Generation Like and The Hunger Games

How powerful is the connection between the effect of social media and the structure of the Hunger Games?

I will try to answer this question even though I believe it requires an Extended Essay to be explored thoroughly. 

 

In the documentary 'Generation Like' we saw that information on what we liked, retweeted, reblogged or shared on social media sites, i.e. our preferences, are sold to corporations who use this information to market their products. The main problem that was raised in this documentary was how social media - something we believe to be spontaneous and organic - is actually controlled with the help of statistics on our past choices. 

 

The parallels that the documentary draws between the Hunger Games and social media are these: that both require sponsors to survive; that to get sponsors one must be 'liked' (great coincidence of terminology there!) and that the Gamemakers control everything in the Arena. 

 

Given the situation the documentary has set up we could assume that the kids on social media sites are the Tributes, who will fight in the Games to the death or desperately try to get views. In the documentary itself, the way Youtubers helped each other through collaborations is mentioned, so the concept of fighting each other may not really apply in this context. We should note that Youtubers who do these "collabs", however, are quite successful. The mutual helping may not apply as much to Youtubers who are still struggling to get their name out to sponsors and to be known. And just like how contestants put on a show to win favor with sponsors in the Games, some Youtubers are forsaking their original message to create viral and racy content all for likes. 

 

Despite the fact the 'participants' may work together more often, there is still an uncanny resemblance between the Gamemakers and the corporations that market to us. In the Hunger Games, tracking devices are implanted into the arms of contestants before beginning, much like how a lot of personal information about our likes and dislikes is being sold and tracked by companies for trends. The Gamemakers can also control any part of the Arena, resembling how companies create meticulously planned marketing campaigns to sell things with games, contests etc. to get the results they want from us. 

 

The general effect of social media in this context is an environment where everyone is 'famous' in their own way and posts their identities online. This is good for corporations, and it makes these kids feel like they are controlling their own culture when in may not always be this way. Just like Katniss and Peeta's final act of resistance in the 74th Hunger Games, however, the magic of going viral and gaining like cannot always be replicated and we (the purveyors of internet culture) still have a say in what we like/dislike.

Through this all, however, we must realize that social media is a choice. It is not mandatory, so you do not have to 'sell' your identity to a corporation. Or you could just not 'like' anything and use social media purely for communication. There are other options available. 

 

While I believe the Hunger Games is a greatly exaggerated version of the effects of social media, it presents some interesting parallels to consider and explore. It's also easier to see the large picture and make connections when we have a structure (Hunger Games) that we're looking at externally to graft our situation on.