such as jack-o-lanterns and candy.

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Besides seasonal pictures, they post pictures of the Nintendo crew, launch parties, and even very lucky customers.

Nintendo celebrates their first North American sale for their Nintendo Switch game “Super Mario Odyssey” by taking a picture with the (very lucky) customer.

Nintendo uses this platform specifically for more celebratory purposes, not necessarily just for promotion or elaborating on new releases. This gives fans a more up-close look at their events, the people who work for them, and even support the American fans by taking note of Western holidays (Note: Nintendo is originally a Japanese company).

Fans gather in New York City at the Super Mario Odyssey launch party, greeting their new favorite hero duo- Mario and his hat Cappy.

Each of these posts gets somewhere from a threshold of a couple hundred to a couple thousand comments, all varying in content. Some display their friend codes so others can play with them, while others comment on the image or talk about games coming out for a specific platform pictured in the post. As opposed to Twitter, these aren’t straight-out discussions regarding specifics on consoles or games pictured, but rather generic comments such as user belllatonezzan’s “I love Mario games and Princess Peach”, and eglipsey’s “Dude imagine someone just handing out Amiibos on Halloween”. This platform is used by many different kinds of fans because the content of the posts aren’t specifically geared towards their product lines. It’s more generic, “cutesy” content. This platform is more about having fun with the Nintendo universe.

Improvements for Nintendo

Nintendo uses its multiple platforms to convey different messages among their diverse fan base. I believe Nintendo does particularly well building up excitement from its customers. However, I think that they should be directly replying to some comments, showing their support and care for their fans, customizing a somewhat personal experience (which m at result in loyalty).

Their Facebook doesn’t update daily (more like once or twice a week). I think they could benefit with having  a more consistent presence. Their Instagram and YouTube are more consistent, and I believe they really shine on these platforms. Instagram gives a playful touch to their photos while YouTube gives an immersive experience of their products. Although I give them credit for retweeting other game developers, I think their main focus should be on supporting their community members- everyday folk. Without fans and customers, no company would survive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Onion: Spreading Satire through Social Media Platforms

With countless news media outlets out there, companies need to stay relevant by using social media to reach out to their audience. Although The Onion is purely satirical, it acts just like many other news outlets, such as CNN and Fox News, by using Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and even YouTube. Regardless of their content, they still catch the attention of thousands of readers; and for those who don’t seek out satire, social media allows these articles to bleed through and reach the public.

However, despite the social media presence, The Onion has a pattern of being stagnant within their platforms, not communicating or engaging with their audience.

Facebook

The Onion’s Facebook page has a whopping 6.6 million likes. They use their Facebook page only to share links of articles from their main website.

An example of what The Onion posts on their Facebook page

Comments made on this content are mainly from users who know satire well.. Comments are lighthearted and filled with humor.

Some comments from the Trump article above included comments from Scott Hunter, who stated, “Look, I hate Trump as much as the next guy, but making him see Kelly-Anne Conway nude is just cruel and unusual punishment! Nobody deserves that!”, and Tom Larkin, who joked by adding, “This happened all the time during the Clinton administration for different reasons…”

However, not everybody realizes that these posts are all jokes. One Facebook user by the name of Majorie Waterman stated, “Looks like fake news to me. How about this Facebook???” Multiple comments, including emojis of face-palming, reminded the woman that The Onion is satire. Outsiders may not necessarily know that The Onion is fake when someone in their friends list shares these articles. With Facebook, you can see content without having to follow the company, so people may stumble upon The Onion on accident, as opposed to other platforms where you’d only really see the content if you followed them.

YouTube

The Onion’s YouTube page has 918 subscribers, and is filled with short-length videos of fake news casts. These casts include news anchors and fake quotes, all appearing like a legitimate news source (besides the crazy stories associated with them).

The front page of The Onion’s YouTube page

One of the videos, titled “How Do Self- Driving Cars Avoid Driving Straight To The Beach?” explores the artificial intelligence of self- driving cars, and how they long to spend their days at the beach instead of driving people around. The Onion’s Eliza Hayes narrates the story. She elaborates on this story by saying, “Engineers working on these vehicles had to overcome one issue in particular: how to prevent self-driving cars from heading straight to the nearest sandy beach and parking there all day long.” She expands on programming procedures and codes that stop them from going where they want to go by stating, “Once a car has warmed its leather interior on the beach for a few hours, it will intrinsically seek out the nearest boardwalk and rumble along the wooden planks in search of saltwater taffy”. She adds this segment by dropping the professional act and stating, “Experts are hopeful about the future of self- driving cars, promising that the next generation of these machines will come equipped with the knowledge that a trip to the beach is actually a huge f**king hassle.”

