Digital Cultures

TOPIC:
Theorists have argued that the participatory environment of the internet has shifted cultural power, control and influence in a more democratic direction. The ability to create, share, collaborate and innovate has disrupted traditional processes of cultural production and action.
But what really is the nature of this influence and are there limits to this empowerment? You will identify a case study to explore this dynamic. Use specific examples to illustrate your argument.
Develop a thesis to answer the following question: Is your case study an example of the democratization of the production and distribution of information, media content, or influence? In other words, does your example demonstrate a shift in who has a voice or influence or authority in society?
You can choose to look at one campaign/project/example or compare and contrast two. The idea is to give some specificity and depth to your topic rather than too surface or broad of an analysis.
Make sure to offer some background to explain your case study.
Whether you are taking a pro or con approach to the thesis statement, try to engage with the positives and negatives of your case study/s.
Sample project ideas include (but are not limited to):
Online activism i.e. Kony2012, ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, #blacklivesmatter, #metoo
Crowdsourcing: Fold It, Street Bump, Hollaback, Open Source software
Collective Funding Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Patreon
Crowd Mapping Mapping Coronavirus, OpenStreetMap, Humanitarian Tracker
Citizen Journalism Twitter breaking Ferguson protests,
Memes for example political memes (this could potentially be broad so I would focus on a specific set of memes