Participatory culture.

This was the topic for this weeks lab, and I found it very interesting so this a is quick post to go over the main points.

Participatory Culture,

The first hint of Web 2.0 is in the title itself, 'Participatory' which is the very thing it strives for and social Media has opened the doors wide for audience members and users to participate, to have their voices heard in a way not done in traditional media.
Of course, that brings us to the 'culture'.

A dictionary definition of culture is -

 noun

1. 1.

   the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively.

   "20th century popular culture"

   synonyms:

   the arts, the humanities;
2. 2.

   the ideas, customs, and social behavior of a particular people or society.

   "Afro-Caribbean culture"

   synonyms:

   civilization, society, way of life,lifestyle.

Culture is a word we identify with people, as described. There are cultures all over the world, conflicting and complementary ones, they represent religion, beliefs, etc...

But how does culture fit into the world of Social Media?

Perhaps the most important word, and in regards to social media, we can take from the official definition is Collectively.
Social Media, and all in Web 2.0 Rally around the want of a collective, enagaged audience, with the opportunity to make their opinions heard. It breaks down the barriers between producers and consumers.

Collectively, Social Media connects us, that it the aim of all social media platforms, from Facebook to Twitter to Pintrest. And even though all have differences in what can be shared, they all form an online communitty, be it friends, people who enjoy the same images as you or you can even link to companies, businesses and celebrities.

Youtube is one of the best examples of this participatory culture, endorsed by many Social Media studiers. It allows you to uploads your own work (if wanted) receive comments, thumbs up or down, you can grow a large fanbase with  comments letting people get back in touch, give you feedback and perhaps influence future work.

term that is