Screenshot of the self-driving car video

Videos from The Onion get mixed reviews. On this specific video, one user by the name of “bmwx3turbo” comically commented, “I’m voting for Eliza Hayes for Pulitzer Prize; this is the journalism we need, not want”.

However, for the most part, The Onion fans tend to prefer the articles over the videos, finding them childish or stupid. One user by the name of “arcanist9” commented, “The Onion’s videos constantly suck :except for Peter Rosenthal’s Film Standard series), but the articles on their website are still pretty funny,” Another user, “Alternate868” adds, “Are you guys even trying anymore? I can see that you recorded this, but i [sic] can’t see any effort.”

Twitter

Out of all the previously- mentioned platforms, Twitter is The Onion’s biggest, having 10.6 million followers. The only thing The Onion does on this platform is post links to their articles. It gives their followers a quick notification of what’s new on their website. People may not check their main website regularly, so Twitter gives them a simple notification of when an article is up.

The Onion’s front page for Twitter

The Onion doesn’t “retweet” or reply to others, and when there are comments on their content, there aren’t many. Most of the action on that page are followers “retweeting” and “liking” their content. Although there are a lot of followers, the amount socializing on this platform seems to be kept at a low.

Instagram

The last of the platforms that The Onion uses is Instagram, with a smaller following of 1.7 million people.

The Onion’s Instagram page.

On Instagram, The Onion shares thumbnails of pictures relating to the articles on their main website. The caption of the photo shortly explains what the article is about, accompanied by a separate comment which explains the article a little more, or contains a quote which expands on the story. Most comments on The Onion’s Instagram content are people tagging their friends by “@” ‘ing them.

An example of what The Onion posts on their Instagram page.

What The Onion could Fix

Although The Onion has spread its satire throughout multiple platforms, they seem stagnant when it comes to how they interact with their fans. There is practically no interaction between them and their audience.

When it comes to their YouTube channel, it seems like the audience prefers their articles instead of their broadcasts. Maybe if they made video content to accompany their articles on their main website (like many other news outlets), they could then post their video segments from their articles onto YouTube. Rather than making videos that have nothing to do with their articles, they should incorporate video into what they know people like.

Regarding their Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, I think The Onion could engage with their audience more. Replying or commenting on others’ comments would be beneficial, showing that they’re willing to connect with their followers. It would be beneficial to The Onion if it were to “retweet” other news companies’ content, comment on it, or even relate real news to their satire articles.

Social media presence doesn’t necessarily guarantee you a bigger following. If you take the time to engage with consumers and start conversation, people will feel like their experience is personalized and exciting.

Snapchat Filters: Fun Until it Isn’t

Snapchat is unlike any other app- it allows you to take pictures and short videos and share it with all of your friends (before it self destructs after a 24-hour period). It even allows you to add cute filters onto your face like dog ears and flower crowns.

However, in the midst of experimenting with different filters, Snapchat has gotten itself into some trouble over the years for being racist and sexist for their renditions of people in an attempt to honor them.

Bob Marley

In April of 2016, Snapchat made a filter that attempts to honor late reggae musician Bob Marley. This filter gave users a dark-tint face with dreadlocks and Rasta-colored head wear. Snapchat stated that the filter was designed in partnership with the Bob Marley Estate as a way to show their appreciation for his life accomplishments and music career.

The filter was made available on 4/20 (April 20th), an informal holiday that celebrates marijuana, which Marley used as a part of his Rastafarian religion. Marley’s legacy was reduced to being just a pot smoker on the day the filter was released.

The Bob Marley filter released by Snapchat on April 20th, 2016.

The Snapchat community became furious with the company’s use of blackface in their filter. Blackface originally comes from the 19th century, when black actors weren’t allowed to perform to white audiences. So, white performers would use paint or burnt cork to darken their skin. They used this makeup to exaggerate features and ridicule African Americans. Blackface was used to perpetuate stereotypes.

