In week 5, the topic of this lesson is going to be viral marketing, on why ideas spread, specifically through social media. Living in 2019, where social medias and technologies are heavily used in our everyday lives, people around the world has been increasingly outspoken and more openly sharing their thoughts, opinions, and even their lives, on almost everything and anything. 

More than 2.56 billion social media users exist today. 
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT???

Facebook’s viral #10YearChallenge

Today, I will be blogging on Facebook’s viral #10YearChallenge. Since 2019 kicked off, a trend started where people posted photos/images of themselves that  were 10 years apart. People posted diptych photos of themselves, and placed both photos side by side for comparisons. These posts where typically posted on Facebook and Instagram. Once lots of people are doing something, more and more people often jumps on the bandwagon to be part of the group.

This challenge got so viral that there was a #10YearChallenge from our very own Singapore’s Prime minister Mr Lee Hsien Loong who partaken in it too!

Other politicians have also joined in, such as Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam posting the challenge on his Facebook page.

Why has this particular trend of posting then-and-now photos of a person aging so popular when one doesn’t get any incentives at all?  

Isn’t social media a place where everyone only posts the “best photos “ of themselves?

Well, If you ask me, I feel that there’s a huge reason and motivation behind it. People will get the opportunity to show off and brag about themselves. They are able to put out their photos of 10 years difference and show a huge amount of audiences that they haven’t changed at all even after 10 years, still looking ever so youthful and good or; how much they have improved and ‘evolved’ over the years, into an even better and more attractive version of themselves. Looking good in other’s eyes or desire for social approval is a fundamental human motivation where people tend to share things that make them look and feel good about themselves. I’m sure any of you reading this right now agrees with me !

But why this particular challenge and not something else in the first place?? 

Was The Facebook '10 Year Challenge' A Way To Mine Data For Facial Recognition AI?

Which one(s) of these 6 STEPPS by Jonah Berger do you think is most present in this viral challenge?

Personally, I feel that there is social currency, emotions, practical value and public.

 Social currency makes a person look better in social eyes. The fact that people participate and share their own #10YearChallenge gives them satisfaction. As mentioned above, people tend to share and brag about something to make themselves feel good, and look good. 

As for 'Emotions', people tend to jump onto the bandwagon of sharing their very own #10YearsChallenge on their social media ,after seeing an increasing amount of people constantly sharing their own. Posting photos of 10 years ago is a reminiscent of the past as well, evoking emotions and bittersweet memories. Furthermore,  it is as simple as placing 2 diptych photos side by side. The 10 years challenge has definitely inspired and motivated more and more people to create their own. 

As for 'Practical Value' , this challenge is extremely straightforward, simple and quick for anyone and everyone to create their own and share it on their social medias. Also, this #10YearsChallenge is very relevant to many social media users, as they are of the sufficient age to be able to share their own photos, and pass the 'challenge' on.

Lastly, as for 'Public' : Monkey See, Monkey Do', which is very much self-explanatory don't you think so too? 🤨The more public something is, the more likely people will imitate, furthermore, this #10YearsChallenge has even spreaded to even Instagram and Twitter.

WHICH ONE(S) OF BERGER'S 6 STEPPS DO YOU GUYS THINK IS PRESENT IN THIS VIRAL #10YEARS CHALLENGE?  

sources:
Zhuo, T. (2019, January 18). PM Lee Hsien Loong takes viral #10YearChallenge. Retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/prime-minister-lee-hsien-loong-takes-viral-10yearchallenge