Abstract

The introduction of online networks has significantly impacted commercially and politically to the point that some behaviours have barely change, but also existing behaviours have essentially been upgraded. The primary focus is on these departments and how their presents, or their ability to adapt and/or exist, on the platform effects users. This paper will investigate various examples of media usage, with Twitter and TikTok as the primary platforms of focus of this paper. This will also look into how the platforms adopt their policies to alter user behaviour based on certain events, and how users continue to go about their business on both platforms. Contrary to assumptions regarding behaviours of users on both Twitter and TikTok, observed user responses to companies and political figures have demonstrated remained mostly unchanged, even with certain policies by the platforms being implemented. The importance of this research is to observe of how users respond to commercial and government advertising, especially noting some behaviours that seem barely change and often view these as no different to traditional methods.

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Online networks have been the mainstay since it’s gradual introduction to the public, with variety that last a certain amount of time to those that maintain their popularity and ever-increasing monopolisation of social media and tech companies. There’s been discussions regarding how online networking has affected some generations of users, usually majority from millennial to gen-z and later. Others speculate it’s a combination of online platforms and outside factors that changed the way users perceive the world and social aspects. Keith N. Hampton & Barry Wellman (2018), explains how there was a dilemma between those who adapted an individualistic freedom of the online environment verses a stubborn, traditional community that despises changes that will disrupt their considered perfect communities. This has also affected companies and political parties who want to stay in touch with their audience, with both having to keep up to prevent becoming irrelevant. Though this could be said to all social media platforms. However, the primary focus is on two platforms, Twitter and TikTok. The former being the mainstay for a while for being no frills and being able to observe events in real time and reach a broader audience. TikTok on the other hand having a recent surge in popularity in the last few years, with a more inclusive audience in mind, became an ideal platform for companies and political figures to easily engage with users. When it comes to the primary sectors in question, some users often consider them being out of touch or trying too hard to fit in. As Hampton and Wellman(2018, p. 644) put it lightly, ‘There is nostalgia for a perfect form of community that never was‘, basically meaning that they wish that companies and politics shouldn’t bother with user engagement due to their perceived out of touch approach to engage with their target audience. Even when the irony considering that analytics and algorithms that are used on both platforms to understand user activity.

Various commercial industries and political figures have utilised both Twitter and TikTok to the point it had significant outlook and changes to business practises and outlook on politics. Competition to gain users attention is essential part of staying relevant, particular to demographics who utilised these platforms to be exposed to more views and inform themselves on companies and their antics. Resnick et.al (n.d.) has noted how online platforms have moved on for a more algorithmic approach rather than relying on users creating a personal connection with a brand.  However, considering the already unpredictable nature of the platforms, which Clay Shirky (2011, p. 29) puts it as “social media … does not have a single preordained outcome”. Considering how there are more businesses competing, and social connection between consumer and product lacks personal corporation, they have to rely on either careful but clever tactics which can have mixed results.  An example is Wendy’s Roasts on Twitter, where the company utilises clever but snarky responses to users and companies as part of a marketing strategy and to present themselves as different from the average fast-food companies (Hardy, 2018). Sometimes companies gain attention unintentionally from users, which can be considered as another form of advertisement.  An example can be observed when Big W gained attention from TikTok user @tobyrosario, who mentioned the name meaning Big Woolworths that caused a stir to a majority of loyal Big W customer who were never aware of the company’s origins the whole time (Gooley, 2020). However, this was rather short-lived but shows some examples of users react neutrally as if it was no different to looking up an interesting fact on other platforms. Political figures have a more harder time due to fast-paced nature of the platforms, though there are some exceptions where they utilised correct in the appropriate context. A well-known example of such exception was Donald Trump’s use of Twitter, when during his 2015-2016 campaign he utilised Twitter to communicate with users with little to no filter (Wells et al. 2019). Considering the already increasing tensions at the time between the demographic and republican parties at the time, this event had caused a further divide between Twitter users due to the very outlandish bold approach of the campaign as well as the memes, most from right wingers, have further stirred up the platform for a certain period. All these examples have a thing in common, they are basically ways that companies and politicians engage with users and how users’ behaviour become more apparent as well as existing behaviours remain consistent.