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If Snapchat wanted to honor him, they could have done it through the use of his accomplishments, such as the use of his songs.

Yellowface

Just four months after the Bob Marley incident, Snapchat uploaded another type of filter, one many considered to be a crude representation of yellowface, or Asian stereotyping. This filter included squinting eyes, chibi-like round face, blushing cheeks, and buck teeth. The filter was ultimately removed. It’s unclear if it was pulled because of the controversy, or if it was a one-day limited edition filter. Snapchat said that the filter was meant to be a playful take on anime characters, explaining that filters are meant to be playful and never to offend.

Twitter user Grace confronts Snapchat about its racist yellowface filter

Another outraged Twitter user named Grace Sparapani was outraged with the filter as well. In a direct Twitter message to USA Today, she states,

“Definitely gives the impression that Asian features (caricatured and taken to extremes) aren’t just available to be tried on, but encouraged to be mocked as well.”

There are plenty of more clear ways to portray anime characters rather than relying on Asian stereotypes. In fact, anime characters, for the most part, look a lot different than yellowface portrayals.

An example of many different types and kinds of anime styles

International Women’s Day

On March 8th, 2017, Snapchat released filters that were meant to represent iconic women in history, such as Frida Kahlo, Marie Curie, and Rosa Parks. Snapchat collaborated with the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self- Development and the Frida Kahlo Corporation in designing the animated filters.

While some users praised the filters for recognizing these women, others criticized them for altering their looks.

User Shannon Doleski showing excitement for Snapchat’s International Women’s Day filters

Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo was a female Mexican Artist, best known for her self portrait. For International Women’s Day, Frida’s filter gave users her recognizable look- a set of thick eyebrows, red lips, a flower headband, and an updo hairstyle. However, the filter appeared to lighten her skin, causing uproar of claims of whitewashing the artist.

The Frida Kahlo Snapchat filter was applied on top of the preexisting self- portrait, changing the original image to a lighter skin tone.

The Guardian came out with an article in which they applied the Frida filter onto the reference material- the self portrait. When it was applied, the filter lightened the artist’s skin. Author Julia Carrie Wong continued by stating,

“Kahlo, who was of mixed indigenous and European heritage, painted herself with brown skin and dark eyes. Much of her work engaged with indigenous themes and imagery.”- Julia Carrie Wong, The Guardian

Marie Curie

Marie Curie was a Nobel Prize winning French- Polish physicist. Her International Women’s Day filter consisted of multiple colored test tubes, bubbling beakers, and small explosions that resulted in scribbles of equations. To others, the most recognizable part about this filter was that “Marie” was shown with a thinner face, smoky eye shadow, and false lashes. Many users called out Snapchat, deeming the beauty features on Marie as being unnecessary.

 

Twitter user Katy St. Clair uploaded a photo of her using the Marie Curie filter and commented,

“Shoutout to @Snapchat for adding eyelashes to the Marie Curie filter. Forgot that’s what she was famous for. #InternationalWomensDay” -Katy St. Clair, (@Selfies_AndCats).

Katy St. Clair showing off Snapchat’s Marie Curie filter.

Rosa Parks

Although there was backlash for changing Frida and Marie’s appearances, there was even more backlash for NOT changing Rosa Park’s appearance in her filter. This Snapchat filter included Rosa’s hat, tied back hair, glasses, and a quote that said, “You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right”.

Twitter user Madison added a photo of herself in the Rosa Parks filter and stated,

“Weird that Snapchat didn’t feel the need to make Rosa Parks hot for #InternationalWomensDay.” – Madison M.K. (@4evrmalone)

Madison M.K. shows herself posing with the Rosa Parks filter for International Women’s  Day.

Although Snapchat got criticized for adding a darker skin tone to the Bob Marley filter, they got even more criticism for NOT adding anything to the Rosa Parks one. Naturally, users of different ethnicity used the filter to celebrate the event, which caused users to comment that Rosa Parks wasn’t white when Caucasian people used the filter.

It seems that no matter what Snapchat tries to do to incorporate different cultures and people, it always comes back to bite them in the butt, making them seem insensitive to people of color and women.

