It's Addictive
Social media apps are 'deliberately' addictive to users
How do you compete against something that is deliberately addictive? Does Public Media stand a chance when the deck is stacked?
In programming sessions we used to talk about how we had just seconds to draw in the listener before they would tune away. Once the audience is drawn into Social Media, they may never come back. A recent Pew study found that 45% of teens admit to face time with their screens all the time.
As an instructor I talk with teens about their media use. Most of them never listen to the radio. As Social Media addicts looking for the instant gratification of the like button, they haven't got time, and Public Radio isn't nearly as exciting.
Among adults, 59% say it would not be hard to give up Social Media, but that comment seems to be contradicted by the study published by the BBC. Indeed, among adults who grew up with Social Media, Millennials 18 to 24, 51% admit that it would be hard to give up social media.
Social Media companies are using color, sounds and unexpected rewards to drive compulsive behavior. A Social Media developer quoted in the article said quitting is a lot like trying to quit cigarettes, he went through withdrawal. I don't think anybody has said that about Public Media. Of course, we often talk about the news junkie during fundraisers. What happens if Social Media has a stronger allure?
Endless Scroll
Why is this so different? Listeners used to tune out all the time. If they were loyal to Public Media, they would always come back. One of the advantages of the of the newer technologies is the endless scroll. Users can thumb through an endless scroll of content. Public Media is just one of an almost endless stream of content. That's a shift from when we were a high quality choice among a few options. The competition is fierce, and the likelihood that we may never be seen or heard is increasing.
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