Representation in Crisis

It is useful to explore the claim made by some media academics that representation is a concept in crisis. This claim arose from a rather obvious aspect of the effects of digital technology. As it becomes cheaper, easier and quicker for people to make videos and upload them to the Internet for an 'imagined audience', then is it the case that the representation of people by the media is increasingly replaced by people representing themselves?

Consider the example of YouTube. Research in Barcelona by Gonzalez, Martinez and Fernandez (2007) found that in secondary schools in the city, students were regularly engaged in the production and uploading of video to YouTube, and that they had developed a range of discourses (ways of thinking and talking) about each other's work. Three groups has emerged--a group of students who only uploaded videos for each other to see; a 'playful' group who were uploading for a potential audience but were not concerned about the impact either way; and a third group of vloggers, who were actively pursuing a critical audience online, looking for a broader community of viewers. And it emerges from the group that being successful in 'playback' (people watching your videos and making comments) could acquire popularity with your peers, in the same way as being good looking, fashionable, good at sport or a musician. Video uploaders with lots of playback were treated as minor celebrities. This way of using the media is very different to the index of youth being represented in, for example Skins.