Contemporary Consumers: Social and cultural power

Arguably audiences with a more active role in content production have more social and cultural power in relationships between producers and consumers. Interactive audiences are now further blurring the boundaries between content producers and consumers. Consumers of media in new mobile and interactive environments now increasingly create, produce and share content themselves (such as bookmarking, tagging, blogging and Wikis). The changing relationships, between producers and audiences, consist of entities such as prosumers, co-creators and do-it-yourself (DIY) cultures encouraging user-generated content (Banks 2008). In contrast, traditional hierarchical relationships consisted of entities such as corporation, producer, audience and consumer. This hierarchy seemingly took away much of the democratic power and voice of contemporary culture. Henry Jenkins uses fan based content production to demonstrate the lack of democracy within traditional relationships. He claims:

“[fans] lack direct access to the means of commercial cultural production and have only the most limited resources with which to influence entertainment industry’s decision. Fans must beg with the networks to keep their favourite show on the air, must lobby producers to proved desired plot developments or to protect the integrity of favourite characters. (1992, 27)

However, now democratic power is being restored somewhat with the use of new media technologies (such as open source software and the internet) to form niche online communities or subcultures. Jenkins (2002, 158) defines online communities as “expansive self-organising groups focused around the collective production, debate and circulation of meanings, interpretations and fantasies in response to various artefacts of contemporary popular culture.” These online communities focus on networking relationships, pooling resources and working collaboratively on a virtual online space. Audiences can now interact with each other and the media they consume without being limited by geography, demographic, identity and social order.

Contemporary culture consumers, who utilise open source software for user-led creation, now have a greater sense of achievement and belonging within online communities. According to Will Wright (an American computer game designer and co-founder of the game development company, Maxis), “when somebody makes a piece of content, they are so much more emotionally attached to it. It doesn’t even matter if it’s good or bad. If they made it, it’s really cool, and they’re totally interested in what happens to it” (Banks 2008). Therefore, online communities of co-creators and consumer content producers may feel as if they are successfully restoring the balance of democratic cultural power and that they have an influence over the media they consume.

However, the notion that audiences now have more social and cultural power over media organisations is questionable. For example shows like Big Brother, which are popular within contemporary culture, supposedly gives audiences control and cultural power to determine the outcomes within the show and yet voting results are not accurately released. Why are controversial characters that are overwhelmingly nominated and hated within ‘the house’, remaining on the show for as long as they do? Social learning and judgement suggests that society would have the same opinion as ‘housemates’. Why is the community not using its cultural power to influence the outcomes of Big Brother? Is it because cultural power is merely a perception and that media organisations realise that controversy feeds an interest in social groups and keeps audiences involved for longer?

References

Banks, J. 2008. The active audience: User-led Co-creation & the re-negotiation of media power. Queensland University of Technology, KCB301. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/courses/1/KCB301_08se1/content/_1500890_1/KCB301%20Week%201%202008%20internet%20version.ppt?bsession=10472029&bsession_str=session_id=10472029,user_id_pk1=68541,user_id_sos_id_pk2=1,one_time_token=

Jenkins, H. 1992. Textual poachers: television fans & participatory culture. New York: Routledge.

Jenkins, H. 2002. Interactive Audiences. In The New Media Book, ed. D. Harries. 155-170. London: BFI

Producers Vs Consumers: A new relationship

The relationship between producers and consumers is changing.

The relationship between producers and consumers is undergoing significant change. The aim of traditional relationships was to form a stable base of regular consumers, committed to particular formats of tangible production. Therefore, producers tried to attract loyal consumers who would track down content across a range of other platforms (Jenkins 2006). Stable and identified consumers in turn create a demand for products. Smythe (in Toynbee 2006, 108) claims that “the audience consumption creates demand for the advertised good.” However, Banks (2002) argues that new media technologies and the users forming around them are in the process of constructing a very different ‘interactive’ consumer.

Media applications currently play a major role in driving technological innovation within society. New media technologies combined with open source software is becoming increasingly more mobile and interactive (such as laptops and access to the internet). This allows the consumers to access and control how they want to be entertained and the level of their involvement. As Henry Jenkins (2006, 167) claims:

“New Media technologies have profoundly altered the relations between media producers and consumers... The old rhetoric of opposition and co-option assumed a world where consumers had little power to shape media content and there were enormous barriers to entry [for consumers] into the market place.”

