JEAN BURGESS QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY / @JEANBURGESS SOCIAL MEDIA 5 YEARS ON
May 10, 2015
JEAN BURGESS QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY OF
TECHNOLOGY / @JEANBURGESS
SOCIAL MEDIA 5 YEARS ON
Blackwell Companion to New Media Dynamics (Hartley, Burgess, Bruns,
eds, 2012)
Studying Mobile Media (Hjorth, Burgess, Richardson, eds, 2012)
the platform paradigm1.architectural2.figurative3.political4.computational(Gillespie, 2012)
the politics of platforms - Tarleton Gillespie, forthcoming 2012used to interpellate multiple stakeholders with conflicting interests (‘big’ media, advertisers, audiences.ordinary or entrepreneurial YouTubers)
the platform paradigm
new media institutions
platforms are new, hybrid media institutions - coordinating function; emergent
the platform paradigm
co-creationthese platforms as institutions are co-created (users, developers, content proucers, partners, advertisers...)- not in a symmetrical way
the platform paradigm
co-evolutionco-evolution of affordances and uses; platforms and practices; cultural uptake and scholarly approachesusers are deeply involved in these processes;
the platform paradigm
hybridityin hybrid media environments
the platform paradigm
generativity
HYPEAND
COUNTER-HYPE
“User-generated content”
WEB 2.02006
tech determinism
vernacular creativity & cultural citizenship
participatory culture, co-creation, free/affective
labour, corporate enclosure
“SOCIAL MEDIA”
2011
from hype and counter-hype to
controversies
2011
stakes are highersocial media almost normalisedbut how are we being addressed now - as producers, audiences, co-creators, citizens, publics?
from creativity, community & UGC to
networks, conversation and
information -sharing
2011
•Hashtag =‘#’ + some alphanumeric characters: automatic tracking & aggregation of a topic, represented with a hyperlink
•Originally a (lead) user innovation, later integrated into platform
•Simple, adaptive and generative
•Can coordinate, render visible, and constitute publics
#royalwedding
http://mappingonlinepublics.net
_shaza3
Anna_63
realityraver
MolksTVTalktheflack
sharynlowen
tweetmayatweet
bettiwettiwoo
boycottmc
cupcakewrapper
mmilly
pottymouthmama
mattscravat
Mooba
the_helen
BZB
petstarr
willl
clembastow
nickylavigne
DHughesy
davecathcart
marcfennell
MasterChef_Aust
mellytree
Empre55
d_wolff
me55iah
paulmp
aussenatesnoop
blackvalo
MattsCravat
hostesshedonist
Troyzee
BeccyReckons
_montagu
Jimmy_Mastchef
Lauren_Mmm
injerarufus
Chrisd_Owens
getupgo
thecircle_ten
puddingface
DanMacPherson
JuliaGillard
LilBTheBasedGod
Kathblue
theage
FrillyHills
phylidelphia
mastercalbo
Le_bon_vivant_
melkettle
MissZoeLaLa
ebbob
stalepopcornau
NeilMcMahon
susiegb
gnomeangel
AmandaFuller
crk365
justinbarbour
MasterChef_PR
youeat
delamare
bronski_c
yblieb
PeterRead101
Ms_Squiggle
SeraphimSP
itsonlylisa
MasterMegs
cravatwatch
GC51
david_doh
Kat_La
SimonRamblesOn
hornery
seunjinbing
benpobjie
7pmprojectRob_Pilot
warcom
foodoAU
rage_bix
Richard_Gunner
jamie_oliver
Teeshy
JohnBirmingham
chaboos
jletti
rishi_syd
LookingGlassPho
chrissie_
bui
LILBTHEBASEDGOD
EmmaStirling
Eamon_Sullivan
melnation
kateburns76
AlmostBourdain
battledinosaur
SueYeap
cupfever
SusieQueue71
WildSugar_Skye
photographytalk
tabloidterror
blahblahellis
fnuckle
Janezwords
swoodgate
Sarkata
nivanovski
coffeetolive
melburnian
VayaPashos
DrJavaBeans
kimedian
DaithiRua
ChefCritic
LauraLanigan
ohdenny
ozreedgal
minimalgal
paul_monster
kris2040
meadea
TheRuffStuff
missrenne
GeelongDeano
SimoneHeydonNomiePT
SleeplessNights
jennerose
LindyRC
dellvink
peterjblack
louattheend
JennaIsWriting
indydreaming
mrgrumpystephen
Annieb25
RachaelLonergan
FromTheIsland
ColesOnline
veecybulski
mprimmer
chrissieswan
shelsta78
Higgo74
SarahAMurdoch
oneeyedpie
JennaPrice
scientiaiuris
FitToPrint
leighsales
my_lheage
wolfinkitchen
joejonas
lilbthebasedgod
ItsStephRice
dhughesy
