Blog Post 4: Power Affordances Zach Hatt

     Hello everyone, for this week's blog post, I am going to talk about Nancy Baym's seven key concepts for understanding the affordance powers of communication technology and applying them to the social media application, TikTok. As we learned, these power affordances are used by social media applications to control their users on their platforms. These seven key concepts include interactivity, temporality, social cues, storage, replicability, reach, and mobility. 

    In regards to Interactivity, TikTok uses this power affordance very effectively. The application hooks its user using an algorithm to feed their users with content they will like, based on their viewing history on the app, which results in a longer time on the application. The app also allows users to communicate through commenting, dueting, and responding to each other which also results in more time on the app and using the platform to communicate with others.

    Temporality on TikTok is also a very powerful tool for the app. The app meshes synchronous and asynchronous communication through live streaming, video chats, direct messages, comments, and duets. This allows for the addiction of the app to set in because it is so diverse in communication. 

    Social cues are a power affordance on TikTok. TikTok is a "rich media" and provides a full range of cues that are interpreted daily. Trends are created and people copy these cues and do them themselves which again, results in more user time on the app.

    TikTok uses storage and replicability to allow users to save, duet, and like videos, but to also go watch or rewatch whatever they want. If a user wants to show someone they are having a real-world conversation with a video, all they need to do is pull out their phone and they have access to that video.

    Another power affordance used by TikTok is reach which can be tied into my example of interactivity. The ForYou page on TikTok uses an algorithm to maximize the views a TikTok can get on the platform. This controls what people see, but also controls the users' time on the app because becoming TikTok famous or getting a ton of likes is addicting and feels good for the user.

    Lastly, mobility allows users to access and use the app wherever they are, which again, increases the time users are on the app.

Here is an interesting video explaining how TikTok is ruining a generation. After watching the video, do you agree with Upper Echeleon's thesis?

Comments

  1. OwenNovember 8, 2022 at 8:46 AM

    Hello Zach,

    I really enjoyed reading your post on Baym's seven key concepts. TikTok is a great example of using all of these key concepts. Their algorithm use is very efficient in ways that it shows us what we are interested in and what we like to watch. TikTok as you mentioned is both the aspects of synchronous and asynchronous which attracts users in a different way as the interactivity is much different. TikTok is just one example of a online platform that uses these key concepts to their advantage. Although I believe TikTok is on another level, as there is a better chance to become "famous" within their platform compared to others such as Instagram or Twiter, etc. Overall, great post!

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  2. Nick GiuntaNovember 10, 2022 at 8:24 PM

    I enjoyed reading your post, Zach. Just like the midterm, I really got comfortable with TikTok and how Nancy Baym's seven concepts relate to how social media works. TikTok as a whole uses many concepts to attract users so that they spend time on their platform. The algorithm they use to make sure the videos are to your interest is a prime example of the interactivity between the user and the app. A good example of this is TikTok dances. It makes the user want to participate and engage with the app because if they post a video of them dancing it may get them popular. This simple way of watching other people do the dance will hopefully strike the viewer to try it on their own and post it. They want to see the results of how they do if they share it. This tactic they use makes the user want to spend more time on the app as seen through Nancy Baym's concepts of understanding the affordance power of communication technology.

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