Humphreys (2006) uses video games research to support her claim that the relationship between producers and consumers is changing. According to her research, audiences are continually seeking more active roles in their consumption of new media. “Games reorganise the relationship between authors and audiences. Authors of games create environments with rules and goals rather than stories with beginnings, middles and ends. Players co-author the action rather than absorb someone else's version of a story” (Humphreys 2006). Interactive new media (such as video games) now offer the consumer an active role with the opportunity to affect outcomes and create content rather than passively watching media.

User-led content and Co-creators using open source software in online environments now make it difficult for contemporary consumers to be categorised. Subculture membership to online communities is voluntary and members have the ability to belong to more than one community or shift from one to another freely as their interests and needs change (Jenkins 2002). Users in online communities are commonly registered to multiple applications allowing them to write and create content using vehicles of self expression such as like citizen journalism or youtube. Users maintain loyalty to their networked relationships but are constantly searching for new information and new experiences.

Consumers are capable of decoding information and drawing meaning from it in ways that are relevant to them. Consumers are evolving into “human beings who do not respond to media output passively, but who are actively involved, both emotionally and intellectually” (Sternberg 2008). This involvement now gives audiences a greater sense of achievement and belonging resulting in a sense of greater social and cultural power over the media they consume.

References

Banks, J. 2002. Gamers as Co-creators: Enlisting the Virtual Audience – A Report From the Net Face. In Mobilising the Audience, ed. M. Balnaves, T. O’Regan and J. Sternberg, 188-212. St Lucia: University of Queensland Press.

Humphries, S. 2006. In search of the next level. In The Australian, December 6. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20815937-25132,00.html (accessed 22 March 2008).

Jenkins, H. 2002. Interactive Audiences. In The New Media Book, ed. D. Harries. 155-170. London: BFI

Jenkins, H. 2006. Buying into American Idol: How We Are Being Sold on Reality Television. In Convergence Culture. 59-92. New York: New York University Press.

Sternberg, J. 2008. Introduction to audiences. Queensland University of Technology, KCB301. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/courses/1/KCB301_08se1/content/_1500890_1/KCB301%20Week%201%202008%20internet%20version.ppt?bsession=10472029&bsession_str=session_id=10472029,user_id_pk1=68541,user_id_sos_id_pk2=1,one_time_token=

Toynbee, J. 2006. The Media’s View of the Audience. In Media Production, ed. D. Hesmondhalgh, 91-132. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Evidence of intangible growth

Proof: Employment and economic growth within Creative Environments.

The employment numbers of Australia's Creative Industries are growing. Creative industries within Australia have grown by 11.1% attributing to $122, 327 from 2003 – 2005. In comparison, QLD is above the national average and shows a growth rate of 13% equating to an increase of $23, 576 in this new creative economy. Queensland is showing growth 2% higher at 12.3% than the national average of 10.42%(https://wiki.cci.edu.au/display/NMP/Businesses+in+the+Creative+Industries).

Within Australia, the Creative Industries has predominantly a small business focus with almost 45,000 or 39% being individual sole traders and almost 49,000 or 42% being private companies (https://wiki.cci.edu.au/display/NMP/1.+The+Findings). The ABC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation found that in the year 2001, 437,000 people were employed in the creative industries. This accounted for 5.4% of the Annual Australian Workforce. In total, the value of wages and salaries within the creative Industries in 2001 equate to $20.8 billion.

Creative industries employment is harnessing the potential of a participatory culture. Knowledge, expertise and skills are being transformed into economic value within information rich environments. As creative industries employment continues to grow, this provides further evidence that there is a changing value within Australia’s economy from tangible production to intangible consumption.

A term for the new era of networking

e-Luv


e-Luv is an indescribable deep euphoric feeling of satisfaction associated with either receiving or sending forms of electronic communication. Electronic communication includes receiving or sending email, mobile phone text or picture messages, myspace messaging or myspace friend requests.

e-Luv generates an exciting and interesting sensation. It warms the heart, puts a smile on your face and creates an instant feeling of satisfaction in the pit of your stomach.