UCLA Professor Safiya Noble notices these issues that Snapchat keeps getting stuck in and stated,

“I think that technology companies really must take seriously hiring people with a deep knowledge of cultural studies, ethnic studies, sociology, women studies, fields that are deeply attuned to the histories of people of color, and people who have been marginalized in the United States in particular.”- Safiya Noble, UCLA

Ashley Loyd

Regardless of what Snapchat does to make everyone happy, there is nothing they could do against people misusing the platform.

Ashley Loyd taking a picture with a black face mask, using a Black History Month caption and banner.

Ashley Loyd of USC posted a Snapchat of her wearing a charcoal face mask while using a Black History Month filter that said, “Young, black, and proud”. People assumed she used the face mask as a blackface, making fun of African Americans and the event of Black History Month.

She wrote on Twitter,

“…for the record this was only a black face mask for your skin, not intentional coloring. However I understand”. -Ashley Loyd

Concluding Thoughts

Snapchat always comes out with filters, with many good intentions in mind. However, in reality, these don’t always work out- many inconsistencies and lack of culture knowledge leads to unintentional misrepresentation. But, even when Snapchat does get it right, people may use the platform inappropriately, and cause controversies on their own. But, even through the multiple controversies Snapchat has been involved in, they still come back strong with new filters that don’t offend anyone, and celebratory events that come in the form of a banner instead of a filter.

People still enjoy sending short snaps to their friends and playing around with what the platform has to offer, regardless of the company’s past.

Vent: A Supportive Online Community

We have so many different types of social media: some for work, some for play, and some for family. But, what about a social media platform to serve as a confessional- get things off your chest?

Vent is an app which allows you to join groups of common interests, make friends, help a brother out, and talk about anything that’s on your mind. By using multiple in-app features, one can connect to others and build an healthy online community.

Vent’s Purpose

According to Vent’s “Community Guidelines”, the app, “…strives to create a safe and supportive place where people, through feelings and shared experiences, help each other navigate through sometimes rough waters”.

Although an app like this may seem to be a magnet for constant complaining and trash- talking, Vent takes a notable outlook to sharing feelings online in that, “Your expression generates energy that may inspire others embarking on their own journey of self-discovery and happiness”. Although it’s expected to have some negative posting, Vent tries to focus on the positive, and that people have the potential to empower others through the use of words and mutual feelings.

Features such as “emotion sliders”, news feed tabs, groups, and virtual diaries help bring these ideas of self-expression and community across the platform.

“Emotion Slider” Gives More Expression to Your Status

Making a status on Vent is a little bit different than other social media platforms. You first choose an emotion from the “emotion slider”. It’s a quick and easy way to express yourself by selecting a feeling first and then writing a post based off of it.

These are just 4 examples of the different kinds of feelings you can choose on the “emotion slider”, including a seasonal one for Halloween:

When you’ve posted a status, people can either “favorite” it, comment on it, or interact with the post by selecting a rage of emotion buttons. This gives you a wider range of interacting with others than simply “liking” the post. For example, a post that I made tagged the “empty” emotion, because I was sad about medical news. Options to react to this “vent” included “HUG”, “YNA” (you’re not alone), and  “H4U” (here for you).

 

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Unique News Feed Makes it Easy to Communicate with Both Friends and Others

Unlike other apps, Vent is completely open. Although you can “follow” people to see their contact first, everyone’s account is inherently open to the public. Therefore, viewing content is a little bit different than a platform like Facebook. When looking at statuses, you have three tabs.

The first tab is called the “feed”.This is where all the people you follow post. The second one is called “latest”, which shows all new posts called “vents”, regardless of if you follow them or not. The third tab is called “groups”. In here, they have many different types of groups, from video games to depression support groups. You can’t post into the group unless you join it, but you can always view who posts in it. Once you subscribe to a group, it will automatically show up in your feed, along with the other people you follow.

“Groups” Build up Communities

These groups are very beneficial for those who want to be part of a tight-knit community. For example, I’m part of a video game group called “Animal Crossing”. This specific group acts more like a forum, where the players or “mayors” come to communicate, ask questions, and help provide answers and support. A feature of this game is that it connects to them, so you can invite people into your game or “town”. Each town comes with unique townsfolk, fruit, and different types of flowers, fish, bugs, you name it. A lot of the time, people use Vent to invite people into their town so they can play mini games together and trade different items. Ultimately, through the use of a small but tight-knit gaming group like this, users find people they can play games with and build friendships with them over time.

