Viral Post
In the digital environment, even mildly interesting items and news often spread rapidly through word of mouth, as the Internet enables people to share any content with ease. The Social currency, Triggers, Emotional, Public, Practical value, and Stories (STEPPS) framework outlines factors that affect a message’s potential to be spread through such a mode of distribution (Berger, 2016). A piece of media has a higher chance of going viral if it checks as many factors from this system as possible.
The post that will be used revolves around the Ice Spice Munchkins drink that was added to the Dunkin’ Donuts menu recently and criticizes its contents (Dane, 2023). This tweet can be used as social currency, as it reveals an unsettling fact about a new popular beverage that others may find interesting. Furthermore, this post can trigger a discussion around fast food as a whole, as well as evoke emotions, since the claim in it is outrageous if the drink genuinely contains this amount of sugar (Dane, 2023). Accidentally, this message also gives publicity to a product it reviews, fulfilling the fourth principle of STEPPS, although its usefulness is questionable at best. Finally, the text also serves as part of a larger narrative regarding the impact of fast food on public health and can serve as a lesson in unethical restaurant practices.
Viral Video
The last video that I saw shares similarities with this post in many aspects. This media presents several short fragments from other sources, accompanied by voiceover explanations for any unclear parts (Daily Dose of Internet, 2023). Its contents review a wide variety of newsworthy topics, can trigger a conversation or emotional response, provide publicity to the depicted products, have a practical use, and connect to broader subjects. The compilation format enables this video to incorporate all elements that contribute to its contagious spread and appeal to the broadest possible audience (Daily Dose of Internet, 2023). In fact, the popularity of this channel can be attributed entirely to its close alignment with the STEPPS framework.
Mundane items may not experience such an effect without a twist that makes them worthy of being shared. Raising awareness about a product that lacks outstanding features is nearly impossible if it does not possess an innovative quality that is also entertaining (Berger, 2016). However, people can invent uses for these goods that are perceived by the public as new, which may even make a blender enjoyable to use. Similarly, a social media post that is easily lost among similar ones, even if they collectively adhere to the ideas of STEPPS, cannot achieve popularity. It must also be sensational to provide the public with a new topic for discussion.
Aside from novelty, the format of such content must be engaging and accessible to as many users as possible. One’s intention to share any data on social media is rarely dictated by the value of the knowledge that information carries (Tandoc et al., 2020). Thus, a message needs to contain an eye-catcher in any form applicable to the situation. In conclusion, the STEPPS framework illustrates how one can assess a piece of digital media’s potential to gain traction on the Internet and spread through word of mouth due to its inherent remarkability.
References
Berger, J. (2016). Contagious: Why things catch on. Simon & Schuster.
Daily Dose of Internet. (2023). Wood that doesn’t burn. YouTube.
Dane [@UltraDane]. (2023). Dunkin Donuts have added so much sugar to their new coffee drink it needs to be classified as poison. Twitter.
Tandoc, E. C., Huang, A., Duffy, A., Ling, R., & Kim, N. (2020). To share is to receive: News as social currency for social media reciprocity. Journal of Applied Journalism & Media Studies, 9(1), 3-20.