The impact of social media on storm chasing

[John Farley]

Obviously there are so many downsides to social media, but one positive I can’t ignore is that it gives many more chasers the opportunity to make it their livelihood . I can’t imagine we would have as many full time chasers as we do now without social media, although I guess that is up to interpretation whether that is a good or bad thing. But there are people who have turned doing what they loved most into a full time job, and I think that’s pretty awesome. I personally would love an opportunity to chase full time once I’m old enough.

I have my doubts as to how many full-time chasers there are out there that actually support themselves through chasing. I know there are some, like RT whom we all talk about a lot, but I have my doubts as to how many others there actually are. Social media is set up more to make money for the social media companies than for their users, although I know there are some users who make good money off of it. How many of these are storm chasers posting primarily about their chases, though, I have my doubts. I would guess not very many.

 

[Warren Faidley]

I have my doubts as to how many full-time chasers there are out there that actually support themselves through chasing. I know there are some, like RT whom we all talk about a lot, but I have my doubts as to how many others there actually are. Social media is set up more to make money for the social media companies than for their users, although I know there are some users who make good money off of it. How many of these are storm chasers posting primarily about their chases, though, I have my doubts. I would guess not very many.

Being in the business, kind of, I would guess the only individuals making a genuine, good living from chasing are Timmer, Ryan Hall and possibly a tour operator(s). Other individuals make some money, but not enough to completely support themselves comfortably over time without other forms of income. This would include trust funds, inheritance, spouse income, etc. I know some people can chase on a budget, but it's not a living that will provide for a family or take you comfortabley into retirement years.

I no longer make a living from chasing. Not even close. Photography imploded with advent of cell phones and free distributions on the Internet. Sponsors disappeared after Storm Chasers hit the airwaves and corporations decided "chasers" posed significant risk management and PR issues. I lost a $75k gig with a home improvement company the moment a manager saw the idiots on Storm Chasers screaming and driving like fools, even though I pleaded that was not the way I pursued weather.

Social media-derived income is a trap for several reasons. It forces a chaser to do things they would never do before. Unless you are providing the most insane, close-up footage, no one is going to follow or worship you. This comes with great risk, both physically and legally should you kill someone via your agressive antics. I do believe social media will eventually change, likley in ways we cannot predict. They could ban live chasing or more likley, new, younger and even more insane chasers will steal the limelight away from the current kings. Live, AI-generated coverage is also a possibility.

 

[Jason N]

I admit, I haven't watched any of Ryan Hall's material. I think because the thumbnails look so overhyped with words/phrases and over saturated colors, for me it caters to people needing stimulation. Now, not having watched it, I can't comment on the material being presented so, perhaps someone here can expound a little to say, it's good or its just overhyped garbage as there are a few I have come across on YouTube that are very much in the business of sales, with no depth or communications skills.

 

[Warren Faidley]

Ryan does a good job of covering major events on social media and he's come a long way since his early days. He has a great crew including a very well-versed meteorologist (Andy), who assists him. He's 10x better than TWC for local events -- especially without commericals. A lot of his popularity arises from an excellent crew of chasers / spotters. They are generally responsible and professional individuals, like Brad Arnold. I'm glad some of the more irresponsible chasers are no longer connected with him, as it was a liability lawsuit just waiting to happen.

If I lived in an outlooked area, I would watch him, along with local coverage. He's also an excellent source to watch live while chasing, e.g., responding for EMS duties, as he also provides damage reports. I don't mind exotic graphics, as long as the theme is not designed to over-hype a questionable event too far out.

He is no doubt the pioneer of live severe weather coverage on social media. Many chasers are emulating his format. Some are laughfable while others are trying to provide live, extreme clown chasing antics, which a lot of people enjoy watching, hoping something violent happens.

 

[Jason N]

Ryan does a good job of covering major events on social media and he's come a long way since his early days. He has a great crew including a very well-versed meteorologist (Andy), who assists him. He's 10x better than TWC for local events -- especially without commericals. A lot of his popularity arises from an excellent crew of chasers / spotters. They are generally responsible and professional individuals, like Brad Arnold. I'm glad some of the more irresponsible chasers are no longer connected with him, as it was a liability lawsuit just waiting to happen.

If I lived in an outlooked area, I would watch him, along with local coverage. He's also an excellent source to watch live while chasing, e.g., responding for EMS duties, as he also provides damage reports. I don't mind exotic graphics, as long as the theme is not designed to over-hype a questionable event too far out.

He is no doubt the pioneer of live severe weather coverage on social media. Many chasers are emulating his format. Some are laughfable while others are trying to provide live, extreme clown chasing antics, which a lot of people enjoy watching, hoping something violent happens.