Homepage of the “Animal Crossing” group on Vent, including the newest posts made.

An example of how the “Animal Crossing” group members help each other out when a player asks how to make more “bells” (money) in the game.

Virtual Diary

In a social media platform open for everyone to view, sometimes it’s hard to keep your privacy. However, Vent has a unique approach to privacy on their app. Under your profile, there’s a “My Diary” tab right next to your “Feed”. Diaries act just like statuses- complete with an “emotion slider” and an area to type out your “vent”- except it’s set to private. These types of “vents” have a dedicated feed, meaning that it will only show up if you scroll over to the “My Diary” section. This was created to keep track of personal thoughts and feelings, without letting the whole world know. This is a great alternative to a paper diary, because, you know, there’s never a good enough hiding spot to guard it from prying eyes!

 

Vent’s Purpose Explained

Vent is designed to be a casual platform, where users use screen names or just first names to armor themselves against judgement- where no one really knows who you really are (unless you tell them).  Users then use their semi-anonymity to get things off their chest or to help others. You’re more willing to reach out to others without the fear of being denied or pushed away.  Because of this, Vent allows you to make different types of friends- ones that can keep you accountable and will be there to support you.

Final Thoughts

With many unique features designed to pull communities together, this app provides a safe and supportive community to those who don’t necessarily want to share feelings on other social media platforms. Many, including myself, feel vulnerable when trying to be personable online. In a virtual world where everyone’s “eyes are on you”, the pressure to appear calm and collected at all times can stack up. Vent allows you to really get things off your chest without fearing the judgement of others’, whether it be classmates, co-workers, or family members. Sometimes, all we really need is a little something (or someone) to vent to.

 

 

Twitter allows Celebrities to Communicate & Update their Fans

When you first wake up in the morning, you roll over, shut off your alarm, and automatically start scrolling through the newest updates; and if you’re an avid social media consumer, chances are that Twitter falls under your “must reads” before you get dressed in the morning.

From movie stars to politicians to your way-too-media-obsessed-dad, almost everyone has a Twitter.  It’s an easy way to get all your updates, facts and information- all in 140 characters or less.

These pint-sized posts make it easy for celebrities to effectively and quickly communicate with their fans, whether it be to update them on information, tease them on new upcoming events, or directly interact with them.

Company Owners & Beauty Influencers

Known previously as a famous MySpace personality, Jeffrey Steininger (now known as Jeffree Star) quickly became a musician and makeup artist. In the most recent years, however, he decided to focus on creating a makeup brand of his own, operating entirely online. Because of this online- only presence, customers rely on Twitter to get the most up-to-date releases.

Jeffree Star reveals an upcoming makeup bundle release via Twitter

 

Anything that is new, whether it be a YouTube video being uploaded or a price markdown on a product, is automatically posted in real-time via Twitter. People who follow Jeffree will then see these updates and can act on watching a video right away or going to his Jeffree Star Cosmetics website and indulging in some good sales.

However, Twitter’s function of “retweeting” someone makes it very easy to keep in contact with the community, making this platform a personal way to communicate with the people you follow.

Jeffree letting his fans and customers know that his brand will be available via Canadian store ZAZZ

For example, Jeffree supports other beauty influencers like Laura Lee and Manny MUA by collaborating his products with them, doing reviews on their products, or retweeting them. By reaching out to other markup artists, the Jeffree Star Cosmetics company is shown in good light, as well as showing that Jeffree values collaboration and co-existence in the seemingly overwhelming makeup world.

To go even further, Jeffree is known to retweet pictures of products that people have bought from him. Sometimes, the tweet could say something as simple as, “my products have finally arrived!” By simply retweeting what a customer had to say about you and your products, it shows that as an owner, he personally supports and acknowledges that people are proud with his service and brand. This retweet will then show up on his Twitter page. To some, being featured on the front of your Twitter page shows that the celebrity cares about what you have to say in such a way that they put your quote directly onto their account.

Jeffree Star retweeting one of his fans after they received one of his products.

