As seen by my other blog posts a really enjoy taking concepts we learn and discuss in class and applying them to Greek culture and how they influence the Greek population. The transition from news and media being primarily on social media now rather than TV is a concept that has exploded over the past decade in prominence and importance to global society. It has becoming increasingly easier to access any and all forms of news needed through various social media platforms such as Facebook, instagram, twitter and more! However, as amazing as these platforms may seem at first there are numerous problems with them and the relay of information just as there has been in television news over the years. Greece however is a little different, perhaps a little behind some may say. Although in the United States getting information and news has evolved to social media being the primary provider in Greece standard newscasts and television programs are still extremely popular.
As a Greek citizen who now lives abroad in the United States I am always fascinated when I go back and see family and friends that are nowhere near as reliant on phones and social media for information as the people I now in the US. I’m sure this is partially due to the fact that the United States is a much larger country and more ‘advanced’ as a nation. Most of the largest and most important tech companies and social media platforms were founded and created in the United States so it’s no surprise that the US population is more inclined and has better access to said technologies. However, every time I go back to Greece I am always shocked at how far behind Greece is.
The majority of all my family members either do not use social media are use it so sparingly that it isn’t their primary source for news. The few relatives who do use social media as a part of their daily lives use Facebook the most for communicating and news which I find very interesting. As I stated previously I think that Greece and her citizens are a few years behind social media use in the US so as culture and social media usage has evolved to include Twitter, Instagram and now Tik Tok it takes a few years for Greece to catch up and thus the majority of the people I know still use Facebook as the United States did in the early 2010s. What I also found interesting was that the people who use Facebook use it the same way people in the United States use Twitter and Instagram for news. As Facebook has ‘fallen off’ in recent years due to the rise of Twitter and Instagram Facebook has attempted to close the gap by adding things like stories, the store, and chatrooms to bring people back in, and in many ways it has worked… At least in other countries that is. As I was ‘researching’ this topic (by looking at all my friends and family’s social media usage) I found that the content and ways in which my Greek friends were posting on Facebook was the same way that the people I have met in the United States use Twitter and Instagram, as a way to promote and spread information on topics they care about. From plastic consumption to world issues about COVID-19 or political quarrels in Greece the Facebook stories and links I saw were all about providing the viewers with news and knowledge.
However, as much power and influence social media has gained over the past decade or so in Greece what is more surprising is how much power and influence the various news networks still possess. First and foremost, the news networks of Greece are very corrupt, switching stances and beliefs on a dime if it means more profit for the company as well as not getting threatened and shut down by the government (which ironically claims to be a democracy). In my family’s household as well as numerous of my friends it is very common that in at least one room there is a news channel playing in the background. In my home it was always the small TV in the kitchen as my grandmother kicked and everybody came in and out throughout the day. In addition to to the major use of television as a source of news at home it is also still used as a primary news source in public as well. From taverns to bars, and stores it is very common that no matter where you go there is a television with the news on as you go about your business. Although I grew up with it became fairly desensitized to the concept this class and be in the United States has made me realize that its very unusual especially as technology and social media has taken over as many peoples primary news sources.
Journalism 2.0 