How Social Media Culture Is Promoting A Stronger Connection Between Hollywood And Mainstream Society

When grandparents and parents talk about how different life was during their childhoods, it often feels like a completely different world.

Looking back at the 90s, it may seem like the changes were not as dramatic, but one thing is certain: social media culture has radically transformed our world in ways past generations never could have imagined.

On a small scale, social media culture has changed how we communicate with those closest to us. Gone are the days of relying on landlines to catch up with friends over the weekend. Now, thanks to platforms like Facebook and Instagram, we can instantly see what our friends are up to, often without any direct conversation.

This shift has made communication more immediate, but also less personal, as we engage more through curated posts rather than real-time interactions.

On a larger scale, social media culture has fundamentally reshaped the relationship mainstream society has with Hollywood and celebrity culture. Social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok have put celebrities in direct contact with their followers, transforming the way we view fame, influence, and the spotlight.

Through behind-the-scenes glimpses and personal updates, social media culture has blurred the lines between private lives and public personas, altering how we perceive and interact with celebrities today.

Hollywood Prior to 2010

Celebrity scandals have always been around. If you were born in the mid to late 90s, you probably remember some of the big ones, such as Britney Spears shaving her head or Michael Jackson dangling his baby off of the balcony.

However, social media culture hadn’t entered the picture yet, so how did we get the juicy gossip?

Magazines were a big way that celebrity news was shared around the world. When you’d read an article about some big gossip, that was likely one of the first times hearing about it.

Because of social media culture, and knowing about events as they are happening, the front page of a magazine could be considered “old news.”

As an effort to keep up with the age of instant news updates, publishing companies have created websites to display their articles.

This allows them to still drop the hot stories instantly as well as publish them in physical form for those of us who still enjoy reading through magazines

Connecting with Fans Through Twitter

In early 2010, Pretty Little Liars, which became one of the hottest teen dramas, was released. The showrunner decided to do something revolutionary that would shape social media culture.

Each night an episode aired, the cast of the show would be live on Twitter, communicating back and forth with fans.

According to Mashable, “Pretty Little Liars was arguably the first series to capitalize on the rise of social media as a medium for discussion, debate and obsessive analysis of a show as it aired.” 

This breakthrough really allowed fans to more connect with their favorite characters. It also allowed them to see actors as real people in a way that had never been done before.

On the more negative side, this was one of the first times that these actors were receiving direct and instant criticism from fans.

Prior to this, celebrities didn’t really have random interactions with fans except for at paid events. In a sense, this allowed them to be seen and heard in a new light.

There are always pros and cons to having new ways of doing things, but this Twitter watch party easily marks a turning point in how mainstream society connects with Hollywood and the tv/movie industry.

YouTube and the World of Vlogging

YouTube was first started on February 14th, 2005. It was created for people to be able to upload any type of video they wanted.

The original concept was thought of due to a lack of good video clips on the internet. The creators just wanted a fun source of entertainment, not knowing how this platform was going to take off.

Some of us may remember the first few silly videos such as Charlie the Unicorn and Me at the Zoo. The platform then began to transform into tutorials from regular people, such as beauty and cooking tutorials.

Celebrities from Hollywood then began making vlogs and posting it to YouTube. Shay Mitchell, one of the stars of Pretty Little Liars, began a YouTube channel where she would take fans on tours of the tv sets.

This was a big development in social media culture as it allowed people to see what really goes on behind the screen. It allows us to see that acting is a job that real people do.

It almost takes celebrities off of the pedestal and gives them a spot in the crowd.

Instagram and Influencing

Instagram hit the social media world on October 1st, 2010. It was designed to be a photo and video sharing platform.

We spent hours playing around with all of the filters and applying the “Nashville” filter to all of our favorite photos.

Just like everyone else, celebrities began creating and posting pictures of their lives on Instagram. Not only are we seeing what friends are doing at any given hour, we can also see what movie stars are doing.

This also allowed us to get information first hand from celebrities, and not through the paparazzi. 

Instagram literally broke for a short time when Jennifer Aniston created a profile because millions of people immediately tried following her. 

A big thing on Instagram, as well as other social media platforms, is influencing. Brands will pay people who have a large enough following to promote their products on the person’s Instagram page.

Movie stars as well as your classic mommy blogger both participate in this type of work.

Through influencing, social media culture has allowed a strong bond between Hollywood and mainstream society by allowing them to work on the same type of project in the same place. 

Covid and Social Media Culture

One key event that highlighted the power of social media culture in connecting people with celebrities was the use of social media during the pandemic.

With everyone stuck inside, celebrities turned to social media platforms to find ways to build community and support their fans during a challenging time.

Many actors came together on Zoom to read old scripts or hosted live events and meet-and-greets, offering fans a chance to interact with them in ways that felt personal and accessible.

This shift to virtual engagement showed how social media culture could bridge the gap between celebrities and their audiences, creating new spaces for connection.

It’s fascinating to see how social media culture has transformed Hollywood. Once viewed as an exclusive, distant world with stars on pedestals, it has now become a much more relatable and inclusive community, with celebrities engaging directly with their fans.

Social media culture has played a huge role in breaking down barriers and turning what was once a glamorous, far-off realm into an environment where people feel more connected, human, and approachable.

 ✍️ Written by Kylie Harthun