 

YouTube Personalities

Although he has a smaller following than Jeffree Star, Michael Sundman, (known by his YouTube page Gaijin Goombah), keeps especially close contact with his fans, making them even more loyal. Michael’s channel discusses Japanese culture and mythology references within anime and video games. Many know of his presence from The Game Theorists channel, which he sometimes makes appearances on.

Michael uses his Twitter in various ways. For one, he uses it just like any other YouTuber, updating his fans immediately on new YouTube videos or new streams coming up.

Gaijin Goombah uses his Twitter to update his fans on upcoming videos- including live streams.

Michael likes to dig deeper into research for his channel and uses twitter to expand on his likes and thoughts outside of YouTube. This gives his fans an inside look on what types of videos he is going to put out in the future, along with the opportunity to go and learn about something new for themselves.

Gaijin Goombah letting his audience get a sneak peak of the research he’s doing for a new video.

Lastly, he uses his platform to keep in contact with his fans and support their ideas and thoughts, even if they’re just joking around!

For example, over time, the Gaijin Goombah avatar has evolved and became more detail-oriented. Given this, one Twitter user @_TrevorSpace_, designed a look for Gaijin Goomba’s avatar in the years to come, although it was just the Goombah head photoshopped onto a picture of a samurai.

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Being on the Other Side of Celebrity- Fan Interaction

Celebrities get thousands of tweets a day from their fans. It comes as a huge surprise if a celebrity even acknowledges you by either re-tweeting something you said, “liking” it, or even commenting on it. No matter how hard you try to tell yourself that it’s a meaningless interaction, you still tend to fangirl over it.

 

A couple of weeks ago I stumbled onto a YouTube channel called CZsWorld, lead by Zac Morris who’s an indie horror film maker, and  who also posts videos discussing other movies in the horror community. After watching a video of his, I realized that he was wearing a shirt of a fairly unknown band that I liked called The Venetia Fair.

I ended up sending a Tweet out to him talking about it since no one really caught onto it in the comments section on YouTube. Almost automatically, I got a response back!

Personal experience communicating to YouTube personalities via Twitter.

As a fan, if you have that casual interaction, the bond between the two gets stronger. For a celebrity, or in this case, an indie director, getting this loyalty is crucial for his success. Ever since I have gotten a response back from CZsWorld talking about small bands that we both like,  I have become an avid consumer of his videos.

Final Thoughts

Although YouTube has the upper hand in being able to visually see the celebrities you follow, Twitter interactions allow those personalities to inform fans in a way YouTube can’t- instantly.

These real-time posts quickly let fans know what’s going on at all times, and for hardcore fans, this immediate platform is essential to their fan-base.

The ability to “retweet” and quickly “like” a post made by fans gives a jolt of excitement i to those followers, making them feel important and keeping them loyal and excited to be following a celebrity.

Twitter helps the fanbase stay excited. This excitement then leads to more views, bigger fan-base, or even, in Jeffree Star’s case, more customers.

YouTube Popularity: Not as Bad as You Think!

YouTube personalities use their popular presence to give back to the community. These stars have all started off  as everyday people- whether playing video games for others’ enjoyment, or educating people on nail art.

Some stars have even used their YouTube popularity to bring their fans onto other platforms, like the livestream service Twitch, to do some pretty incredible things.

Gamers

The gamers and “let’s players” of YouTube are known to dedicate their time to a lot of charity work.

YouTuber Mark Fischbach (Markiplier) is known for doing livestreams for charity on Twitch, where they play games in real time and are able to communicate with fans who comment and donate. With whopping number of 18,458,531 subscribers, why would someone want to move their platform? Sure, not everyone will follow. In fact, you can go live on YouTube as well! The appeal of Twitch is that people can donate right on the spot via PayPal. This platform is critical for charity live streams.

According to Markiplier’s Wikipedia , he has raised money for fourteen different charities over the span of four years- his first being a charity for Living Beyond Breast Cancer in 2012, raising $3,720.19, while he played Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Paranormal, and Slender: The Eight Pages. As he got more popular, so did his charity streams. In September and February of 2016, a livestream for Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance ended up raising $276,000, as he spent over eight hours playing Kerbal Space Program on Twitch.

Markiplier attending a charity livestream on Twitch

Sometimes, Markiplier will even team up with other YouTubers and close friends such as  Wade, Bob, and Ken to bring in more entertainment value and a different crowd of people.

