Sexting; Teenagers & the Law. ALC201 Exercise 2.

The video I created discusses the issues surrounding Teenage sexting and the introduction of new Victorian Laws in order to combat the problem. The new laws introduced mean that children found to create, possess or distribute sexually explicit images of another child who is less than two years younger will not be prosecuted under child pornography laws (Cook, 2014). I had difficulty in deciding the strategy I would take in creating the video. Having never completed an assignment similar to this previously, I had to take a whole new approach. I originally decided to record as I went and write the material where necessary. However began to make the editing process difficult and so I reverted to a complete transcript and a plan of scenes and images.

I created a number images and footage myself, using my sybling’s and friends. I found that I ran out of time and space to include all of the footage and so a lot went unused. I enjoyed creating the footage and stills, and felt somewhat like a director. It was the part I most enjoyed about creating the video; the ability to produce the exact content I wanted, rather than relying on what others had created, and hoping it would fit with my ideas. Capturing the footage took time, and phone memory (I had to start deleting other videos on my phone so that I could continue my project!), and was an eye opening experience into the detailed an lengthy process of content generation.

Image used with Creative Commons permission, M4D Group, <https://www.flickr.com/photos/m4dgroup/6001642638/in/photolist-2cwBia-7xnnPz-a9kZgd-bsu4Cb-n9Bx4c-7qw7iv-aEFyd6-aEKu1o-Be17E-8fkUDC-bFoXpt-bFp1ea-bsu7tG-bFoYs4-4WAU2E>, 12 September 2014.

In opposition to previous experience, I found a plentitude of still images and screenshots through Creative Commons. I used images from Flickr, as I found other search engines returned less content, or images that were not as relevant. The public licensing of these images allowed me to both create, use and exchange (Araya & Vidotti, 2011, p. 102), that I would not have otherwise had access to. In a bid to contribute to the flow of information (Araya & Vidotti, 2011, p. 105) I have licensed my Video under Creative Commons, so that others are able to use and build on it if they so wish. 

Image used with Creative Commons permission, Creative Commons BBB, <https://www.flickr.com/photos/steren/2732488224/in/photolist-nCTVF-a8Tsiz-6xFNPt-6xFNsa-mHLZK-a9kQYt-5asHxW-6dkede-dz19pr-6dkcnp-47ujsN-7C3vCh-8irYDB-25QPy6-4tFW2x-c5cdVs-hF67ps-7gJDfQ-8nEVSi-8gQU1J-bWaYEW-8nogPE-npGaYm-8LMv8k-76A9WE-8XisY-8nnv7V-8gLyR8-8nnu8D-ad3ruq-dz19nk-89UjdY-drFgCd-9GJBdU-9GFL3p-9rWGGW-anYW4e-8gn5qB-8nnuC2-8nqAYC-8nHXbd-6oFpj4-a7KUt5-7gNFw2-8nqEch-gZ9x1x-8nHSPj-8aNvh3-8Dp1uW-7TUR9s> 12 September 2014.

I researched through a number of peer-reviewed articles and found statistics and background information, non-scholarly sources provided real life examples and up to date information. The report on young people and sexting in Australia (Albury et al., 2013) was thought provoking and is what made me question whether teens actually see sexting as a problem. Responses from the teens I decided to conduct my own interview and incorporate that information with that of the formal research in order to gain more perspective and to add another layer to my video. As legislation changes are so recent, there was more information from periodicals, than from journal articles at this point in time, so I used a number of news sources. I also researched opinions and information on the age that a child should be held accountable for their actions, as this is such a difficult question to pose. I used the information found and related it to how the changes will be used in practice.

The exercise was enjoyable, be it frustrating at times. I faced a number of challenges, and found some things easier than others. Firstly, I had never used an editing program before so learning about iMovie software as I went was arduous. It was easy enough to decipher eventually, but I still found the editing process time consuming and sometimes difficult when the computer didn’t do exactly what I wanted it to. Deciding on a specific topic was also difficult as sexting is such a broad topic; I found that in simply researching the term ‘sexting’ I was continuously drawn to the same topic of the new legislation. I learnt to trust facilitators when they say that a particular assignment will take time. I learnt that working with others is difficult if you cannot verbally express exactly what it is you want to film. 

