Deus ex machina "God from the machine"
Social Media Isn’t Just Reflecting Reality — It’s Shaping It I keep seeing this pattern more and more: social media is not just showing us the world — it is actively influencing what becomes “real.” We’re no longer observers sitting outside reality; we’re participants inside a system that shapes culture, markets, and even belief. Just recently I saw a TV commercial for a viral cheeseburger trend that started in Japan. That trend wasn’t just social chatter — it made its way into mainstream marketing. A major restaurant chain created its own version and put it on national ads. It’s a clear example that brands aren’t just watching social media — they’re mining it. They’re reacting to what goes viral and trying to capitalize on our attention. They know that TikTok, Instagram Reels, and similar platforms are where trends are born and spread. They’re literally crafting entire PR and marketing teams around these platforms because that’s where consumer attention lives. (Multipost Digital) This...