Mindless consumption, meaningful creation and the disguise of participation
As individuals we used to be consumers of media, watching TV, listening to radio, reading books, papers and magazines. We were subservient to schedules and publishing dates. Not all consumption was mindless. We consumed ideas and culture along with our media.
Now, we are told, we are creators. The technologies of our digital age have given us the tools to get our hands dirty. Media is no longer a one way street. We are no longer happy to take a passive role in our culture:
- Even a photographic novice can operate a digital camera, take photos and share them online with peers and friends
- Anyone can write content and publish it immediately to their own blog or personal website, expressing their own views within template driven content management systems
- People who don’t read music or play traditional instruments can create music using the latest software or playful mobile apps such as Ocarina or Magic Piano
- Teenagers now create films and videos for their own YouTube channels, showing the world their spin and take on the latest cinema releases or pop videos
This democratisation of creativity is sometimes seen, by some people, as a challenge to creative agencies such as ours. But the technologies that deliver this greatly blur the lines between consumption and creation. Are we kidding ourselves about how creative we are becoming? What we really have is an enlarged crossover of consumption and creation: participation.
At a low level we now have control over our viewing habits. We can now watch TV and film content whenever we like, thanks to TV hard drives, BBC iPlayer and 4OD etc. Furthermore we can access this wherever we like using devices such as laptops, phones and iPads.
We used to spend hours making mix tapes for loved ones. Now we knock together Spotify playlists and share them with everyone we can persuade to listen. The value shifts from making something meaningful and personal to sharing a vision of ourselves, our likes, and favourable personality traits, to a larger audience.
Similarly we engage with network’s such as Twitter and Facebook not for true creative reasons but to change existing situations into preferred scenarios. The success of these networks lies in the fact that their formats aid consumption through participation.
So, as individuals, we have more control and we believe we are being creative through increased participation, conversation and interaction. But is this just consumption, made effortless and very well disguised, by technology?
As an agency we know there is far more to creativity and design. As professionals we pride ourselves on understanding the responsibilities that come with an act of creation.
We know the traditions and conventions we work within and that we have to push against to achieve real fitness for purpose. It’s important to recognise true meaning and value for clients and their audiences. And to be fully aware and accountable for the social implications and cultural responsibilities of the work we create.
