Digital Natives and Internet Culture
Particularly among digital natives (the community of individuals growing up with the web), the explosion of high bandwidth, persistent internet access has fostered the creation of a dynamic universe of active online communities. In turn, these communities have emerged with their own unique practices, cultural touchpoints, and body of content. Particularly in the last few years, they have grown larger -- and increasingly influence the media and cultural environment beyond the Internet. Our concepts about cultural production and community, particularly with regards to concepts of celebrity and subculture -- are actively being revised.
What is this cultural universe? How does it work? What implications does this culture have for the mainstream universe? Are there social ones? How about economic ones?
This class takes up these questions and discusses some evolving theories and approaches to understanding it.
Required Readings / Video
Theory
- John Palfrey and Urs Gasser, Born Digital, read the entire excerpt (three pages, click "next" at bottom of page)
- Yochai Benkler, The Wealth of Networks, read pgs 285-297
- Clay Shirky, "Here Comes Everybody" (talk at the Berkman Center - video)
Practice (coupla short articles and videos)
- Henry Jenkins Blog, "the following post is about anonymous"
- AV Club, Interview with Christian Lander of "Stuff White People Like"
- Know Your Meme, "Chocolate Rain"
- Know Your Meme, "All Your Base Are Belong To Us"
- CNET, "Real Money in a Virtual World"
Class Introduction
Class Discussion
'Drop any questions or comments or things you'd like to focus on here!'