Impacts of Social Media to the Youth's Creativity and Innovation

Introduction

            The internet remains an integral part of the social media landscape and a mainstream for creativity and innovation. In general, the internet has improved social media activities and has gone ahead to generate new virtual intermediaries for the youth between the ages of 15 to 24 years in the world to utilize. Until today, the worth of internet technology has been on the contributions it has on business as per statistics such as money advertisers spend or the revenue earned. These measures fail to capture the constant creation of social value adequately that the Internet technology enables through, for example, the ability to nature talent among the youth, the steady increase in creativity levels among the youth, improved innovations and the discovery of new information to build young minds. However, these benefits can significantly be attributed to the internet. It is imperative to look at how social media is affecting the youth creativity and innovation as it’s an important part of the internet world. The study tries to establish the far-reaching influence of social media by looking at it influences creativity among youths

          Social media has become an effective and efficient conduit for youth innovation and creativity as a consequence of its feedback capabilities that allows creativity and change through social collaboration between the producer of a new product and the customer (Kraut & Burke, 2015). To be more precise, the youth have increased the rate of social media usage for purposes of enhancing their levels of creativity and innovation.  Social media platform such as Facebook and Twitter has become one of the leading platforms where the youth portray their creativity (Cuiping, Dilley & Kaufman, 2015). In fact, the interconnectedness of global communities beyond physical boundaries has led to the standardization of the web due to the increase in the homogeneity of consumer preferences (Gregor & Gotwald, 2013). The increase in the use of social media by the global community with similar expectations regarding standards has led to a shift by the youth to creating and innovation from simple creativity to advance innovation. Social media is no longer a platform for violence, negative peer influence but a point of sharing ideas, building new ideas and enhancing technology through innovation. There has been a growing interest in social entrepreneurs and social investors aiming at putting change in an international spotlight (Gregor & Gotwald, 2013). Such entrepreneurs make their social impact potential visible and foster a climate of cooperation between developers and users on the ground (Gregor & Gotwald, 2013). Social media contribution to the creativity and innovation of the youth empowers them as well as support them through networks such as Siemens Stiftung, which give virtual and regional workshops, training and coaching.

Background of the Problem

          With current information age, consumption of social media services by youths continues to rise. This range from basic research, communication, games as well as online jobs. It this turned out to be an influential platform that the young people can use to get to the highest levels of creativity and to turn their ideas into products. Many youths have had an opportunity to invent and sell their products through social media platforms. In both developing and developed countries majority of online users are the youth. The Telecommunication International Union statistics indicate 45% of the words internet users are youths (Cuiping, Dilley & Kaufman, 2015).Significant changes that have resulted from recognition by the youth of the positive feedback they get from their ideas and the willingness to purchase the final product once invented. Social media users are quick to give feedback, contribute to an idea and encourage the next invention.

        Levity’s “Final Verse “campaign for the NSPCC’ Child line went viral and took a life in the social media. It practically won the best of the best at 2012 Best Award like the Agency of the Year accolade. Dagenham grime star Devlin was asked to write a heartfelt song two verses-called Teardrops-and perform in a pop video. Online viewers were invited to do the last verse with their lyrics, Merkel won at the age of 20 getting more than 50,000 hits on you-tube.

            Designing, as well as visual arts, is most youth-laden media shared on social networks. Social networks based on visual arts and designing like Pinterest poses proven success in the social market. Youths being the key consumers of such products, uses such chances to sharpen their prowess in designing as well as visual arts.  Some social media networks provide youths with a chance to connect with peers to view the content of interest (Won, Evans, Carey & Schnittka, 2015). For instance, Vimeo.com is social media network specialized in artistic as well as professional video footages. Behance.net specializes in designing, artists and photography where youths share their work and receive feedback and appreciation. Such platforms support youths in a creative way of searching for jobs. Rapid digital technologies uptake have opened unprecedented possibilities for youth Users to make and distribute content such that media users continue becoming producers, and most of them are youths.

            An estimate shows that youths spend a considerable amount of time socializing on social media globally (Cuiping, Dilley & Kaufman, 2015). This socializing has led to them sharing ideas and enhancing the creativeness as well as innovation. Uploads of inventions done, or a mere twist on a great idea by the youth has become a norm. The social media users have found a way to empower the youth by giving their feedback and support through likes and hits. Also, the purchase of devices such as Smartphone’s, IPods to access the internet and social site globally by mostly the youth has been on the increase (Cybulski, Keller,  Nguyen & Saundage, 2015).However, there has been a lack of focus placed on the effects of social media on the youth’s creativity and innovation.

Problem Statement

            Social media has significantly changed the way people interact and connect. It has also created a shift on how people share views as well as ideas. Barely two decades since conception has its empowered youths in the way of thinking as well as approaching issues surrounding them. The world without social media is unimaginable so much that its value is unlimited. Until today, the worth of social media has been seen based on the influence it has made on youth creativity. These measures fail to capture the constant contribution to technological growth, social empowerment and enhancement of communities globally through innovation and creativity among the youth. However, these benefits are attributed to social media user’s willingness to give feedback and share ideas as well as encourage the young people in the endeavors’. This study will look at the effects of social media to youth’s creativity and innovation.

Purpose of the Study

            This qualitative study is to understand the effects of social media to youth’s creativity and innovation. At this stage, of the study, was defined as how social media has changed the way the youth think and innovate.

Significance of the Study

            The today’s youth has adopted the use of social media as an indispensable tool for creativity and innovation. The young people who still use social media as a platform for violence, negative peer influence or raising negative comments on race, sexuality and ethnicity are at a disadvantage. The study will benefit the youth who have not fully utilized social media a center for creativity and innovation to do so. Such kids should perform activities that are core to better innovations, better ideas and to finding a market and sponsors for their great projects.

Future researchers will also use the study as a base when conducting research studies on topics of social media as a point of creativity and innovation for the global youth. This study contributes to existing literature particularly in today’s youth competitive environment where young people are continually beefing up existing social platform use such as (Facebook), Twitter, and Instagram to capture the attention of the growing number social media users. The efforts aim at having an opinion about their ideas, a market for their products, support from potential sponsors and a little built on their self-esteem.

References

Cuiping, T., Dilley, A. E., & Kaufman, J. C. (2015): Do We Create What We Watch? Creativity   and Entertainment Preferences, Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity & the Arts, 9(4),    394-404. Doi: 10.1037/aca0000032

Cybulski, J. L., Keller, S., Nguyen, L., & Saundage, D. (2015): Creative problem solving in          digital space using visual analytics. Computers in Human Behavior, 4220-35,    doi:10.1016/j.chb.2013.10.061

Gregor, B., & Gotwald, B. (2013): POTENTIAL OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND MOBILE MARKETING IN MARKETING COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT IN HEALTH      CARE INSTITUTIONS. Contemporary Management Quarterly / Wspólczesne            Zarzadzanie, 12(3), 38-49.

KRAUT, R., & BURKE, M. (2015): Internet Use and Psychological Well-Being: Effects of         Activity and Audience. Communications of the ACM, 58(12), 94-100. Doi:          10.1145/2739043

Won, S. G., Evans, M. A., Carey, C., & Schnittka, C. G. (2015): Youth appropriation of social     media for collaborative and facilitated design-based learning, Computers in Human   Behavior, 50385-391, doi:10.1016/j.chb.2015.04.017

Sherry Roberts is the author of this paper. A senior editor at MeldaResearch.Com in custom essay research paper if you need a similar paper you can place your order from online research paper writer.