2015: The Age of The Artist

The way information is circulated and disseminated has changed with the rapidly evolving media landscape that boomed at the start of the twenty-first century. Modern technology, namely the internet, has provided a diverse range of new mediums for people to socialize and to connect with one another like never before. Consequentially, the means by which individuals interact has been accelerated as society moves further into an increasingly networked epoch. This communicative shift has redefined the once limited social roles of consumers and producers by enabling people to work collaboratively; consumers can create and produce their own content and vice versa. The term used to describe this new practice is referred to as "participatory culture".

## **What is Participatory Culture?**

According to American Media Scholar, Henry Jenkins, the prior communication model that describes the way we absorb information as a "distribution of content through informal or adhoc networks of consumers is flawed". His article "*If It Doesn't Spread, It's Dead"*, proposes an alternative model that emphasizes the idea of spreadable media as a key component in the movement towards a more user driven environment. The notion of spreadability is placed as a distinct contrast to the previously centralized control over distribution of content and "purity" of message. Today, the average person is able to upload and publish unique content while connecting with others who share similar interests. The use of these platforms has established a community of users who respect one another as "prosumers", both consumers and producers of information, and stimulates a system founded on collaboration and engagement. Increased value of prosumers in the economy has forced companies to expand their brand to unanticipated markets and repurpose the means by which they communicate with the public. Thus, individuals now have a greater role in authoring their own lives in being able to access the tools to develop their own digital identity.

### **Participatory Components**

This modern practice is characterized by a range of elements that define participatory culture:

1. Relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement
2. Strong support for creating and sharing content with others
3. Some type of informal mentorship whereby what is known by the most experienced is passed along to novices
4. Members who believe that their contributions matter
5. Members who feel some degree of social connection with one another a care what what other people think about what they've created

## **Culture as a Continuim and the Rise of Fandom**

Participatory culture can be broken down into three main sub-genres of culture that represent different means of expression within society, these are: consensus culture, creative cultures, and discussion cultures. The means by which we learn through this culture relies on collective enterprise within networked publics. Creativity and expression is embraced by such communities who spur innovation through collaboration. Therefore, culture has evolved into a continuum of user created content as well as stimulated interactions with others. These new communities, referred to as "affinity spaces", fuel a hothouse context in which new ideas may emerge and motivate others to be more active and participate.

As it pertains to entertainment media, such as music, film, and tv, rapid-fire social mobility explains how content spreads quickly between different affinity spaces as members share information from one platform to another. Thus, modern consumption of entertainment news and content is spread across a diverse spectrum of mediums in order to adhere to the diverse spectrum of users. Online streaming capabilities, blog sites, podcasts, social networks, mash-ups, and the like situate a platform for fans to provide feedback and even re-create specific content that peaks their interest. For example, sites such as YouTube serve as more than just a medium for archiving individual home videos but also allows provides tools to implement the integration of video production methods that operate beyond the main site. Users can upload their own version of songs, remix tv shows, and post instructional videos amongst other cultural resources.

Click on the links below for related information on this topic!

1. Memes in Social Media
2. Film: Relationship Between Fan and Production