UFCJC Online Master’s Adjunct Instructor Discusses Going Viral Online
Dustin York, an adjunct instructor for the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) online master’s program, is featured in the “Today in Tech” podcast episode, “The Art and Science of Going Viral in 2025,” posted on March 18. He teaches the courses “Social Media and Emerging Technology” and “The Science of Going Viral.”
In the episode, York and host Keith Shaw discuss why so many companies struggle with social media branding and whether they are trying too hard on their social channels.
According to York, “This idea of content creation and getting content to a million views—traditionally, that hasn’t been taught in college. Social media courses have focused on campaigns and building a following slowly. But I thought, how can we make this online class different?”
York designed a unique 16-week course on how to go viral online. “The old-school way of going viral—like YouTube in the early days—was totally different. If you had a viral video on YouTube 10 years ago, you were going to get a book deal, a TV appearance, or even a board game. Today, no. You can get a million views and be forgotten by next week.”
“Platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels dominate now, and YouTube is much harder to go viral on,” said York. “If you go viral on TikTok, that doesn’t necessarily translate to sales or brand growth the way YouTube virality used to. You have to plan ahead: What does your page look like? What’s your bio? What links do you have? What’s the call to action? You can’t just say, Oh wow, I went viral and expect results.”
He adds, “Engagement drives visibility. The real differentiator is storytelling. Artificial Intelligence can’t replicate human storytelling.”
“Today in Tech” features the latest technology news and trends happening in the computer industry.
Category: College News
Tagged: Dustin York Podcasts Social Media UFCJC Online Master's Program Viral Social Media
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