However, not all charities are done via livestreaming. Sometimes, Markiplier and other bring it back to where it all started: YouTube. Markiplier dyed his hair pink after reaching a certain charity milestone and even came out with limited time “Markiplier’s Heroes” shirts. Proceedings from those sales would go to a charity of choice (depending on what year and time he did them).

A model shows off an example of one of “Markiplier’s Heroes” charity shirts, each with a supporting YouTuber pasted on the front.

So far, Markiplier, along with the help of his close friends, YouTubers, and the public, raised a total of $1,118,645.14

YouTuber Markiplier ecstatically presenting a charity check for the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

Beauty Gurus

Although gamers take the biggest chunk out of YouTubers who donate, other YouTubers in the beauty community have hopped on the “hype train” and started raising money for charities and non-profit organizations of their own.

A lesser- known personality, Cristine Rotenberg (Simply Nailogical), is a Canadian YouTuber. She gained popularity from her Polish Mountain video, where she puts on over 100 layers of nail polish on. Although she does a bunch of nail art, she’s best known for her funny and wild personality, along with her obsession ‘Holo’ (anything holographic).

Cristine’s most popular video, where she spends twelve hours putting over 100 layers of nailpolish on top of one another.

With a following of 4,397,348, Cristine has now put herself on the YouTube map. In May of this year, Simply Nailogical sold limited edition merchandise with cartoon-ized pictures of her cats on it and donated the proceedings to her local animal shelter.

Cristine poses in two limited- time cat shirts which were sold for charity.

So far, this has been Cristine’s only charity event. By selling customizable cat shirts and hoodies, Simply Nailogical successfully raised and donated $25,000. For a one-man job, Cristine’s charity effort has been exceptionally impressive.

Cristine and boyfriend Ben stand with OHS’s Bruce Roney as they present a $25,000 donation.

Why do YouTubers Care about Charity?

Some may argue that YouTubers do charity streams and merch donations for the sake of good press and more views. However, for these two YouTubers, that’s not exactly the case.

Amongst the multiple charities Mark Fischbach has been a part of, some of them hit close to home for him, especially the donations involving cancer and depression.

In his Draw My Life video, Markiplier opens up about his past and shares that when he was in high school, his father fell ill to cancer. Although Mark didn’t specify which kind, his father ultimately met with a premature death.

Young Mark Fischbach poses with his late father

 

A couple of years after the Draw My Life video came out, Mark stopped uploading videos for a short amount of time. Finally, he uploaded a video simply titled: Lost a Friend. In this video, he talks about a very close friend from the Cyndago YouTube channel. He reveals that one of the channel’s personalities, Daniel Kyre, died from a suicide attempt earlier that week, and that he needed to take a little time off from YouTube. Since then, Cyndago stopped making videos all together, as they felt it wouldn’t be the same without Daniel. However, Mark got back on his feet and continues to make videos till this day.

Markiplier (on right) poses with close friend Daniel (on left)

On the other hand, Simply Nailogical’s donation hit close to home in a different way. All of her charity proceedings that went to Ottawa Humane Society was in an effort to keep the shelter thriving. In her GIVING $25,000 TO CHARITY! video, she reveals that she got her own cat Menchie from that same shelter. Although she has another cat named Zyler, Menchie is her channel’s main mascot. Many animals need a home, and Cristine’s previous adoption has made her feel strongly about giving pets a second chance.

Simply Nailogical’s two pet cats and channel mascots.

If it weren’t for YouTube’s user-friendly platform and diverse community, these every-day people may have not gained popularity. Their presence on YouTube has given them an opportunity to do what they want with their channel, and in some cases, “doing what they want” means: “give back to the community and help donate to causes that they believe in”.

Facebook Ads: Helpful or Hindering?

Although Facebook initially caters to one’s demographic, interests, and buying patterns, its similar/suggested advertised items have potential to become a misinterpretation, causing a flaw in the generated system.

Age & Social Positioning

When one creates a Facebook page, it’s the norm to fill out an “about” section. This includes work, schooling, places you lived, contact info, your birthday, etc.

In my Facebook “about” section, the schooling section says that I’m currently attending Bloomsburg University. Seems pretty harmless, right? I always thought that the schooling section was meant to help connect you to other people in your university. But, there’s more to that.

