OUTLINE DRAFT FOR: TECHNOLOGY AND HOW IT AFFECTS THE WAY WE

CONSUME FOOD

I. Introduction Paragraph

A. Hook: Social media is America’s new favorite pastime. Eating has historically

been one of America’s favorite pastimes

B. Introduction of topic: Social media and food communities can be used to bring

people together in the food industry.

C. Thesis: Social media needs to be used by agriculturalists, consumers, producers,

health enthusiasts and doctors to help promote brands, improve public health and

bring people together. It is important to utilize these platforms to encourage

healthy lifestyles and create a wide spread community throughout the entire

world.

II. Body Paragraph 1

A. Main Idea 1: Utilizing social media to promote products, restaurants and brands

will help to create brand awareness amongst users.

i. Subpoint 1: The majority of the country utilizes social media.

A. Evidence: According to a survey conducted, more than 3.5 billion

people use social media daily with the average user consuming

around 15 hours of social media a week, (Pew Research Center,

2021).

B. Follow-up: Using social media outlets can help reach more than 3

billion people world-wide and can promote products quickly,

efficiently and accessibly.

 ii. Subpoint 2: During COVID 19, people started using social media more

for ideas involving diets and recipes.

A. Evidence: Well-known celebrity chiefs started to provide tutorials

for users. Ina Garten started to use Instagram to offer help to her

users in the kitchen. She provides relevant recipes and tips to help

her followers create meals. (foodminds.com)

B. Follow up: Agriculturalists can utilize these celebrity influencers

to promote certain brands and encourage viewers to buy and use

products and support agricultural producers.

iii. Subpoint 3: Social media is almost a surefire way of ensuring the

advertisements and product name are exposed to a broad public.

A. Evidence: According to a study, brand awareness begins with how

the company choses to position the product. Understanding

consumer behavior and creating optimal positioning for a brand

helps to improve consumer perception, (Cheung, et al).

B. Follow-up: If utilized correctly, a social media strategy can help to

improve consumer perception, familiarize viewers with products

and provide the perfect positioning to assist in brand awareness.

III. Body Paragraph 2

B. Main Idea 2: The use of food communities can improve public health.

i. Subpoint 1: Fitness blogs and pages

A. Evidence: “Technology affords tremendous opportunities to

develop precision public health interventions which deliver the

 right intervention, at the right time, for the right person,” (Latif, et

al).

B. Follow up: Different fitness blogs and pages share healthy recipes

and food alternatives for their followers and users.

ii. Subpoint 2: Provides scientific information regarding the food we

consume and what it does or does not do for our bodies.

A. Evidence: “Social media is a valuable tool that can be used to

educate, collaborate and advocate for good health,” (Nguyen, et

al).

B. Follow up: Doctors, nutritionists, fitness experts and users alike

can share nutritional facts regarding caloric intake, the value of

proteins and fiber as well as other scientific information not

commonly known.

iii. Subpoint 3: Social media is typically free for use and can be a cheaper

and more affordable option for users.

Evidence: “Many social media platforms are free to the public use. If utilized correctly, it can
reach millions of viewers at no cost to
A. the user or the contributor.” (Medoza, et al.)

B. Social media outlets such as Instagram and Twitter can be used as

an interactive space to promote healthy behaviors and alternatives.

II. Body Paragraph 3

A. Main Idea 3: Using social media and food communities can help bridge the gap

between producers and consumers and promote modern agricultural practices.

 i. Subpoint 1: Food communities through social media can “give a face” to

the modern agriculturalist.

A. Evidence: “The instantly accessible nature of social media is ideal

for implementing a dialogue, managing and educating the

audience,” (challegeadvisory.com).

B. Follow-up: Agriculturalists can use these formats to educate the

general public about modern agriculture.

ii. Subpoint 2: Social media can be used to promote new agricultural

technology.

A. Evidence: “A large majority of the population have no idea how

their food is produced or the machines used to produce it, (MSU

Extension).

B. Follow up: Farmers and ranchers can use platforms like Tik Tok

to explain the production process and the machines used to

produce the crops harvested.

iii. Subpoint 3: Social media can help provide educational information to

consumers about the food they are buying.

A. Evidence: “Utilizing social media can increase consumer

knowledge exponentially. The use of social media allows farmers

and ranchers the opportunity to inform a large audience with little

to know input costs. It is an effective way to educate the public,”

(Darnton).
 B. Follow up: There are various agricultural issues in the U.S. alone

that need to be addressed. Producers can inform the general public

on a large scale and provide information to allow consumers to

make an educated decision.

