Everybody on MUTE

When I leave the house, my checklist always goes, "Car keys? Check. Phone? Check. Wallet? Check. Phone... Double check." Mobile devices are so essential to our daily lives that it is nearly impossible to function without them effectively. The innovation of cell phones has ultimately shaped our lives and routines around the function of using them. The devices we carry are so powerful that trends from one part of the globe can influence the other. 


On May 10, 2023, in Stockholm, Beyonce's Renaissance World Tour began, and the mobile app TikTok went crazy, showcasing the different parts of her performance. The most popular part of her show was her performing the sound "Energy," where she uses the lyrics, "Look around, everybody on mute..." and pauses the song for a moment, then continues singing. When the tour began, no one participated in the moment of silence due to not knowing. As the tour continued, by August 14, on her third night in Atlanta, Georgia, everyone was fully aware that when she sang her line, the stadium must remain silent until she began again. That was all because of the power of mobile devices and mobile-friendly applications like TikTok and Instagram. 





According to a blog called August Ash, as of 2016, mobile traffic has surpassed desktop traffic on the internet. People are constantly using their phones to access things that once were typically accessed on a computer. Since the overtaking of mobile, it is highly imperative for groups, businesses, organizations, etc., to ensure that their online presence is accessible via mobile and is mobile-friendly for their users. 


What does the term “mobile-friendly” really mean? Simply put, if a website is accessed from a cell phone or other handheld device, and all the elements are scaled to fit the screen efficiently, and the navigation of the content is optimized in a user-friendly way that is mobile-friendly. Why is the concept even important? Mobile-friendly content increases companies, brands, and groups’ likelihood of being seen by users, improves user experience and helps generate leads for the organizations. 


 Circling back to Queen Bey and the power of mobile-friendly internet… Originally called Musical.ly, TikTok was released in 2016. They really gained popularity during the pandemic, seeing as though most people had the free time to understand how to use, in my opinion, once not-so-mobile-friendly mobile app. As the app attained more and more success, it changed from a platform where children would do popular dances to an app where creativity was at the forefront with user-friendly in-app editing tools and filters. Because the app creators saw a need to upgrade and create a better user experience for the mobile app, they were able to attract and retain over a billion active monthly users, becoming the most downloaded and used social media platform. 


To put it in perspective, in three months, Beyonce’s “On Mute” Challenge was only successful in being able to make thousands of people in one stadium give a cued moment of silence because of the mobile-friendliness of TikTok. Many people used the app to show their experience at the tour and how their concert group did in comparison to everyone else's when it came to being silent. This was made in part by the ease users experienced when using TikTok, proving how mobile-first engineering is the future and should always be catered to when showing up online. And just a little sidenote… I attended the third show of the Rennaisance World Tour in Atlanta, and the Queen herself said we were the best show she’s performed for thus far in the tour, and we were the actual winners of the challenge. 



The most important takeaway is that mobile is still the future. We have been in a mobile-first era for a long time, but there is still so much innovation and exploration that has yet to be uncovered. Any group that is not showing up in the online space catering to a mobile experience is doing their user and, ultimately, themselves a complete disservice. Mobile first, mobile-friendly is and will continue to be the wave of technology.


Comments

  1. Tyra's Thoughts - 6630September 11, 2023 at 1:15 PM

    First and foremost, I would like to say I love the title of your blog! As a Beyonce fan myself, I immediately caught the reference. I saw the Beyonce show her first night in Atlanta, and I love how you tied the Mute challenge into the connectivity we share with our peers online. Beyonce has been touring world wide and somehow, in every place she's gone to in the USA, everyone knows about this mute challenge and how it works. The power of the internet is allowing us to connect with people from all over the world. Beyonce fans were able to all get on one accord to enjoy this part of the show, and that proves just how powerful the internet can be, because there are millions of us fans! This also shows how much we really are a mobile-first society. Most of us learned about this challenge via Tik Tok or some other online platform. Most people access online platforms from their mobile devices. Without cellphones, the word about the Mute challenge wouldn't have carried as far. Great job tying in pop culture references into the curriculum! As we discussed last week, incorporating social media into the curriculum is super important for journalism and communications students today. This is an awesome example of how media professors can go about this. Great job, JaTavia!

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