The term “audience” has evolved and transcended through time as a simple gathering of people to a multi-million dollar business in which consumers of content have now become the producers. It is the term “Prosumer” which audience has evolved into, in which the audience has become the consumer and is no longer only consuming media, but creating it for their own audience. Hence, a Prosumer is born.
An example of this way in which individuals can be both consumers and producers is YouTube and its system of video sharing. It is easily identifiable that YouTubers create content for their audiences, these audiences liking this content and responding to it with their own. There is no Gandalf to stop these individuals from passing the barrier which has stop so many talented people from making it “big” online. The internet has an infinite audience and infinite content creators.
~krisesanchrosses~
krisesandchrosses 
That meme highlights my thought pattern since starting BCM112. I never realised the depth in which my internet use is a product of convergence. Many popular YouTube videos I’ve been exposed to have initially come through seeing a reaction and not the original video itself. Sometimes I won’t bother watching the original video because the reaction video was enough to know whether I needed to watch it or not.
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I thought that this was a well researched and informative post, however I thought that the meme may have been a bit too simple for the overall message you were trying to convey. I felt like you had a lot more you wanted to say and I would have loved to learn a bit more about the topic. Perhaps a different image behind the text may have forced readers to consider the implications of being a prosumer a bit more, or a youtube video could have explained your thoughts more thoroughly. I really love your writing style though and your reference to Gandalf xx
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Thanks so much! Definitely taking this feedback on board and who doesn’t like a Gandalf reference 😂
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Love the meme. It is very mind bobbling to think that when you, as an audience member, comment on a producer’s video along the lines of “Love this video! Great stuff!”, that means that we are also producers of content online, AS WELL as consumers of that content we are commenting on. Making this comment to a post which I am consuming, makes me too a producer. The line between a producer and a consumer is so blurry that it makes us essentially both, not one or the other. The birth of the ‘prosumer’ concept goes hand in hand with the way audiences interact with media online, where we can now comment, like or share things, as opposed to passively consuming it. This already existing paradigm shift from analog to digital media is a resultant of the ‘prosumer’ concept. So what is now interesting to think about, is the next paradigm shift that will happen in the future in regards to how we interact with media. Will we soon be even more than prosumers?
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Scary stuff when you think about it like that isn’t it! Thanks for your feedback on the meme I appreciate it! 😊 I think there is something beyond ‘prosuming’ we just don’t know what it is yet!
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Loved this post! I think your example of YouTube was a really good choice as it is a perfect example of a platform where an individual can be both a consumer and a producer of content. I think your meme was great too, it is my thought process about everything now after being a part of BCM112. Although I’m not a Lord of The Rings fan I certainly still appreciate the Gandalf reference. Keep up the great work!
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Intriguing really, the shift from consuming to producing. It hasn’t been a gradual one either – but bloody fast. I mean it has happened at a million miles an hour – just like everything in life these days. You want to do anything? No excuses, get it done real quick. Everyone is always looking to take shortcuts to get things done quicker, but journalists have been given no choice really with the rise of people producing content through social media platforms.
Youtube is an interesting example honestly. It isn’t social media, and it certainly isn’t the most time effective way of producing content which completely contradicts what I said above. The meme you used sums things up really though – people simply don’t think of it as though they are ‘producing content’ or ‘being journalists’ but simply put – they are.
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Short, sweet and to the point. Thankyou for making a post in the recommended word limit. Your website is also excellent in its stripped back display and very easy to navigate and enjoy.
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