IV. Conclusion

A. Paraphrase Thesis: Social media and food communities can be utilized to increase

consumer brand awareness, promote products, improve public health and fitness and

inform the general public about agricultural issues, products and technology.

B. Summarize main points: Because social media offers multiple free platforms, it is a

cost-effective way of promoting brand awareness for products, restaurants and food. With

a large majority of the world utilizing social media, it appeals to a larger and more

diverse audience. The use of food communities can help encourage a healthy lifestyle by

sharing recipes and fitness advice. Doctors and health enthusiasts can provide

information to assist users with information regarding public health. Finally,

agriculturalists can optimize the use of food communities through social media to

promote modern agriculture and educate consumers about the food they are eating and

the benefits of sustainable agriculture.

C. Final Conclusion: Technology will continuously become more advanced. It is important

that we all capitalize on its availability and affordability to promote our brands and

stories to connect with a wide range of users worldwide.

 Annotated Bibliography

Scholarly Articles

Cheung, M. L., Pires, G. D., & Rosenberger III, P. J. (2019). Developing a conceptual model for

examining social media marketing effects on brand awareness and brand image.

International Journal of Economics and Business Research, 17(3), 243.

https://doi.org/10.1504/ijebr.2019.10019330

This article was published by authors Latif, Islam and Mdnoor in 2014 to explain a conceptual

model they developed to break down how to build brand awareness on social media. The authors

explained that building a strong brand awareness will help companies to create advantages

within the marketplace to help them enhance reputation of the company. They explained how to

build brand awareness and expressed the importance of social media in building brand

awareness. This journal has been in publication for eight years and specializes in scientific

studies and research. All research published must be approved by the board of educators who

review the data to ensure reliable information. That is why I think this article is extremely

beneficial for my paper. It explains the concept of brand awareness and describes the benefit of

brand awareness for company growth.

Choice Source

Julia Darnton, Michigan State University Extension. (2022, January 21). Using social media to

connect people with agriculture. MSU Extension.

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/using_social_media_to_connect_people_with_agricultur

Published in 2022 by Michigan State University Extension explains the benefit social media

offers with regards to communicating with the public for farmers, ranchers and agriculturalists.
Using social media can help producers create a close connection with customers. By regularly

updating social media, producers can explain the benefits of different food products, when to buy

them, when markets have closed and can answer any questions consumers may have. Michigan

State University Extension has more than 100 years of experience with helping people to address

issues, needs and opportunities involving agriculture, horticulture, floriculture and other related

fields. MSU Extension focus on specific programs to assist the general public. This article was

published by a non-profit organization who's primary focus is to inform the public with science

and knowledge to help them with everyday problems. This article is unbiased and timely, which

is why I think it's a great source for my paper.

Internet Website

L. (2020, April 2). Digital Food Communities: How The Food Industry Is Using Social Media To

Create A Virtual Kitchen. FoodMinds. https://foodminds.com/food-thoughts/food-

thoughts-items/digital-food-communities-how-the-food-industry-is-using-social-media-

to-create-a-virtual-kitchen/.

Foodminds.com is a social blog sharing website that began in January of 2020 and focuses on

publishing articles that highlight the ever-growing popularity of the food industry. This websites

group of authors help to inform their users about prevalent and popular food recipes and

restaurants. This particular article describes how food communities on social media have helped

to create a large community of likeminded people through the use of social media. The article

explains the use of celebrity chefs to interact with users through social media. I think this article

is valid and reliable because although none of the information is scientific, it is something I can

research to ensure its validity. I think it’s a good source to utilize for my paper because it is a

perfect example of how social media can be used to develop food communities.
Scholarly Article

Mendoza-Herrera, K., Valero-Morales, I., Ocampo-Granados, M. E., Reyes-Morales, H., Arce-

Amaré, F., & Barquera, S. (2020). An Overview of Social Media Use in the Field of

Public Health Nutrition: Benefits, Scope, Limitations, and a Latin American Experience.

Preventing Chronic Disease, 17. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd17.200047

This peer reviewed article was published in 2020 and evaluated the use of social media to help

promote public health and encourage a healthy lifestyle. The authors of this research study

evaluated the affordability of social media and the accessibility of different platforms for

minority groups. Their abstract concluded that several institutions have integrated the use of

social media to improve and promote public health. The journal that published the research study

emphasizes the importance of good public health and focuses on preventing diseases such as

obesity and heart disease. It publishes four volumes a year with around 60 studies a volume. I

think this source will be a great one to use for my paper because it puts in perspective how we

can use a free service to promote food communities and use those food communities to help with

public health.

Choice Source

Nguyen, Bhuyan, et al. “Social Media for Doctors: Taking Professional and Patient Engagement

to the Next Level.” National Library of Medicine, vol. 39, no. 7, July 2019.