Reference list

Albury, K., Crawford., K, Byron., P and Mathews, B., 2013, Young people and sexting in Australia: ethics, representation and the law, Journalism and Media Research centre, The University of New South Wales, April, retrieved 8 September 2014, <http://www.cci.edu.au/sites/default/files/Young_People_And_Sexting_Final.pdf>

Araya, E & Vidotti, S 2011, 'Creative commons: A convergence model between the ideal of commons and the possibilities of creation in contemporary times, opposed to copyright impediments', Information Services & Use, vol. 31, no. 3/4, pp. 101-109, retrieved 11 September 2014, <http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy-m.deakin.edu.au/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=c9062c67-b190-4c75-892d-05853f346249%40sessionmgr4004&vid=3&hid=4102> 

Cook, H 2014, ‘Country’s first ‘sexting’ laws to be introduced in Victoria’, The Age, 21 August, retrieved 7 September 2014, EbscoHost database.

Cook, H 2014, ‘Napthine government to introduce new sexting laws’, The Age Melbourne, 21 August, retrieved 7 September 2014, <http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/napthine-government-to-introduce-sexting-laws-20140820-106dqe.html>

Crofts, T 2012, ‘Age-old question: when should children be responsible for their crimes?’, The Conversation, 15 May, retrieved 7 September 2014, < https://theconversation.com/age-old-question-when-should-children-be-responsible-for-their-crimes-6794>

Image used with Creative Commons permission, Garry Knight,

https://www.flickr.com/photos/garryknight/4888370567/in/photolist-pAZUn-8DbwyZ-8SXnr1-8mGycA-edHTVF-4ZAk72-8rYbga-8eSYcF-a9VjKS-9USSbk-bvsLHx-cwauoJ-iWCHgu-8FZoUM-8hzBx4-bxkMkV-4ZAk7a-8Ef4sv-5fxVjo-cCoRyE-dTaw5Q-9Z4Ary-7MxCj9-68wgj8-68AujL-68AumY-6UUdnc-878err-tsgAA-dX2Kmt-dWUBhB-2tWPBt-bq1X3o-bDrgf1-86Kywi-fDcy5j-fDcxqC-exktjw-arC24K-87bpyE-87br53-878cZX-8amVE9-878dGH-5fxXz7-5fxV47-5fxVBU-5fxWe3-5fxXkm-5fxVYC, retrieved 9 September 2014.

Image used with Creative Commons permission, Garry Knight,

https://www.flickr.com/photos/garryknight/8331105136/in/photolist-bvsNfb-duZ1b4-bCUWtR-dGc6iJ-o9dz4K-9sanNx-2tWPBt-euYoS-41M4oq-5fmUht-ibbj7D-aNJGna-8GSMtH-7SLQGz-5M3JV4-59ywqw-7iQEkS-7e2qyE-jBgRqU-8ZE6bh-5eC9kP-drYR8E-bxBEhf-dtYXbs-4CArm6-ns1L6j-9Jw4ZA-eCh5jy-czA9Gf-4rMLf-nsoCeu-atE9v9-bmBGag-7p1vwD-k6HRsM-8AZdSA-atBMeD-8mxzUT-dkYFci-atCrwi-atCrDa-atF6Qq-atEmUd-dnDfF2-9TK2sw-4dJwrs-atEG5Y-4MYA8z-k5f2sa-nEDMcJ, retrieved 9 September 2014. 

Image used with Creative Commons permission, Nina Matthews,

https://www.flickr.com/photos/21560098@N06/6921336750/in/photolist-bxBEhf-ns1L6j-9Jw4ZA-eCh5jy-4rMLf-atE9v9-7p1vwD-atBMeD-8mxzUT-dkYFci-atCrwi-atCrDa-dnDfF2-4dJwrs-atEG5Y-4MYA8z-k5f2sa-nEDMcJ-drYR8E-dtYXbs-4CArm6-czA9Gf-nsoCeu-bmBGag-k6HRsM-8AZdSA-atF6Qq-atEmUd-9TK2sw-dnDfAp-dnDn3b-atCyzH-atBtyk-atE9ow-atE9ks-5Lfy7t-8xsNxT-fm8ER-dnDiUN-atEmQA-4BNSep-Kzbc9-dnDhcy-Jfuej-atBGwg-dnDhja-dnDntm-atC5e8-atE991-atC5rZ, retrieved 9 September 2014.