jason_a_w
MichaelByrnes
themolk
mooba
stefanitza
jasonjordan
jedro74
sueGCB
miss_melbourne
lilithia
Meshel_Laurie
corinne_grant
tardisland
HieroHero
Dgen717
melissahoyer
FreeHugsTommy
Bern_Morley
macleanbrendan
OhCrap
awmitchell
gauwed
Pt4h
Zeromus
kellyhd
nicolemockler
littlewine
JonathanDaddia
athena_here
jonathandaddia
meemalee
TVdotcomAU
miafreedman
1DeadBird
ruddygood
rachwelsh
joshthomas87
Tatterededges
xPeacex
AnneMareeBryant
alliewonderessjayeff
zumbopatisserie
energygirl11
ZanderSchubert
Kendylahlah
tiffanyff
TonyAbbottMHR
chef_shaun
sunlightandsnow
GordonRamsay01
slippycaff
Rod_Rocket
adamrichard
TheDivineMrsO
simieboy
jakekapitz
callum
CaptainConway
mooney_1901
sophblack
Brett_Louise
kylieminogue
rosaliquidink
adamliaw
Shelly1912
downesy
eiin
wedbykez
Magnetoboldtoo
dr_pyser
Tzarimas
4BCbreakfast
Trissalicious
AbeFrellman
612brisbane
chooka_86
juliagillard
aaronharvie
carmR
nataschamirosch
petertaggart
philhenley
ohcrap
tf1etvous
masterchef
latikambourke
LukeDennehy
iSmile24seven
morgan2303
rolandcat
liz_baillie
declanf
mrdoman
jmeBBK
Chekigal
MasterChefAu
TM2176
sheenacampbell
luluattack
Glebe2037
hmtangxali_mwahxx
justinbieber
sarallenconsult
TheRichardEric
felixmeister
BenFordham
gojitmal
jane_ym
Limbs_
nerdfish
carolync2freed_misery
MolksPolitica
kyleandjackieo
katyperry
Callum_Hann
GreenJ
aimwolfe
katreeeena
Matt_Moran
pjhelliar
mattsun75
gowercottage
MasterChefUK
brit_battleaxe
nickya73
gailrast
Chefmumu
MattARIA
channeltenpress
likeomg
Christian0386
CatherineDeveny
#masterchefhttp://mappingonlinepublics.net
#masterchefhttp://mappingonlinepublics.net
Introduction & Contestation
In 2007, Twitter didn’t have trending topics, integrated search or hashtags
• Compelling use cases, uptake by influential lead users
• Very simple architectural integration (built-in ‘tracking’ feature)
• Uptake in external developer community (Twitter Search, hashtags.org etc)
2004
2006
2007
2011
2005: ‘YOUR ONLINE VIDEO REPOSITORY’
2005October 2005
2005December 2005
2006 Consistently in Top 10 websites visited globallyBought by GoogleMillions of videosThe most popular videos had millions of viewsNew forms of creativity, new media genres, new business models
YOUTUBE WAS UNDERDETERMINED
so youtube was underdetermined - it was an architecture that has since evolved in increasingly complex ways, and at an astounding scale
YOUTUBE WAS CO-CREATED
within the constraints of the platform provided by youtube inc, itself continuously changing and evolving, often in conflicting ways
YOUTUBE CO-EVOLVED
within the constraints of the platform provided by youtube inc, itself continuously changing and evolving, often in conflicting ways
2007
2007April 2007
2007April 2007
4000+ of the ‘most popular’ videos
what we did
42%
50%
8%
Traditional Media ContentUser-Created ContentUncertain
THE TWO YOUTUBES
Content appears to come from a (traditional) media source. This content is produced for the media industry, or by media professionals, and may be copyright violating or not.
This is content that appears to be produced outside the domain of the traditional media industry.
Uploaders
0
750
1500
2250
3000
Traditional SME/Indie OrganizationsUser Uncertain
Most Discussed Most Favorited Most Viewed Most Responded TOTALTraditional 48 80 129 77 334SME/Indie 232 174 202 253 861Organizations 18 16 19 17 70User 733 676 604 668 2681Uncertain 49 134 126 65 374Total 1080 1080 1080 1080 4320
most subscribed channels
copyright wars
YouTube in 2011
an extension of trajectories we identify in the bookthe tensions between the ‘two youtubes’ are only amplified
platform dynamics
co-evolution of media business models and community practices alongside mass popularisation and media representation
‘users’ repositioned in multiple ways
ongoing tensions: economics, ethics and governance (community norms, government legislation, corporate pressures)
enclosure vs generativity?