Reconstructing Messages For Social Media Platforms
Social media is an overwhelming force in today’s society that permeates all facets of our lives. It has the power to connect individuals from all corners of the earth through meaningful interactions. Over the past decade, social media has become deeply ingrained in American society and will continue to grow even stronger as years progress, and public figures are an incredibly prominent subset of that culture. With social media’s growing presence, the number of platforms has increased significantly, and the ways in which we connect with one another have changed with it.
Celebrities, who use their platforms to connect some of the largest audiences, know these nuances best. Shane Dawson is an American YouTube sensation who has been one of the most successful and recognized independent video creators since his start in 2008. “He is a comedic actor, author, singer, songwriter, podcaster and film director”. Over the years, he has acquired just under 20 million subscribers and billions of views. Although YouTube is where Dawson gained his notoriety, he is also very active on other social media platforms, specifically Twitter. Through his tweets, Dawson embodies a candid and stripped-down persona, interacting directly with his fans. Comparatively, on YouTube, Dawson is faced with increased censorship and focuses primarily on documentary-style video series where he uses a more serious, investigative, and abridged tone with his audience. Dawson’s YouTube Presence From the start, Dawson wanted to be an entertainer, but after an unsuccessful start in the industry, he decided to utilize YouTube as his own television channel.
Dawson’s style is entertaining and dramatic, with a mission to put on a show for his audience. Past video titles include, “BLIND GIRL DRIVES MY CAR” and “24 HOURS OVERNIGHT IN A HAUNTED HOTEL”. Dawson’s most recent project is a “series on some of YouTube’s most divisive figures such as: Tana Mongeau, Jeffree Star and, now, Jake Paul”. His ability to stay ahead of the curve is one of the main reasons why he has been able to amass such an immense following over the past 10 years. “He has spearheaded an entirely new genre of video on YouTube that somehow makes it feel fresh all over again. It feels like new era of entertainment, echoing the past, and kicking off a trend that everyone will soon be replicating”. He recently began an investigative documentary-style series that delves deep into the lives of controversial social media influencers. ). This style forces Dawson to conceal a lot of his personal commentary, and thus personality, to focus more on the story.
Moreover, in the past, Dawson has struggled with YouTube’s monetization policies, as his content often clashed with guidelines. “YouTube refuses to support or foster his career… and It’s a confusing move on YouTube’s behalf, especially because Dawson’s last series on scandal-king-meets-makeup-guru Jeffree Star has averaged 11 million views per video”. Since Dawson has been forced into a creative box with how his personality is displayed on screen, he turns to Twitter to exude his genuine self. As a result, Dawson’s loyal followers, in order to connect with him on a more personal level, flock to his Twitter account. Dawson’s Twitter Presence Considering the fact that Dawson’s YouTube channel is so systematically structured, he utilizes his Twitter account as a platform to interact with his fans on a deeper, more interpersonal level. On Twitter, Dawson engages in discourse with fans, discusses his upcoming projects, responds to criticism, and displays his true, candid personality with his 6. 95 million followers.
Being that a large percentage of Dawson’s Twitter following consists of his YouTube community, it is beneficial for them to have a place to return to and hear from the man behind the videos that they have loved and supported for years. Whether he’s answering their questions, responding to jokes, or displaying fan art, Twitter is the platform that Dawson uses to connect with his fans and make them feel significant within his mass following. While YouTube is the platform for Dawson to fulfill his creative desire to create captivating content, Twitter is the place for Dawson to grow and connect with his supporters.
Conclusion
Ultimately, while Dawson utilizes YouTube to create television show-style content for a mass audience, he uses Twitter as a tool to disclose his genuine nature and get in touch with a community looking for more informal content. Dawson has been able to grow a significant audience on multiple platforms because he, like many social media influencers, understands the importance of publishing platform-specific content to tell multiple types of stories to their audiences in an engaging, meaningful way.