This 2019 research article describes the growing use of social media in modern medicine. This

study was conducted in 2019 to explain how social media has positively effected public health.

The researchers explained that doctors, dieticians and health enthusiasts have used social media

platforms to inform users about information regarding science. This journal specializes in
information regarding only medical information and the authors research proved that the use of

social media does improve public health. This journal is peer reviewed and has fact checkers to

ensure the truth behind the research it publishes. I think it’s an incredibly reliable source for my

paper because it provides valid information on research conducted about social media and how it

can be used to improve public health which is one of my main ideas.

Multimedia/Video Source

Promoting Agriculture Through Social Media, Farm Monitor, 12 Jan. 2019, Accessed 6 June

2022.

It is essential that agriculturalists begin to capitalize on the social media movement. With more

than half of the U.S. population using social media daily, producers could decrease the gap

of disconnect between producers and consumers. This 2019 video was created to help

educate viewers about the use of social media and the different platforms that are available

along with the cost of each platform. The director of this video focused on breaking down

the demographics of the applications and explaining what form of communication is used

with each app. The interviewee, Jessica Wood, a communications specialist out of

Madison, WI, explains that it is important for farmers and ranchers to optimize the use of

social media to connect with the general public. This video was published by The Farm

Monitor organization that provides information to the general public and producers on how

to better connect with one another. I do think this unbiased company provides truthful

information in an easy to understand format, which makes it an excellent source for the

paper.
Popular News Source

Social Media Fact Sheet. (2022, January 11). Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech.

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-media/.

Published in April of 2021, this article was published based on research conducted by Pew

Research Center to explain and articulate the number of people in the world who utilize social

media. In American, alone, more than 72% of the public use some type of social media. This

article also breaks down the demographics of the people who use social media and the type of

social media that they use. Pew Research Center is a non-profit organization that informs the

public about issues and trends that are occurring in present day. They conduct public opinion

polling, demographic research, and other social science research. They pride themselves on not

taking policy positions and remaining unbiased. It’s goal is to enrich the public and provide

unbiased information to the public to allow for each person to make his or her own decisions.

Because of this, I think this is a very reliable source of information. They also have fact checkers

who ensure the validity of the information they are receiving. I think this source is great to use

for the essay because it will help to give a figure to the number of people who use social media

every day.

Government Document

The influence of social media in agriculture. (2018, September 13). Challenge Advisory.

https://www.challenge.org/knowledgeitems/the-influence-of-social-media-in-agriculture/.

Advancements in technology have been overtaking our world for the past several decades. The

agricultural industry has experienced a tremendous amount of growth and development. This

2018 article discusses the benefit of utilizing modern technology, like social media to promote

the agricultural progress that has been made. Ben Watts explains that using social media
platforms can work to change public perception by educating the public and helping them to

form an educated opinion about agriculture. The Challenge Advisory website is a strategy

consulting agency that works with experts all across the globe to combine scientific facts and

technology with a business strategy to help support it's users. This site prides itself in providing

unbiased and truthful information to it's users to help those users create their own educated

opinions on various subjects. It's because of this fact, that I think this website is an excellent

choice for my paper because it provides information about why agriculturalists should utilize

social media and its various platforms.

 Works Cited

Cheung, M. L., Pires, G. D., & Rosenberger III, P. J. (2019). Developing a conceptual model for

examining social media marketing effects on brand awareness and brand image.

International Journal of Economics and Business Research, 17(3), 243.

https://doi.org/10.1504/ijebr.2019.10019330

Julia Darnton, Michigan State University Extension. (2022, January 21). Using social media to

connect people with agriculture. MSU Extension.

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/using_social_media_to_connect_people_with_agricultur

L. (2020, April 2). Digital Food Communities: How The Food Industry Is Using Social Media To

Create A Virtual Kitchen. FoodMinds. https://foodminds.com/food-thoughts/food-

thoughts-items/digital-food-communities-how-the-food-industry-is-using-social-media-

to-create-a-virtual-kitchen/.

Mendoza-Herrera, K., Valero-Morales, I., Ocampo-Granados, M. E., Reyes-Morales, H., Arce-

Amaré, F., & Barquera, S. (2020). An Overview of Social Media Use in the Field of

Public Health Nutrition: Benefits, Scope, Limitations, and a Latin American Experience.

Preventing Chronic Disease, 17. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd17.200047

Nguyen, Bhuyan, et al. “Social Media for Doctors: Taking Professional and Patient Engagement

to the Next Level.” National Library of Medicine, vol. 39, no. 7, July 2019.

Social Media Fact Sheet. (2022, January 11). Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech.

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-media/.