Spreadability and More Theories!!

 HELLO EVERYBODY!!!! I'm back with another installment of what I've learned in my social media class!! I did not think that I would want to post again so soon, but I figured I would give you guys two updates this week. I'm not sure how often this is going to happen or if it's going to happen again, but I thought it would be nice. Anyways, in this post I will talk about what hermeneutics is and explain four different theories about it. I will also include a section on the spreadability of content on the internet. Ok time for me to stop stalling and start explaining because that is what you're really here for. Isn't it? 

Along with last week's post about the four theories on relationships, we also talked about hermeneutics and the four theories that accompany it. Hermeneutics is the way we think about and practice interpretation. But the theorist that connects this blog post about hermeneutics and my last blog post about relationship theories is Gadamer. Gadamer's theory explains that all parties have to come to an agreement about the way things are to be interpreted. The other three theorists that have different theories about hermeneutics are Husserl, Riffaterre, and Bateson. Husserl explains that people have to section off parts of their life to only focus on and understand one part. Riffaterre believes that with everything someone does, something will pull them out of the moment and remind them of reality. Finally, Bateson thinks that people are able to be in the moment while understanding the reality around them. I found these four theories very interesting because I never thought about any of this when I am interpreting things. Because of discussing these different theories, I started to think about them and which one I applied to my life.

When thinking about how I could apply these different theories to my life and how I normally interpret things, I felt like I was trying to figure out which theory I felt matched how I felt about how relationships are built. If you guys remember my last blog post, I told you guys how I struggled with matching which theory went with how I made relationships. I ultimately was able to choose one theory that I felt was right based on most of the relationships I made. But if I had to only choose one theory this time, I would not be able to do that. I realized that I used different theories at different times. It also depends on what I am interpreting. The theory that I think I use more often is Gadamer's theory. I always make sure that me and the other people I am with. If I was dealing with something a lot more serious, I would use Husserl's theory and section off certain things to deal with the more important issue. I often find myself getting lost in a good book, TV show, or a movie, until something happens or I get distracted that I get pulled back into reality. So, when I am engrossed in media like that, I see myself in Riffaterre's theory.  When I am playing games with my friends or with the kids I work with, I see myself in Bateson's theory. I always get into the games that we play, but I have to keep in mind that it is a game to make sure that nobody gets hurt or starts an extreme argument.

Something new we began talking about was the spreadability of internet content. What I mean by spreadability are the things that make people want to share the content of the post. Spreadability is very important in today's society. It can help advertise projects and keep content relevant even when it has been released for a while. The spreadability of content will also show producers and writers of the content what the audience wants to see and inform them on how they can improve their content. Some of the strategies that could help the spreadability of content are: available when and where audiences want it, portable, easily reusable in a variety of ways, relevant to multiple audiences, and part of a steady stream of material. While it is difficult to come up with the best new ideas that people will want to share, there are seven choices that are normally used because they tend to follow the previous strategies. These seven choices are: shared fantasies, humor, parody and references, unfinished content, mystery, timely controversy, and rumors.

This unit felt like it went by so fast! Where did the time go? I thought it was really interesting to learn more about different theories and why some of the most popular content is so popular. I'm excited to see what the next unit has in store for me and what I'll learn!

I'll see you guys next time!