I’m lovin(g) it!




[Image Source: "Curiosity Killed the Consumer_ Blog"

http://curiositykilledtheconsumer.wordpress.com/2012/06/02/do-you-prosume-how-the-do-it-yourself-trend-changes-the-relation-between-producer-and-consumer/

What happens when you combine producers and consumers? Prosumers. According to the Prosumption model established by Ritzer and Jurgenson (2010), it is fundamental to view these terms as a whole as opposed to separately. The model highlights how consumers are becoming brands from their own consumption of products and thus, allows others to make implied meaning(s) from what we consume. Davis and Jurgenson (2011, pg. 4) suggest that prosumption can be applied to identity as the products we choose to consume define who we are as an individual. This can come down to the most simplest things such as clothing items that we wear implying whether the individual is more fashion forward or casual in their style of clothing. This movement is not only seen in the streets but is evident in our workplaces as a form of hidden advertisement and marketing.

From personal experience, identity prosumption can be easily seen in jobs in the fast food industry.   

Image Used with CC Permission, Original source Renzelle Mae Abasolo
http://flic.kr/p/fi8THU

As an employee you must firstly consume the product. I consume a few new promotional food and beverages in order to taste the products so that I’ll be able to retell my experience to customers if need be and what ingredients were used. The uniform that I purchase comprises of the logo as well as newly released products printed on the shirts. It is true that I am a consumer as I consume the products but in another sense I also identity myself as a producer due to the clothes that I wear and by telling others about products that are newly released (my coke glasses collection is an excellent example…I have one of every colour! sad) Even though I am an employee I still advertise independently whether intentional or not and thus, identifying myself as a prosumer.

Video by McDonald Corporation, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDG07SYbfNs&list=TLVpUW8fB1-fQ, retrieved  24 August 2013)

Some may say that prosumption can lead to desensitisation, which to a certain extent is correct; it does however allow other consumers to notice the brand and enables others to share this information forward. Globalisation no doubt has played a role in prosumption and with international and local trade expanding it will continue to grow. Whether negative or positive prosumption it is here to stay.

Bibliography:

Jenny Davis & Nathan Jurgenson, 12th September 2011, "Prosuming Identity Online", Cyborgology, viewed 23rd August 2013, <http://thesocietypages.org/cyborgology/2011/09/12/prosuming-identity-online/>

McDonald’s Big Mac Chant, McDonald Corporation, video, 4 Feb 2010, date retrieved: 24 August 2013,< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDG07SYbfNs&list=TLVpUW8fB1-fQ> 

Ritzer, G Jurgenson, N 2010, "Production, Consumption, Prosumption: The Nature of Capitalism in the Age of the Digital 'Prosumer', Journal of Consumer Culture,  vol. 10, no `, pp. 13-36

 

Online Identity

Ever heard the expression “just Google it?” I know I’ve had my share of Google moments but what intrigues me the most is that technological jargon is becoming increasing predominant in our everyday activities and conversations; playing a much larger role in our lives than I had initially anticipated.  With the development of Web 2.0 comes a new era of digital culture and with that the issue of online identity and social networking.

                                                                     (Image by Kylie Louie, 10 August 2013.)

According to Hills (2009), he suggests that today’s youth is utilising mobile digital media technologies to establish our online identities stressing that the ability to take and upload images almost instantaneously has played a major role in this development. Furthermore, profile pictures are also ‘a short hand for changing, up-to-the-minute performances of self.’ (Hills 2010, p. 118) Moreover, profile pictures are one of the easiest ways to represent ourselves online and can give an insight to the individual without having ever met them. Although I don’t change my profile picture that frequently on my social networking sites, particularly Facebook, they usually consist of the same picture of me at the beach and the odd shameful “selfie.” Except 1. I don’t particularly like the beach and 2. I find “selfies” annoying. Hypocritical you might say, but why have that as my profile picture? Although my Facebook page is personal I do try to upload pictures that are considered somewhat formal as well as I am still cautious of future employers browsing my page. Profile pictures can say a thousand words but with profile pictures constantly being uploading and changing is it really an accurate representation of our real self?