Once e-Luv has been experienced, life feels brighter and happier. The recipient instantly feels acknowledged, appreciated, wanted, needed, loved and important resulting in an immediate sense of gratification. The sender experiences sensations of allegiance, attachment and enjoyment from sharing some e-Luv. However, the power of e-Luv is so great that often the sender expects some e-Luv in return.


1. When you get a phone message, someone’s giving you some e-Luv.

Jill: ‘Hey Jack, your phone just went off. You just got a message.’
Jack: ‘Sweet… Someone sent me some e-Luv.’

2. Received new Myspace messages or friend requests? You got some e-Luv.

3. By sending and receiving emails you are sharing some e-Luv.

Web 2.0 - the upgrade

Currently there is a growing trend of replicating the relationships and experiences of a physical world to that of an online virtual community. The values within communities is alwasy changing. From that of tangible to intangible assests. Accessibility to information is valuable and users that are able to interpret/evaluate that information will generate knowledge and wisdom to succeed in a changing economic and intangible environment.

Web 2.0 is introducing new intangible methods, structures or platforms in which to communicate with others in an online environment. The internet provides users an abundance of information at their finger tips. Web 2.0 communication is enablining users to not simply read this information but evaluate it and reproduce it quickly and effectively. One way communication is seemingly a principle of the past. Now, audiences respond to interactivity and a feeling of 'making a difference.' Now with Web 2.0 this is made possible.

How do online communities organise themselves?

Why, how and what specifically does it require to form online communities?

Online communities emerge from people in society on many levels of geographic (such as global, local and hyperlocal) and social structure who share common interests. These often niche groups continue or maintain interaction and interest in specific events, issues or media long after the mainstream culture has progressed.

Online communities have developed as a response to a perceived democratic imbalance in decision making processes within the community. Flew claims, " the reason why online communities and networks are developing is a result of... a decline in opportunities for democratic participation and community formation in contemporary industrial capitalist and mass-mediated societies" (2004, 64). People feel like they are losing their voice.

However, online communities provide an intimate and robust environment of networked knowledge systems encouraging personal and professional relationships. Users in these environments can openly interact, share and express information providing a democratic platform for producing and consuming knowledge.

More and more we are seeing a shift from mainstream consumption of media to a niche networked convergence of user produced content. For example, youtube has given users global reach and is generating a wide spectrum of active audiences. A shift away from the mainstream media draws attention to these local and hyperlocal geographic cultures. This shift in media consumption gives the content creators cultural power. As discussed previously, content creation is now spread through online networks giving a wider and more diverse population increased power within the democratic formation of community ideals.

Do subcultures fragment our society?

Subcultures have the potential to fragment society. Online networks provide platforms and environments for individuals to create and consume media in subcultures. These diverse subcultures such as politics, culture, personal and geography can link individuals within specific genres or themes that may not be traditionally viable. For example, an individual in a remote or rural town may not have an interest in a genre popular within that specific geographical society. Instead that individual can now be linked to a global network of markets who share common interests.

However, a more challenging situation arises by argueing that while these subcultures have fragmented themselves within society, these subcultures infact converge in one cultural space within the internet and mobile technology.

It is interesting to note that perhaps in a traditional sense, subcultures had stronger divides within society. Although the dawn of mobile technology and the internet connecting more individuals to global markets simultaneously and anonymously, this allows individuals to be part of several fragements if they choose.

How do technologies become cultural technologies?

Technoculture occurs when technological platforms converge by the systematic use of knowledge and contextual meaning within a society.

Technology that is easy to use and enables content production of cultural material is an extremely important tool. This aids specific social groups within society to shape and mould the interests/morals of society as a whole.

Technology allows these specific groups to develop a significant voice to build and impact a larger audiece within the mass society.

KCB201 - Virtual Cultures

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This is a page specifically set up for KCB201 - Virtual Cultures.



I will be completely honest, this is my first experience with blogging. Throughout the duration of the semester I intend on developing a better understanding and working knowledge of blogs sites like this to use in the future.



Let the journey begin!