It is publicly known that we have moved from the passive consumer audience we once were to the modern day ‘prosumer’ in which we not only consumer messages and content, but with the help of Web 2.0 technologies, the consumer can now produce content too – hence the name ‘prosumer’.
But is this still the case?
Now that this current ‘prosumer’ culture is advancing and becoming more wide spread, the introduction of curated content to help us filter through the wide spread mass of cat photos, has been introduced for our ‘convenience’. Platforms such as the Apple App Store, Facebook and Google are all guilty of curating content to information that is suited towards us through the use of Meta data and Cookies (stored information about our previous internet usage).
However, who do we want deciding what we want? Selecting, filtering, and displaying content is extremely helpful to consumers, but we don’t have much say in how this happens. Critics would argue that we are loosing some of that excitement of the Internet being produces of content – loosing that potential that we are using and creating.
Are we turning into audiences and consumers again?
Zittarian (2008) raises some crucial issues to the future of the Internet and how we can use it. He explains this loss of ‘prosumer’ culture as a move from generative Internet to a progression of ‘walled gardens’.
Have I lost you? Walled gardens are described by Ted Mitew (Lecturer at the University of Wollongong) as closed platforms where the content is in control and lacks innovation and creativity but in return offers consumers security and convenience.
And who’s to blame?
“The most obvious evolution of the computer and network – toward tethered appliantization – is on balance a bad one” – Zittrain 2008: 103).
Yes those handy little innocent tablets you carry around on the train, those addictive smartphones and yes, your handy dandy laptop. These devices make accessing these ‘Walled Gardens’ easier and the more we access, the more content the gardens will hold.
Those who control the devices can control what we see and do with the device – a sneaky form of censorship from the curators. Is this the future for the Internet? Is our freedom online shrinking before our very eyes?
I do believe that in 2013, we are more inside these Walled Gardens then ever, and I want out.