Opinion

MARTIN: Do anything for clout: Society’s obsession with going viral

De'Vante Martin is a freshman mass communication major from St. Joseph, La.

Social media has made the world obsessed with going viral. We are constantly checking our phones for the newest waves. 

Many studies on millennials and Generation Z babies show that we’re so unhappy because of the lack of likes we receive on social media. 

We’re the first generation to grow up in the Digital Age, so there are a lot of experiments to be done for centuries to come.

We all want our stories to be watched and the media to be liked. Our posts are consistently pushed to be viral. It’s to the point where our peers have this sick obsession with going viral, and they post the most careless things ever. 

The rise of insensitivity and ignorance has been a direct effect of clout chasing. Many people want to be seen, but their social media page doesn’t have the following they like so they say things out of care.

 In a recent interview, Dwyane Wade supported his second son’s new gender identity. I noticed on Twitter that it sparked plenty of insensitive comments made about Wade and his son. One Twitter user was quoted as saying “Wade is a closet bisexual.” Obviously, this tweet got a lot of heat but also it got clicks and likes.

 The person who posted the tweet had only 600 followers but got over 2,000 likes. The female user also came back and commented on her post saying “y’all still mad at this,” showing her insensitivity to the situation even more.

There are many instances of people not having awareness of touchy situations. The recent passing of Kobe Bryant caused a huge shake up across the whole world. Many NBA players were mourning, and it was visible on the court. 

Most of Twitter made sure to not use any pictures or videos as memes. I say most because all didn’t apply. One male still used a video of LeBron James mourning to his advantage to try and get a laugh. I understand what he was trying to do but it was not the right time at all.

Simply put, social media clout chasing is real. It’s literally the main and maybe the only problem with social media altogether. 

I understand everyone wants attention, but all attention is not good attention. Especially if it’s making you look bad.