X Factor Result Sparks Huge Surge In Social Media Activity
Less than an hour after the shock result in this week's X Factor, public outrage has manifested itself in a massive surge of Twitter and Facebook activity.
Twitscoop, the Twitter traffic analysis tool, records so many X Factor-related trends that they could almost be used to string a sentence together (pic1).A number of Facebook groups have also been set up, encouraging members to 'boycott X Factor', with one apparently growing at around 20 members every 1second (pic2).
But this activity was not going to be sustainable, as many users register their disgust in one or two quick acts like writing a tweet or joining a Facebook group. 45minutes later the surge in Twitter traffic has subsided but the trending topics remain. The public consciousness has flowed together in a mass of anger and frustration, and now it is dissipating (pic3).
However, we would do well to remember that 12 months ago Laura White's exit from the show was met with fierce oposition, with 50,000 complaints sent to OFCOM - the broadcast regulatory body - demanding she be reinstated on the back of speculation votes weren't counted correctly. Initially, it seems the public are less sceptical about the voting system with tonight's result and more dismayed with Simon Cowell's decision not to save Lucie Jones but the show has never been shy of controversy and Cowell himself is no stranger to public shows of disagreement. At the last count, the 'Boycott X Factor' Facebook group has 5,000 members.
Posted by Lyndon Morant
