Social media have the power to perpetuate hegemony in our society. Social platforms such as Instagram and Twitter are able to influence our perception of reality. In this day in age, we are constantly bombarded with images of what the “ideal” body type, relationship, and even life are supposed to be. The Italian Marxist theorist and politician, Antonio Gramsci’s theory of ideological hegemony states that mass media can be used by the “ruling elite” to “perpetuate their power, wealth and status [by popularizing] their own philosophy, culture, and morality.” There are countless examples of politicians and celebrities who have used social media in both positive and negative ways in order to gain publicity. In my experience, these influential people on social media that have encouraged me to stay healthy and fit.
Amen. 👏🙌🙌 https://t.co/dLB9o2rXwh https://t.co/yMCVx6QZtA pic.twitter.com/JhcsoKnUzP
— Kayla Itsines (@kayla_itsines) January 27, 2017
This 28 Day Reset friendly! I just wrote a blog post w/ the entire recipe! Make it like, NOW. https://t.co/n3h4d0Pv7g pic.twitter.com/Dh3RDL1iBp
— ❤ Cassey Ho ❤ (@blogilates) January 18, 2017
Without these daily tweets and Instagram posts, I would not be as driven to exercise and eat healthy. These prominent individuals in health and fitness motivate millions of people to be the best they can be. Therefore, as future entrants into the communications industry, we have to be aware of how the content we deliver to consumers are represented. It is necessary for us to be mindful of how the messages conveyed in social media perpetuate hegemony. Those who have great influence on social media need to use these platforms in order to benefit society. In this way, we will be able to slowly change how individuals negatively view themselves and others they perceive to be different from them.