Thanks for the feedback, Warren. Yeah, I think I had seen some others that did a lot of that overhyped graphics and bad presentation styles prior to me seeing his channel, so I was like, "oh god not another one!", which was the reason for my skepticism right away. I'll give him a try based on the recommendation.

 

[Jeff Duda]

I have many comments inspired by this thread.

1) First off, as the now owner of Stormtrack, I want to thank everyone who has offered their thoughts in this thread a major THANK YOU from me personally. As most of you have commented or recognized, Stormtrack sees very little engagement these days, both compared to social media, and to its own past (pre-2010). But the amount of high quality posts in this thread illustrates that Stormtrack still has a beating heart - a core of members who still care about the fundamental passions that drive storm chasing as a passionate hobby and/or scientific pursuit of truth. I am so heartened to see it! Thank you again, and I hope you all continue to contribute to the still-growing body of meaningful content on this site. In fact, I have to wonder if this entire thread could serve as a basis for a chapter in the 50th anniversary anthology.

2) Regarding the impact of social media on chasing: there's little I can add (several of you have stated the most important and largest points on the topic). I feel similarly as those of you who have posted on the impacts on our attention span, the dopamine rush, and the reconfiguring of our psyches that social media has caused. To add to Jim's suggestion of some good book reads, I will add:

• The Shallows: What the Internet is doing to our brains - by Nicholas Carr

• Stolen Focus by Johann Hari
• I've also come to be familiar with the work of social psychologist Jonathan Haidt. He has (co)authored several books relevant to this topic, and has a whole web page devoted to discussing his research on the impacts of social media on us. This dovetails with his new book release - The Anxious Generation - which I have on my reading list. While I doubt you'll see any specific mentions of a niche community like storm chasing specifically used as examples in Haidt's work, I have no doubts that the exact same principles are at work in our little corner of the world.

3) I apologize for not having addressed this thread sooner. It appears to have run its course for now (maybe my post will bump it a bit and get more conversation going, but if it doesn't, I think the thread has been a huge success on this forum). I have not had the chance to read every single post; I did detailed readings of the posts on page 1, but then largely skimmed most of the rest of it. In doing so, I did capture some comments lamenting the pioneers or older "veteran" chasers who are no longer active here.

I used to think that these people stopped participating either because their egos got too big as well, or because they felt pushed out by the newer/younger generation of incoming storm chasers (the "Reed Timmer era" as someone referenced it) not really seeing things the way they did, or by the general disgust of the rise of social media. While I don't doubt those factors play a significant role, I want to offer an additional factor that I have not yet seen mentioned - an increasingly busy life. This has become especially apparent to me as I, myself, have noticed an increase in my level of life activity over the past few years, to the point where it starts to interfere with my ability to continue to chase or to participate as much on this forum. My job responsibilities have increased as I have begun to approach the mid-career phase in life (I have been at my current position at CU/CIRES and NOAA/GSL for over six years now and am approaching the 10-year anniversary of completing my PhD), and also as I have become married (again) and begun the steps of starting a family and living in a house. These things take up more of my time, and they are factors that didn't use to be there for me. I would guess a lot of the older folks have experienced similar changes in their own lives (children growing up but not yet left the house, increased work responsibilities - especially if moving into a managerial position).

<acknowledgement that the following paragraph is an off-topic drift>
I also ponder the factor of a drift away from the passion of the hobby itself. As I have lamented in previous threads, the overall activity of severe weather in the Plains appears to be on a long-term drop (thinking especialy starting in 2017 and continuing through 2024). Although my non-weather life circumstances have contributed, this apparent lack of consistent quality chase setups over the past 5-10 years has definitely served to reduce my desire to go out and chase. I noticed back in 2021 when I busted repeatedly in a short stretch in May that the pain of going out only to be out of position or have to drive 200 miles at 90 mph to get to the location of storms only to end up 200 miles further away from home, or just flat out busting, was way more intense than the pain I felt from missing a good event within a chaseable distance from home. I started getting really irritated at taking 6 hours out of my day and draining a whole gas tank for absolutely nothing positive for me. It really turned me off. Since that year I have only chased 2 times, including 0 chases in 2022. I wonder if some of the older folks simply "got their fill" of the dark side of mother nature and decided it wasn't something they wanted to prioritize in their dwindling time alive. I have also discovered other passions that are more dependable (such as mountain hiking in the summer) that have taken a substantial share of the energy I once devoted to storm chasing. But tying this back into the main topic, social media probably only had a second- or third-order impact on this particular aspect of my reduced participation.
</off-topic drift, sorry>

 

[Jason N]

I don't think it's off topic too much to say that "life" has to be a part of the overall sub-dermal equation of something like "passion/hobby" such as storm chasing is. When your passion is high, you're researching more intensely, your wallet is aimed there as well. I certainly think that your source location is a heavy contributing factor in the mathematics of expense to get to where your hobby lies. (coming from Australia vs. coming from SC, or actually living in the plains all of the time.)

