Why was Ellen DeGeneres’ tweet about 'the best selfie ever' so viral?
Social media is all around us. In fact, it has been since the event of human communication. Cave drawings and the ancient paintings of Egyptian monuments are prime examples of the dawn of social media of our civilization.
It is social media in its broadest sense which gives us a sense of community all over the world. This has become increasingly more evident with the event of the internet. It appears that we have finally have come home where mankind always wanted to be – connected within the human family.
The Oscars has been the social media pow-wow since its conception as the Academy Awards in 1929, which is, by the way, the only one that went unnoticed by a media audience. It has been ever since the meeting point of the masses’ attention. While none of us spectators may have been able to communicate with the familiar participants of the events, it made us feel connected to a certain degree.
The tweat of Ellen DeGeneres pierced the veil between the crowning jewel of human celebration and social media as it has developed on the internet in recent years. It made Oscar more human than ever.
This year’s Academy Awards had the biggest audience in 10 years, scoring more than 43 million viewers. It has been the meeting point of well-known faces we may never have personally met, yet who have been so ubiquitous in our daily lives that we could have long conversations about them. They are the most captivating individuals we know with the highest degree of popularity possible.
Yet, when these familiar faces stood together and played with ingenuous delight taking the most popular selfie ever, we became more connected as a human family. In an instant, all actors who had been idols for some or beacons of hope for others became almost as touchable as our friends and relatives or our acquaintances in social media of recent years.
The #oscarselfie reminds us of our own insouciance that we have experienced, yet may have forgotten because of our “important” daily tasks at hand. However, life should not be deprived of this beautiful Spirit of Play, right?. So, let’s connect, share, get together, and enjoy each others company and companionship. Human beings are social animals. Our interactions, shared emotions, and mutual admiration may open the gates to excitement and elation, where we find happiness and the most genuine smiles.
"While social networks are fundamentally and distinctively human, and ubiquitous, they should not be taken for granted." (Christakis & Fowler)
Some people believe that a community is something that is done to them, rather than an opportunity to help others. In fact, it may be just the viewpoint of "help" and companionship that make a life fulfilled and meaningful.
Thank you, Ellen DeGeneres, for creating this wonderful moment of togetherness, shared by millions. You may have ushered in a new destination of our brave world - Unity!
References:
The history of The Oscars.