When I was growing up children had aspirations of being rockstars, professional athletes, or firemen. Now it seems that the main goal for the youngin’s is to make it big on apps like YouTube or the newly popular TikTok. It appears that chasing fame and going viral has replaced the desires of my generation and are here to stay, and it all starts with our favorite funny cat videos.
What in the world is Virality?
First you may ask, “What does it mean to go viral?” Virality is when a video or picture blows up on the internet and becomes flooded with likes, views, and comments in a short period of time. With social media and the increasingly accessible internet, it is easier to go viral these days then you think. An article on https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/what-does-it-mean-to-go-viral states “Viral videos can turn people into Internet celebrities overnight. Can you imagine waking up tomorrow and learning that millions of people know your name? For some, that’s a dream come true. Others like to keep their lives a little more private.”
How going viral is helpful in my profession:
While some would rather not have their life on the internet for everyone to see, for a profession like sports reporting and media broadcasting which I am interested in virality is your best friend. If you become internet famous it is a lot easier for you to get air time, jobs, and become a public figure so you can gain a following.
If you would like to learn more about virality, Kevin Alloca has a very informational Ted Talk where he explains why videos go viral. Here is the link! 🙂 https://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_allocca_why_videos_go_viral?language=en
Works Cited:
Allocca, Kevin. “Why Videos Go Viral.” TED, Ted Talk, http://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_allocca_why_videos_go_viral?language=en.
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