Before social media hit hard, I assumed chasing was tant amount to the Skull and Bones society, where no one really knew about going on trips to stare into the abyss unless you had "special access", with gatherings at a certain secret location, inside universities, clubs, a certain restaurant, a clue in weather magazines. I assumed the groups were undoubtedly small with only the hard-core hobbyists/experts paying the fees or students doing papers that were economically supportive for it.

Over time, TWC's entrance certainly influenced pre-computer/internet (social/media) to focus on storms, severe, NSSL was a whole new phraseology that opened pandoras box to the world of Severe weather. As time went on, sensing/directing technology became cheaper/available for the masses, and the spread/increase in internet tech/speed increased, seemingly, the sustained and larger factors of outside forces of economics/life position (gas, plane tickets, rentals individual or group sharing the costs when juxtaposed to the individual's life factors of age, experience, family, health, personal drive and dedication may also have evolved. I would say this is kind of boiler plate for everyone, it just has a variable effect on each person I think.

A loose construct

A Civilian tornado chase hobby is formed.
- costs of hobby over time
- dedication over time (study / conference, skills, certificates)
- success vs. failure (define success or failure in a hobby)
- life change factors/influence
- outside forces/factors (Economics, illness, family obligations)

Your job is also your hobby (Meteorologist)
- I may get paid to do my job/hobby
- changes the dedication, if you love your job.
- Life change factors (career growth/personal growth)
- outside forces/factors
- Success Vs. failure (No meteorologist is 100% all the time; but the pursuit drives many)


So, in a sense and agnostic to social media behaviors, trends, effects on actions, psychii and all of the distractions, "life" and your position and status within it, is actually a real part of this endeavor many of us want and try to lead. I consider chasing in its purest sense a form of a ying/yang science/spiritual connection. that may be a silly concept for some, but I think it plays a part in what draws me to it.

On a separate note:
One thing Jeff mentioned that just suddenly sparked a thought was 2017 to now drought in Severe Weather. Has there been any correlation to Decadal Ocean cycles that influence Severe Weather droughts?

 

[Warren Faidley]

Interesting points. I think the only reason I'm still hanging on, along with a handful of 35+ year veterans is because I'm still the adventure junkie I've been since age 9-10 when an elementary school teacher wrote on my report card, "Warren spends way too much time looking out the window instead of looking at books," or something like that.

I've driven through Earth, TX, Boise City, OK and Lamar, Colorado more times than I can count, but I still enjoy passing through countless, familiar intersections and towns that have barely changed since I began chasing tornadoes in 1987. As Jeff and others have noted, the odds of encountering something like Campo has faded in recent years -- but it's not zero odds. The difference is that I'm no longer going bonkers, pulling the handle of the tornado slot machine like a rabid monkey. A good steak and Weller bourbon after a chase with old friends is a fine reward on a bust day. I'm not going to sell a picture for $30k now days!

I generally no longer care about what occurs on social media, unless it's something positive that contributes to my journeys, education or enjoyment. I have little concern anymore about the idiot clown division (ICD) of storm chasing. Those entities are blocked and / or removed from my social media apps and thoughts, as though the Men in Black zapped me with the memory eraser.

 

[Todd Lemery]

There may indeed be a bit of a drop in people chasing setups outside their local area. Part of that may be the time factor as Jeff alluded to. That’s seems to be a factor in fewer people volunteering for anything nowadays. It’s a rare volunteer fire department that’s fully staffed now.

It may be changing soon if the movie Tornadoes, referred to as Twisters 2, is a big success. The original movie increased interest in storm chasing that just doesn’t happen every day. On a personal note, I get asked a lot to take people chasing all the time. I can’t do it, but there already is a strong amount of people who would love to go chasing. They just need a bit of a nudge to take the next step.

 

[JamesCaruso]

I wonder if some of the older folks simply "got their fill" of the dark side of mother nature and decided it wasn't something they wanted to prioritize in their dwindling time alive.

