Paying the Toll for Social Media

Social media platforms and apps have become more and more savvy in the ways of mechanisms regarding advertisement and sponsorships. Many of these platforms make their money via sponsorships being paid for by accounts. Even personal accounts can now pay for increased engagement these platforms. As users, this effects how we receive the content, and often leaves us paying for social media with our eyes. Throughout the course of a January day, I monitored what I traded for my social media content. Was it worth it?

Instagram: Native Advertising

The way in which I use Instagram is more transactional than social on a day-to-day basis. The use of Instagram seems to have declined in my demographic in the past year or so, and my news feed is increasingly filled with commercial accounts rather than friends’ posts. While this is useful for creative inspiration, I no longer feel I am ‘keeping up with friends’ by using Instagram.

While scrolling, an obvious yet divisive form of labour on Instagram was through the sponsored posts. The mechanism of ‘native advertising‘ on Instagram through sponsored content, gifting, paid partnerships and more is subtle yet effective and feels laborious as the user. It feels harder than ever to decipher what is and is not authentic content. On my news feed, I found myself through the day hurriedly scrolling past what looked like advertising, and this blurred aspect of authenticity on Instagram was off-putting. I find that the labour I performed via viewing myriad sponsored content was not rewarded as the advertising was endless from post to post.

YouTube: Commercial Breaks

I enjoy Youtube for keeping up with multiple creators I subscribe to and use the app on my phone or website often. When watching my first video that evening, I was met immediately with two advertisements that were unavoidable to proceed to the video. YouTube run adverts on successful videos and channels regardless of whether the content creator is part of their YouTube Partner Program and despite whether the creator wants advertisement or not. If the creator is part of the program, they will receive revenue.

As a viewer, I find that the labour I perform to use YouTube is straightforward for most videos. I pay with my time and eyes to watch a video after advertisement has ended.

However, YouTube additionally use a paid promotion mechanism for content creators who partake in product placement and partnerships with external brands for revenue. I came across this when watching a favourite channel Wild We Roam‘s video.

At point of view of the consumer, this personally depends on the promotion itself, and feels like a small price to pay in order to support the content creators for the work they produce. The content feels like an adequate reward for mere seconds of product placement.

Social media is not free. This is no secret. While the app may be free to download, users cannot escape ‘paying the toll’ to view and post on platforms with their eyes, time, and impressions. Only when the content is of quality worth waiting for would I feel adequately rewarded and moving forward this encourages my social media use to be much more selective in order to get as well as give.