Spreadability

Spreadability

The concept of spreadable media rests on the distinction between the spread of media content and the circulation where content expands to various users across various global platforms-- Facebook, Twitter, ABC News, Washington Post, etc. This sensational wave that travels across media platforms is a direct result of people deciding to take the content into their own hands and share it with their social network accounts for others to view. As described by Jenkins, spreadability "refers to the technical resources that make it easier to circulate kinds of content than others... that appeal to a community's motivation for sharing material". The widespread circulation of media content through the individual's conscious actions leads to create a greater visibility and awareness as the content travels in every and any direction imaginable, and encounters other individuals who are interested in the contents where they then choose to share it (repeating a rapid process similar to that of a wildfire, only a metaphorical flame that shoots through the internet). YouTube videos and articles posted onto Twitter walls spread simply because of a conscious decision from the users that let them circulate, and ultimately reach every corner of the world through laptops, cell phones, and even televisions themselves. Internet tools such as YouTube videos and shareable news articles spread well because it allows users to embed the content directly on their personal blogs, Facebook profiles, and Twitter feeds. At the same time, the embedded videos interface makes it easy for a follower to direct it back to its original context, which is essentially content that is designed to be spread. 

But this is where the spreadability concept can get tricky because technically, anything can be shared. It only takes a few clicks of a button. Yet, not everything is as spreadable on a worldwide scale because before spreading any content, people must face several decisions: Is the content worth sharing? Is it only interesting for a specific person or for a mass? Does it say something about my identity, does it tell something about me? Should I share this? Is there a message behind it that is important? The list can go on and on, and with some content, all of those questions can be answered and boom, the content is shared. And shared. And shared. This allows the content to gain a wider frame and an even larger audience than before. 

A prominent example of what this concept of spreadability means, is the example of the yodeling, bow-tie wearing, boot-clad boy in Walmart. The video of Mason Ramsey standing in an Illionois Walmart yodeling Hank Williams went viral the very moment it was uploaded onto Twitter. Then, like magic, the internet did it's thing and somehow, in the blink of an eye, the boy was everywhere. 

The case of the yodeling boy was practically a checklist for everything that spreadable media needs in order to expand across media platforms. After the video was posted, it went through the social media community like wildfire, being the sole target of a large range of ongoing conversations to wherever and whatever he was relevant to. 

He was featured on Ellen because all the parents absolutely loved his pure innocence radiating from that getup. He was shared on fashion blogs commending his unique style for someone so young. The boy was shared on music pages as people took turns remixing his spontaneous Walmart jam session and turning it into something with an outrageous amount of bass and dubstep. These songs got so much attention that he was even offered a spot at the following years Coachella where he was seen with celebrities such as Justin Bieber. 

Mason Ramsey was, quite literally, breaking the internet when he made her debut. As a direct effect of his unique performance, the YouTube video of his Walmart solo session had been (and continues to be) shared by millions of people that has a current staggering view count of over 65 million views on one video alone. 

This spreadability of content is something that is quite easy to do in today's collection of media platforms. Another aspect of the power of spreadability is how ners story are cultivated through various sources and are inserted into conversations and threads that range across different communities in alternating media platforms. Nowadays, it seems like there's always a latest story of something that President Trump has tweeted and no matter where you go, the shared content is there to remind you that it is what everyone is viewing and sharing. Spreadability isn't solely bound to the political and entertaining world (even though it seems the two like to blend on more days than not). The key in spreadability content is that it is more effective when there are diverse concepts being dealt with as it leaves the ability for more individuals to connect with what is being shared and furthermore allows its audience to capture the value and continue on the never ending rate of circulation amongst social media accounts. Spreadability, in effect, can be quite the powerful tool when you think about it.