I don’t consider myself one of the “older folks”… Although I am older than some on here, I think of the “older folks” as those who started chasing well before me. That group includes people that are older in age, as well as the same age. Anyway, that’s just for context. As my chronological age also advances, and my own time dwindles, I can actually say I’d like to prioritize chasing *more*, not less. It’s something I remain passionate about, and I regret having only been able to do it a lousy two weeks per year. Add up the weeks of my chasing career, and they barely add up to one full year, and of course that does not mean a year of actual chase days. After sacrificing for career and family all these years, I hope for the opportunity to chase more - currently through a remote working arrangement, and soon enough (3-5 years?) in retirement. (Although, to the point about bad seasons, I had the ability to work remotely for the first time in 2023 but still left after just two weeks because nothing was happening - until the unusually late activity that seemed to keep going, but after I needed to be back home).

I seriously thought of quitting out of frustration back in 2019, but that feeling didn’t last long. At this point I think I’m pretty committed and can’t see stopping. That doesn’t mean I’m super hard-core though. Even on chase vacations there are days I’ll pass on. I never forgot that my chase trips were also supposed to be vacations, and as such I was never willing to (for example) drive six hours for a marginal setup if I would then have to drive six hours back to where I started for Day 2. And once I’m home from a chase trip, there are many other things I prefer to spend time on than studying technical meteorology to become a better forecaster. Studying technical material is simply not enjoyable, if I even had the time and energy, after 10+ hour days of financial work capped off by a trip to the gym, dinner, and next thing you know it’s already 8pm (and my alarm is set for 5am). But a more structured approach to chase-related learning is something I’d like to spend more time on in retirement.

 

[Ben Sainsbury]

Just wanted to chip in, but on a personal level as someone who lives outside of the US (UK), social media is pretty important to my passion of storm chasing. Growing up I was always fascinating by Meteorology and my whole life was dedicated to taking the path to becoming a weather forecaster. I'm so lucky to be in the position I am now.

Thunderstorms in particular, have always been my number one passion in my life. I grew up watching Storm Chasers on Discovery all the time, and as I grew up and obtained access to social media that passion has only continued to grow. Seeing incredible footage online of severe thunderstorms or tornadoes has always been motivating for me to do what I've always dreamed of doing and that is chasing in the US. As someone who lives in the UK, social media simply allows me to stay involved in the storm chasing/weather community of the US and without it, I would be less informed and I expect my passion for storm chasing would be considerably lower.

Fortunately, I managed to go chasing in the US last May and despite the relatively poor synoptics, it was genuinely everything I'd dreamed of and social media has been a huge part of that. I'm so hooked to US Storm Chasing that I am booked to go out to the US again in a months time. Quite frankly the more I see online, the more I'd love to work in the US one day too, ideally as a meteorologist that also has the ability to go out in the field but I have no idea if this passion are viewed with rose-tinted glasses.

No idea if this is insightful but was hoping some of you may have been interested in an "outsiders" view.

 

[Jason N]

Solid point to the positive on what Social Media can do when distance is amplified from country to country. I feel the same way about Australian Storms in the Outback and have wanted to chase there, as well as South America (for lightning). how often do you get to chase in Europe?, say from France to Poland? or down in the Med where I've seen a lot of reporting of waterspout activity. The ESWD keeps a SPC like track of severe weather/reports over there and it seems liked it's been fairly active over the past 5 years.

 

[Ben Sainsbury]

Solid point to the positive on what Social Media can do when distance is amplified from country to country. I feel the same way about Australian Storms in the Outback and have wanted to chase there, as well as South America (for lightning). how often do you get to chase in Europe?, say from France to Poland? or down in the Med where I've seen a lot of reporting of waterspout activity. The ESWD keeps a SPC like track of severe weather/reports over there and it seems liked it's been fairly active over the past 5 years.

I can't say I've been chasing in Europe yet, for me the US was always classed as the best of the best so that was always going to be the dream for me. That saying, the more I learn about the meteorology over Europe, the more I'm tempted to fly out for a few days should there be a big severe weather outbreak in the near-future.

 

[Jason N]

Having driven over a lot of Western-Central Europe, the road networks while swift, aren't in easy box formations like the Mid-West US , so I would have to imagine it not being the easiest to navigate when off of the A roads. Small towns, a speed limit changes, cameras in certain areas lol.. but I think it could be done, just have to plan differently, if there is a big event, I hope you take some pic's to share!

 

[Jamie H]

Having driven over a lot of Western-Central Europe, the road networks while swift, aren't in easy box formations like the Mid-West US , so I would have to imagine it not being the easiest to navigate when off of the A roads. Small towns, a speed limit changes, cameras in certain areas lol.. but I think it could be done, just have to plan differently, if there is a big event, I hope you take some pic's to share!

Not to mention borders, language changes, and all the rest of it!