The amount of exposure of advertisements and promotion comes with either praise or scepticism amongst users on Twitter and TikTok, mostly due to the majority of the age demographic already accustomed to seeing companies and politicians attempting to be one with the crowd.  As Miller et.al. (2016, p. 10), describes how the online platform’s advantages over in person approaches, “affordances which were persistence, visibility, spread ability and searchability”. Though TikTok basically is a more thorough when it comes to spread ability (Herrman, 2020).  As such, most users can simply look up any info on the company or political figure and use any information to come to light that may smear their reputation or call out on misleading information. The Wendy’s example mentioned earlier was one such example of a company doing it just to be with the crowd, of which to some users may be seen as pretentious attempt at being different to regular companies. What hasn’t changed is the gatekeeping mentality. As originally online platforms for users were to get away from commercialization, which in this atmosphere is ironic. Overtime the platforms have to a degree have been used to deplatform anyone for justify or illogically mundane issues. As Gaia Vince (2018), explains that the constant divide between those who gatekeep online networks as a chaotic wild west and those who want the environment to be safe and freedom to speak out. Another thing that’s noticeable is the increased surge of echo chambers, though not a new concept, amongst mass groups of people. Though more prevalent in politics, there has also been materialistic competition between preferences of brands. Which in turn, leads to more gatekeeping and hostility when it comes to interests in products and political ideology. The Trump Election campaign was a primary example of divide between users, most of them utilizing memes and often organised trolling campaigns against what they considered as woke. Though Schronener (2018, 6) has stressed that the internet only had an indirect influence, of which including certain factors is also taken into consideration.

Both platforms over time have become fully aware of how companies and politics are utilised, which to most this can be debatable. With each implementing various policies and moderation for both sectors. Outside factors can also change up the atmosphere of which can sometimes expose faults on the policies. Events such as the Covid-19 pandemic have further affected how users react to both commercial and political advertisements. Exposing even casual users to provide memes and content on both platforms. One of factors from Covid-19 was people refusing to go back to traditional work. As Christina Pazzanese (2021), in an interview with Ryan Buell, discuss about the notable hostility towards customer service and workers reflect an ongoing issue that has been around for a long time that came into light much more recent due to the ease of COVID restrictions. This has also further encouraged more users to work from home and, in some cases, consider specialisation in a field of interest to avoid traditional toxic work culture (Abukhadrah, 2020). As a result of the phenomenon, hostility and attempts at trolling towards companies has significantly increased.  To no surprise companies have utilized existing moderation tools, usually disabling and filtering comments, to keep their image in a positive light and to continue advertisement and relevance on both platforms. Despite this countermeasures by companies, users continue to publish their dissatisfaction towards them(Liu, 2022). Policies on both platforms regarding politics tend to be thorough but clear, which how they’re managed is often questionable. Only taking action when enough users reports or due to business decision. In the case of Twitter’s policy, noting that the site globally forbids promotion of political content, but allows news publishers of a certain criteria as a reference (Twitter Inc, n.d.). Due to the case of Donald Trump’s permanent suspension on Twitter that breached the Glorification of Violence policy in context to the Capitol attack (Twitter Inc, 2021), which did little to reduce political conflict amongst users. Despite already establish policies to tackle false or misleading information (Singh & Blase, 2020), certain groups of users continue to spread misinformation, but mostly done ironically. TikTok also thorough when it comes to politics. Unlike Twitter, the platform has some inconsistencies and only in cases in competitive political gain (TikTok, 2022a) or as part of an extreme agenda (TikTok, 2022b). An example of the inconsistencies when TikTok warning Australian Political Parties to not exploit users for free advertising. Josh Taylor(2022) notes how Brett Thomas, TikTok’s director of public policy in Australia and New Zealand, explained the policies set by the platform puts restrictions on users to keep country-based politics to a minimum. Yet months later, the company has changed its stance and instead allows political promotion on its platform (Murray, 2022). Users were not surprised of this change, considering that political figures existing on the platform does not breach either of TikTok’s policy. The fact that users didn’t immediately retaliate means that of awareness of what happens if they do or are aware of the fact that their response will simply be filtered out regardless of if done by the platform or one of the sectors.

Conclusion

It has demonstrated how significant online networks have change socially, as well as to an extend commercially and politically. It’s also clarified that isolationist fears regarding online networks are no different to any conspiracy against anything that will gradually change society, and that also applies to companies and political engagement (Hampton & Wellman 2018). What has not changed is how users’ responses to both companies and political figures barely change, and in some cases escalate existing behaviours. Despite both platforms adjusting policies from previous events, users calling out faults on both platforms often get brushed off due to both sectors using the platform tools to keep up appearances. Overall, despite even external factors leading to encourage more online interactivity between companies, political figures and the platforms they utilise, user behaviour mostly remained unchanged.

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