For 85 years Americans across the country have had their eyes glued to the television to reveal which star-studded actors and actresses, directors and producers, and the like will be honored at the Academy Awards. This year, the award show saw a 4 percent increase in viewership compared to last year, marking a positive trend in the audience’s interest in the traditional event filled with magnificence, fashion trends, and a guaranteed buzz for the days that follow.
The Oscars, as with any big event today, is easily tracked on Twitter, a social platform that provides real-time updates and the opinions of millions. So when we sit down to think about the Oscars this year, Twitter’s involvement makes us wonder who really won. Argo certainly won big with its ‘Best Picture’ award, but while all of us were busy tweeting our opinions what did we miss? Did you see Daniel Day-Lewis’ reaction to Ben Affleck’s big win or were you busy tweeting about your excitement or disappointment in the news?
Were you able to catch Jennifer Lawrence’s fall or were you too busy tweeting about her well-deserved win? My point is this, with 8.9 million tweets being composed during the Academy Awards this year, it makes you wonder who was really watching and, more importantly, actually enjoying the annual event. As technology continues its invasive pursuit of our daily lives, we constantly find ourselves wondering how much of our lives it is truly taking over.
The Oscars provides an excellent example of how technology has overcome our ability to stop and smell the roses. How can a person possibly take pleasure in the many joys associated with the Academy Awards when they are busy looking down at their computers, tablets, and smart phones to tweet their opinions? Not to be misunderstood, the value of technology and social sharing is enormous. However, it is interesting to take the opposing view. What did you miss while you wrote that tweet about Bradley Cooper?
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