Hype Machine, Social Media, Fake News, Mass Persuasion, and Digital Marketing

Hyper Machine
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• According to the author what is The Hype Machine?
The hype machine is a valuable multifaceted machine that compasses the globe and manages the flow of opinions, behaviors, and information in society. According to Sinal, this machine connects people in a global communication network whereby trillions of messages are exchanged daily driven by algorithms formed to inform, entertain, persuade and manipulate people. Its object is the human psyche formed to pique people's neurological impulses drawing us and influencing behavior changes in how we love, vote, shop and exercise. The machine analyzes people to provide options on what they should read, buy or believe.
• The author speaks to the good, the dangers and our role in social media. Summarize what they are.
Social media provides both a promise and a peril. Based on Sinal, the good includes enhanced human connection across the globe, social support and the provision of lifesaving information. Social media apps such as Facebook, Whatsapp, and Instagram have enhanced communication ease and feedback around the globe, enhancing the flow of lifesaving information, human connection, and social support. However, it is also a scourge and pariah as it has led to decreased privacy due to surveillance and enhanced miscommunication, particularly during the pandemic.
• What travels faster - fake news or the truth? How does that happen? Is there an example you can cite to illustrate that?
Fake news travels faster than the truth because of its novelty which makes people more likely to share the information making it diffuse faster, deeper and further. Additionally, being the source of unconfirmed information makes the sharer gain massive attention across social media. The news is also more surprising than real news increasing people's urge to share. One example is how on the onset of Covid 19, fake news regarding false cures was shared and retweeted widely and fast across social media platforms distorting reality.
• What is the network effect?
The network effect is an economic concept whereby product or service users gain benefit when the service or product gains additional users. This is based on Metcalf's law that states that a telecommunication network's value is equivalent to the square of connected users. The network effect's economic consequences include increased network value arising from increased new users who are attracted to it by discounted rates, waivers or free trials.
• What is "lift" in marketing terms, and why does the author impress this as important?
According to Sinal, Lift entails behavioral changes created or brought by persuasive messages in social media. In marketing, the concept means the increase in sales due to advertising or promotion methods applied. It impacts the organization's marketing making it an important metric that should be monitored, measured and optimized to facilitate growth. Sinal states that lift is essential in understanding and measuring the global impact of the hype machine. In this context, lift highlights the extent to which a video, persuasive message, or ad affects and change...