**Movie Artifact for Persuasive Messaging!**

This post is to look at how persuasion works in The Social Dilemma, a film that looks into how social media tricks individuals. Using ideas from our COMM 333 class at Old Dominion University, I will see how the film uses persuasion with Social Judgment Theory, Elaboration Likelihood Model, and Traits and Characteristics focusing on age and how it makes people more open to being persuaded.

Artifact: The Social Dilemma

The Social Dilemma shows the tricky sides of social media and how these tools are made to grab and keep our focus. The documentary has former workers from Facebook, Google, and Twitter talking about what goes on behind the curtains about how algorithms and targeted ads change behavior in ways we often don’t see. It claims this manipulation leads to many issues like mental health problems, political splits, and trouble for democracy. Now, let’s look at how persuasion appears when using what we learned in class.

1. Social Judgment Theory (SJT)

Social Judgment Theory helps us understand how people see messages based on their existing beliefs, sorting them into groups of acceptance, rejection, or non-commitment. In The Social Dilemma, the aim is to push viewers from thinking social media is alright or neutral to seeing it as bad. Many may first see social media as a good thing linked with friendships or easy chats.

But the film turns this view around. With expert views and strong images, it shows the real risks hiding behind social media habits that seem harmless. The filmmakers give clear examples like the increase in teenage sadness and suicide rates noted alongside rising usage of platforms such as Instagram and Facebook to get viewers thinking differently. These emotional triggers move many from seeing social media positively or neutrally to negative. Consequently this may lead to completely doubting its value entirely.

Personally, viewing The Social Dilemma changed my thoughts deeply. I had thought of social media mostly as a good tool for connecting with friends while following news stories. But after watching the documentary, my view towards seeing these platforms as designs to trap us in addiction made me reevaluate my interaction with it for daily use.

2. Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)

The Elaboration Likelihood Model details two methods of persuading: one central method requiring deep thought about messages, while another superficial relying on surface cues like messenger’s physical attributes or emotions like trustworthiness. The Social Dilemma skillfully mixes both techniques for its audience.

The documentary grabs viewers through the central path by presenting strong arguments showing how social media networks manipulate users’ actions. For example, when it explains algorithms' role in creating “filter bubbles” that just repeat user biases makes audiences think critically about what they witness. Such analysis evokes deeper processing typical of central routes seen where platforms like Facebook can tap into users’ psychological trends causing extended scrolling without awareness of time passing. Continually, these thorough posts target those keen for insight into people's behaviors swayed by outside elements.

Meanwhile, it uses peripheral approaches through strong visuals that stir feelings... and trustful, strong interviews with firsthand knowledge for better persuading. The tech workers interviewed in the movie give good reasons cause they know crucial entail from working on these platforms within the industry. The stories about teens with social media-related worries and sadness also hit viewers in a strong way, helping the film's purpose reach more people.

After seeing The Social Dilemma, I felt a push to change what I do on social media. The mix of clear points (central processing) and touching tales (peripheral processing) came together to get me to cut back on social media and think twice about how, when, and why I use it the way I do. Before, I saw social media as a big part of my life, but the film’s ways of persuading made me really think about how much I depend on these sites for satisfaction that will never truly come.

3. Features and Traits: Age & Persuasion

One big persuasive move in The Social Dilemma is its focus on age being a factor in getting persuaded. From class, we learned that kids and younger people are easy targets for persuasion. This may be the case if they do not fully get why persuasive messages exist (Straker, 2020). This weakness shows up strongly in the film with teenagers influenced by social media tricks.

The film shows how social media hits younger users harder by taking advantage of their growing minds and feelings. It points out that algorithms aim at teens with content that keeps them hooked, leading to more anxiety, depression, and even suicide among this demogrphic. By showing that young folks are especially open to sneaky tactics from social media, the movie raises worries in viewers’ minds, especially parents wondering what role these sites have in their children's everyday lives.

As a young adult myself, this part of the film struck home for me. I thought back to my teenage days when social media impacted my self-worth and views of life even more than they do today. I recall feeling nervous about my online image while chasing likes and comments for approval. Watching The Social Dilemma brought those feelings back and made me see how manipulative these platforms can be; this is especially true for younger users who struggle more with judging themself and what they see through social media.

Reflection

Looking at The Social Dilemma through lenses like Social Judgment Theory, Elaboration Likelihood Model, and Traits & Characteristics like age has helped me learn how media can shape public thought and personal actions. The documentary shows how convincing talks can change opinions with SJT, pull viewers in with both reasoned thoughts and or peripheral/emotional process ELM, plus focus on specific traits like age for stronger influence.

This writing assignment not only broadened my grasp of persuasion methods but also changed how I'll look at the media I consume from now on. I now see it's key to engage critically with messages seen in documentaries or other forms instead of just accepting everything. As I keep using varied media outlets, I'll be more aware of persuasive tricks used and more careful about their effects on how I think and act.

References

Orlowski, J. (Director). (2020). The Social Dilemma [Film]. Exposure Labs. Netflix.

Gass, R. H., & Seiter, J. S. (2018). Persuasion: Social influence and compliance gaining (7th ed.). Routledge.

Petty, R. E., & Cacioppo, J. T. (1986). The elaboration likelihood model of persuasion. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 19, 123-205. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(08)60214-2

Sherif, C. W., Sherif, M., & Nebergall, R. E. (1965). Attitude and attitude change: The social judgment-involvement approach. W.B. Saunders Company.

Straker, D. (2020). Age and persuasion. Changing Minds. https://changingminds.org/techniques/general/age_persuasion.htm