| Abstract [eng] |
Social media is one of the main tools for communication in modern days. While more than half of the world’s population is using the internet, many processes, decisions, and activities are moved to the digital space. In creating digital communities, social media becomes a safe space to spread ideas, values, ideologies. Regular and influential users are following and participating in the public discourse built in the social world. One message can become famous, and it doesn’t matter who published it. In addition, social media content is usually changing depending on who is sharing it. These social media traits allow messages to be scattered all over the internet for mass audiences while being interpreted individually. Messages, spread by any means of media, in all times had an immense output than only information delivery. Communicational messages are used to construct a common understanding of the world and surroundings. Communication is an encoding process that is decided by social convention and individually decoded depending on the knowledge and experience background. Myth is one of the communicational message types used to create a narrative. Myth is often used for propaganda because of its memorable and easily interpreted messages. Social media is an ideal space for myths to spread as it contains a vast number of messages and allows them to change in time. Not easily noticeable myths can be used as tools to transform and influence society. Used for destructive, immoral means, myths can be used to split society. It is essential to recognise the myth, critically evaluate the information and deconstruct social media messages to avoid similar things. The objective of this project – to examine the manifestations of Roland Barthes's mythologies on social media. Main goals of the project: to analyse the concept of myth by Roland Barthes; to analyse the importance of social media today; to examine myths on social media - the case of #MeToo; to examine myths on social media – the case of Istanbul convention. The project covers two different cases to better understand and identify myths on social media – #MeToo movement on social media and the Istanbul convention ratification debate in Lithuania. These cases are selected because of the active discussions on social media and – two split opinion bases. The research uses the qualitative content research method and Google search engine results’ analysis. The project results reveal that myths are not fake news but rather an interpretation of the mythologised truth. Understanding the myth depends on the society in which it is spread, and on the individual interpretation. It’s the additional connotated value added to the semiotic sign. Everything can be a myth if it is intended. Social media analysis highlights the participatory culture and the possibility of the creation of new communities. The freedom of speech doesn’t limit the information flows; its interpretation depends on the reader. The #MeToo hashtag (Dobrin, 2020) research helps to understand the case of the narratives created by social media myth about the movement; reveals its variability and dependability on the hashtag. Myth’s change in time depends on the happening debates. After analysing the case of #MeToo, the same methods of Google search engine results’ analysis are used to examine the case of the Istanbul convention. The research gives a possibility to familiarize with different types of used myths in this case. The results of this project can be used to educate society about the existence of popular myths that are constructing public opinion. The project consists of three chapters – Mythology, Social Media Today, The Research of Social Media Myths. |
