David Gauntlett: users as producers/make and connect

GAUNTLETT AND COLLECTIVE ID

Gauntlett: users as producers, make and connect.

David Gauntlett states that as social media and home editing software proliferate the media becomes more balanced, with audiences just as likely to produce a popular media product as a mainstream media conglomerate.

What also happens as social media and home editing software proliferates is that audiences are given a stronger voice and so are able to disagree with mainstream representations of their culture or social group rather than being forced to consume them.

An example of this is Naptural85, who chose to reject mainstream beauty ideals and gender performances as they forced her to change herself to meet ideals that were not made for her race. She is now one of the most well-known voices in the natural hair movement. Before the advent of social media she would not have been able to share her successes and knowledge, but by uploading her videos to YouTube, tweeting and running a blog she is able to reach out to black women who feel the same but had no means of breaking away from mainstream gender stereotypes. Through YT comments these women find and support each other and are building an online community that helps them bring their ideal self closer to their real self, increasing self esteem. (make and connect)



There are now several women who are documenting their "journey" online and sharing their own haircare techniques, as well as women who choose to reject the natural movement and post videos showing how to apply wigs and weave, and women who negotiate Naptural85's representation by posting videos showing how they wear wigs and weave while growing their hair out.



The advert below can be used to support David Gauntlett's "users as producers" theory: here Funny or Die, a company that makes comedy shorts and distributes them online, made a video parodying Apple technology that also makes fun of black male stereotypes. In this case the audience see mainstream representaions of black men and disagree with them so produce a piece of media that draws attention to them.

Because social media, cameras and editing software are now so widely available (technological proliferation) audiences are able to make their own content portraying their own, unfiltered points of view.

Making fun of negative representations is sometimes more effective than serious debate as a means of drawing attention to social issues. This video went viral last year, showing the power social media has in spreading new ideologies that are unfiltered by mainstream media owners and conglomerates.