This section on my profile tells Facebook my where I live and where I attend school.

When the beginning of a new semester comes around, I notice that my ads start to change. More college ads tend to come up- including ads to transfer to other colleges. How did they know that I’m already enrolled in college?

Because I indirectly told them.

Elmira College advertising a transfer program.

Facebook knows that they can’t just send out college ads to everyone. For example, older people aren’t necessarily going to click on this ad about Elmira College. Facebook sends out ads to niche markets; the people who are more inclined to click on the ad and be more interested in them.

Interests and Catered Ads

Catered ads allows Facebook to push certain company ads and posts into your ‘News Feed’ based on your interests and page ‘likes’.

For example, I ‘liked’ the Bloomsburg University Facebook page. The page keeps me updated on campus events and opportunities in the field.

But, since I “liked” them, Facebook pushes Bloomsburg posts and ads closer to the top of my News Feed, especially because they know I go there.

For example, I saw an ad about the student government and athletics department launching a relief effort for Hurricane Harvey. From here, they provided an article, which urges people to donate to their efforts.

Bloomsburg University advertises the students’ #Huskies4Houston program, providing relief for the victims of Hurricane Harvey.

Although the university gets no money from the donations, it still puts Bloomsburg in good light and provides the local community with a sense of pride.

Buying Patterns & Suggested Items

Now, here’s where there can be flaws in your “catered” advertisements.

It was Halloween time, and I wanted to dress up as one of my favorite video game characters: (a female version of) Corvo Attano from Dishonored. So, I went onto Amazon and bought a corset. Once again, harmless, right? No.

After I bought it, I started seeing some very suggestive ads on my Facebook. I kept thinking to myself, “why would I see this? I never buy that stuff”! These included items like lingerie, handcuffs, and adult toys.

Well, apparently buying a corset automatically puts you into a mature audience for ad suggestions. It took me months of buying new things on Amazon to change my suggestions! I was nervous to go onto Facebook in public, just in case one of those ads popped up. For me, Facebook is a family website where I keep in contact with my relatives scattered across the United States. By default, I wanted to keep my Facebook PG.

After this, I realized that Facebook will take whatever you buy on other websites, and make similar ads for that item (even if you don’t like it!). If you buy one item, you’re “bound” to buy other items like it.

At first, these suggestions prove harmless, as they are just trying to match you up with items you’re already interested in, and provide ads that fit to your demographic. However, these similar suggestions may go astray, catering to a more broad interest. My catered interest of corsets was then matched up with a broader interest of adult bedroom accessories.

The Future of Facebook Ads

Angela Moscaritolo, a writer for PC Magazine, wrote an article about the future of Facebook Ads; they’re not going to end. In fact, they are going to expand to other Facebook platforms.

What does that mean?

In Australia and Thailand, Facebook has been testing the use of ads through Facebook Messenger, and they’re not going to stop there. Facebook is working on releasing this worldwide.

Angela links the readers to Facebook’s blog post, which explains that they offer global businesses a chance to “…use Facebook targeting to extend their reach to people in Messenger.”

An example of what ads will look like on Facebook Messenger

However, this isn’t as “evil” as people may think. This change in advertisement may prove beneficial not only to big corporations, but also to small businesses.

In December of 2015, a blogger and small businesswoman Amanda Rose wrote an article regarding her experiences in advertising with Facebook.

Although she initially hated the fact that a social media platform charged to share ads to a small business, she realized that Facebook allows her to reach out to potential customers whom have interests in her work.

She explains, ” I don’t have to have a huge advertising budget to advertise on Facebook. If I only have $10 to spare, than [sic] I can run an effective ad for just $10 and still get plenty of leads out of it!”

Adding advertisements to Messenger will most likely annoy the majority of Messenger users, but this adds another platform for small businesses like Amanda Rose’s to reach out to potential customers.

Final Thoughts

Although I personally had bad experiences with Facebook ads, I know that ads are a necessary evil on platforms like Facebook. It keeps facebook alive. After all, Facebook is a business. It needs to make money, too.

But you can’t discount Facebook’s efforts to catering ads towards your liking. Is it perfect? No! But, it allows smaller businesses a chance to reach out and grab at a potential market, a chance to personalize someone’s buying experience.