First things first: White and gold or black and blue?

It’s the question that drove social media crazy and split the world into two very heated, very vocal factions. And just as quickly as the question sprang up, so too did a swarm of articles attempt to explain the phenomenon that officially “broke the Internet.”

Even when scientific reasoning from multiple sources confirmed that the dress was in fact, blue and black, people refused to give up their arguments. Everyone from scientists to celebrities and ordinary users wanted to weigh in on the topic.

But the real question isn’t what color the dress was, but why it was so important to us. How could something so seemingly trivial have sparked debate on such a wide scale? Beyond a discussion on the dress’s color, what’s really worth looking into is why we are discussing it at all, along with how and why we respond to the things that go viral on social media.

Another kind of virus

Aside from #TheDress, it seems that every few weeks sees a new image, video or post “go viral” on the Internet. In just the past few years, we have had such gems as the ridiculously catchy “What Does The Fox Say?” video, the charity-driven ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, the wildly popular “Gangnam Style” and the classic “Charlie Bit My Finger.”

Cute animals seem especially popular, as seen in the endless stock of Internet memes featuring cats and dogs, along with bizarrely catchy music videos that stay on the airwaves for weeks after. Still, even with these seemingly tried and true components, it seems that there really is no solid pattern or formula to it.

Paolo Vergara, a communication junior, views the process of online viral sharing as analogous to a virus spreading through a sick body. “Hot, fast and with impact,” he explains. “[And the] impact [hits] both consciously and subconsciously.”

To do this, Vergara lists some criteria that must be met. First is knowing what will grab people’s attention. Timing is also a crucial factor, because content will only go viral if enough people see it. But the key factor is relevance: Social media users contribute to “viral” by deciding to share it themselves and they only share it if it sparks something in them.

Arlene Burgos, an instructor at the Communication Department, elaborates on this. She says that for something to go viral, it has to trigger some kind of emotion, although the medium itself is also important. Citing #TheDress, Burgos says that part of the reason it spread so quickly and on so many social media sites was because it was a very simple picture that posed a very simple question, making it easier to share and load, unlike a linked video or other types of media.

But another question is whether these viral materials go on being viral without social media or even the Internet. Burgos goes on to say that, “I think even before social media, we’ve had this unique thing, because… human beings are by nature very social. So we tend to share within our immediate social circle and even beyond.”

Saturated, social

Sharing online posts seems like the simplest and easiest thing to do today with social media—in a very literal way, it only takes a few button clicks. But just like any fad that’s all buzz and little substance, the sheer amount of circulated social media content sometimes reaches a point of saturation.

More often than not, this kind of viral is found in links with clickbait titles, or sensationalist labels that draw readers and viewers in. “Only one part of communication has been fulfilled [in viral sharing], and that is getting the message across,” Vergara explains. “But getting an appropriate response to what the message is asking for, that depends on the discourse that follows.”

He follows this up and jokes that literally everyone in the Loyola Schools posts their organizations’ promotional content at 9 PM, often hailed as online peak hours with students. Because of this, the element of time is compromised, and “when timing is lost, you also lose your audience,” he says.

Aside from the possibility of content saturation in social media, even our simple behaviors online are prone to losing their significance. In a TED talk held last 2013 in the Mid-Atlantic States Series, Jennifer Golbeck, a computer scientist, explained how the theory of homophily—of how people with the same interests tend to stick with one another—plays an important role in the dynamic of social media.

She gave the example of how something as mundane as liking a Facebook page for curly fries had become a predictor for intelligence in Facebook users. Her hypothesis behind this is that somewhere an intelligent person just happened to like the page, and his or her intelligent friends unthinkingly followed suit from seeing this. “The action of liking a curly fries page is indicative of high intelligence not because of the content, but because the actual action of liking reflects back the common attributes of other people who have done it,” she says.

Relevance revisited

For all the mania that #TheDress was worth, the whole thing still undeniably boils down to a pretty trivial question: The color of a dress. Towards the aftermath of the craze, the trend had raised several other questions on what the photo says about social media and its users today.

Burgos explains how both viral content and any online post is reflective of a generation’s identity. “That’s the thing with social—there is no concealing, there is no hiding,” she explains. “You’re essentially trying to project a persona when you’re on social [media].”

But at a time where there are more pressing sociopolitical issues in almost every corner of the globe, this episode in social media shows that perhaps there is a problem. “[My colleagues and I] were thinking, well this is maybe a low point, when this social media platform has really lost its relevance,” she says.

Although the dress and its superficial story will be engraved in the memory of social media users for years to come, the platform still does achieve significance when directed by the right people.

For one, there was the ALS ice bucket challenge that went viral last year. The immensely successful campaign sought not just to raise awareness on Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a destructive disease that affects one’s neurons, but also to provide people with an opportunity to donate funding for research on the disease.

More recently making rounds on social media is the PSA “Love Has No Labels” by the Ad Council and its nonprofit partners. The video hit home with many viewers as it didn’t involve any gimmicks or marketing stunts, but instead had simple footage of people, from different walks of life, celebrating their relationships. The appeal here was in its call for diversity and inclusion as well as a heightened awareness against bias and prejudice.

Beyond the dress and all the other memes of the internet, it seems that viral content still has that capacity to make an impact. As Burgos says, “Social media cuts both ways—it’s a double-edged sword.”

Conquering Cyberspace
By Andrea V. Tubig

With just the click of a button, it seems like anyone can become the next Internet sensation these days. While some have been short-lived stars, others will forever be remembered for their 15 minutes of Internet infamy.

“Friday” by Rebecca Black

Who knew that a song about car seats, buses and the days of the week could be such a hit? With more than 76 million YouTube views and hundreds of parodies and covers, including one by Katy Perry, surely the world won’t forget how Rebecca Black spends her typical Friday.

Harlem Shake

It all started with YouTuber Filthy Frank’s video entitled “FILTHY COMPILATION #6 – SMELL MY FINGERS” featuring people in helmets, masks and latex suits shaking their upper bodies to an excerpt of Baauer’s “Harlem Shake.” Soon enough, over 40,000 similar videos, including those made by members of the World Wrestling Entertainment, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing drivers, Ryan Seacrest and The Simpsons, were posted online.

“Gangnam Style” by Psy

Inspired by the high-class lifestyle of Seoul’s Gangnam District, “Gangnam Style” became the first YouTube video to reach a billion viewsIts catchy tune and matching horse trot dance move inspired several flash mobs and even dance numbers from world leaders like David Cameron and Barack Obama.

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

What started as an attempt to raise awareness and donations for the disease Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis resulted in over 2.4 M videos of people dumping a bucket of ice cold water on their heads and nominating other people to do the same. Justin Bieber, Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates are among the many celebrities who took on the challenge.