Marshall (2010) links celebrity culture to the development of our online identity and contends that it is an important factor on how we present ourselves to the world. I follow quite a few celebrities on twitter but mostly for styling, fashion and beauty related advice. I do believe that celebrities have influenced our online personas whether sporting a ‘selfie’ profile picture or trying to sport Kim Kardashian’s signature makeup look it has undoubtedly influenced the way we ‘prune’ ourselves online to our celebrity counterparts.  

 

Video by Gossmakeupartist, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBLHE0ME-GA, retrieved  10 August 2013)

 

 

Chalkley (2013) and Ellison et al. (2007) both imply that the next challenge of innovation will not be more advanced phones or even faster data but rather our definitions of ‘friends’, ‘community’ and ‘society.’ Furthermore, Ellison (2007) contends that with the technological developments with the internet it can have positive and negative effects on the individual. I myself still wonder out of all the 500 ‘friends’ I have on Facebook, I only talk to about 10 on a regular basis and whilst I may get a few likes on every status that I post I can still feel lonely; as our ‘online identity’ quickly expands will our real life identity get lost in the process?

Bibliography

Ellison et al. (2007), ‘The Benefits of Facebook “Friends:” Social Capital and College Students’ Use of Online Social Network Sites’, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 1143-1168                  

Marshall, P D 2010, ‘The promotion and presentation of the self: celebrity as marker of presentational media’, Celebrity Studies, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 35-48

Hills, M 2009, ‘Case study: social networking and self-identity’, in Creeber, G and Martin, R (eds.), Digital Cultures: Understanding New Media, Open University Press, Maidenhead, pp. 117-21

Chalkley, T 2013, ‘Teen identity in the digital age: who exactly is “me” now days?’, conference paper presented at Transformational Communication and the New Asia, Asian Media Information and Communication Centre, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

CONTOUR AND HIGHLIGHT LIKE KIM KARDASHIAN - STEP BY STEP. Video, 7 June 2012, gossmakeupartist, date retrieved: 10 August 2013, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBLHE0ME-GA>

Keep the credits rolling...

Ever heard the phrases “You go Glenn Co Co” or “You can’t sit with us”? These lines from the comedy “Mean Girls” have been uttered so frequently it now seems normal to incorporate film phrases or stereotypes into our everyday conversations and almost abnormal not to. But when do we draw the line?

 

 

 

Hollywood, home of the entertainment industry, has undoubtedly affected how different stereotypes are represented or in this case misrepresented in society. Globalization not only occurs in economics but according to Pieterse (2004, p16-17) globalization is also evident in the media depending on the perspective of the individual. In this particular post I will focus on the Islamic culture and their depiction in Hollywood Western films.

 

As Martin & Phelan (2002) contend, Arabs are mostly characterized as unfavourable in blockbuster films and are usually stereotyped as antagonists with roles such as terrorists, militants, extremists and troublemakers just to name a few. Moreover, since September 11, a sense of separation and “clash of civilisations” has been seen between the Islamic and Western society and only heightened by featuring these reoccurring themes in popular mainstream films. Through this controversial theme, the media was able to heightened this through distress and fear; stereotyping all Muslims as “extremists.” An example of this is shown below in the film “Taken 2” which was released only last year and yet still features Islamic minorities rebelling and involved in “terrorist – like” activities which revolve around the main plot of  kidnapping a teenage girl.

 

 

 

 

 

Since popular films are shown globally it is important to adopt a wider understanding of another’s culture before generalizing it to the wider public especially with western blockbuster films. Furthermore, due to ease of access in which information or media can be distributed or received instantaneously as a result of globalisation, we need to separate the stereotypes from the individuals in order to develop a better understanding of another culture to fully appreciate their unique offerings.   

 

 References

Martin, P & Phelan, S (2002) ‘Representing Islam in the wake of September 11: a comparison of US television and CNN online message board discourses’, Prometheus, vol. 20, no. 3, September, pp. 263–9

 

Nederveen Pieterse, J, 2004, Globalization: consensus and controversies, Globalization and culture: global mélange, Rowan& Littlefield, Lanham, Md., pp. 16-17.

 

 She doesn’t even go here, video, 11 Oct 2009, date retrieved: 4 August 2013, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=RUFT35S7Jb4>  

 

Taken 2 – International Trailer, video, 21 June 2012, date retrieved: 4 August 2013, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpaT8NzkLgE>