Image used with Creative Commons permission, Pro Juventute,

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pro-juventute/10817138325/in/photolist-8KAEAZ-htTRK2-htTmgo-htSJvY-htSEmV-h934mA-h934xC-h9341L-htSPxG-htT4MG-htSy1Q-htSaAZ-htTSTe-htSVfb-htSsr2-htSUvA-htTRcZ-htStxv-htT1md-htSLNo-htToQ1-htTTJT-htSKax-htTs4f-htUayD-htU3ut-htTkfq-htSKuF-htSCWF-e9qNDS-7nQ1Vj-bcmvZe-7XTmue-dJ5yGf-dJ5yK5-dD8qj8-dD8qeT-5c57JJ-7drsCb-dAt7ps-6UVtYf-mmjR6y-6KBQ3e-htSx3C-htU74T-htSHKt-htSJPc-aKeotc-a3jA8K-bDftPF, retrieved 11 September 2014.

Image used with Creative Commons permission, Summer Skyes,

https://www.flickr.com/photos/summerskyephotography/6981290631/in/photolist-bCUWtR-o9dz4K-9sanNx-5M3JV4-2tWPBt-euYoS-59ywqw-41M4oq-5fmUht-7iQEkS-ibbj7D-aNJGna-8GSMtH-7e2qyE-7SLQGz-jBgRqU-8ZE6bh-dGc6iJ-5eC9kP-drYR8E-bxBEhf-dtYXbs-4CArm6-ns1L6j-9Jw4ZA-eCh5jy-czA9Gf-4rMLf-nsoCeu-atE9v9-bmBGag-7p1vwD-k6HRsM-8AZdSA-atBMeD-8mxzUT-dkYFci-atCrwi-atCrDa-atF6Qq-atEmUd-dnDfF2-9TK2sw-4dJwrs-atEG5Y-4MYA8z-k5f2sa-nEDMcJ-dnDfAp-dnDn3b, retrieved 11 September 2014.

Image used with Creative Commons permission, Tama Leaver,

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tamaleaver/8352464478/in/photolist-mv6bb2-oTnxry-o53Khq-dJ5yGf-dJ5yK5-fN8Jzr-jYd7wX-jYfCpQ-jYd4MR-jYckoT-fN2X8i-fNjwXq-fN8JVR-fN8JPn-fN8JGg-fN8Kda-dMYP26-hWhryq-hWi5m2-nJVh6e, retrieved 11 September 2014.

Image used with Creative Commons permission, Tama Leaver,

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tamaleaver/8352464642/in/photolist-mv6bb2-oTnxry-o53Khq-dJ5yK5-fN8Jzr-jYd7wX-jYfCpQ-jYd4MR-jYckoT-fNjwXq-fN2X8i-fN8JVR-fN8JGg-fN8JPn-fN8Kda-dMYP26-hWhryq-hWi5m2-dJ5yGf-nJVh6e-iztUmE-j1Vi6D-hutcSG-nzS4de-4LWhiC-nyBFNv-nfjKo4-gaU5xf-h9fo4w-oTA8Bc-dGsccD-ojbEvg-eeCHNr-nfjEWZ-eVuzCr-m4ZGjE-dkWDTJ-ehKeQA-mvh9ZG-jTN84F-ePN85q-eWpX3N-dwaBre-oS8VKT-nRLT9o-dw5bUC-p54ZgK-ouUCfR-j6beKC-eBmfgG, retrieved 9 September 2014.

Maddocks, T 2014, New sexting laws to exempt young people from child pornography laws, ABC News, retrieved 8 September 2014, <http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-21/australian-first-sexting-laws-to-be-introduced-in-victoria/5686166>

Rucke, K 2014, The Blurred lines between sexting and child porn, MintPress News, & March, retrieved 8 September 2014, <http://www.mintpressnews.com/the-blurred-lines-between-sexting-and-child-porn/185934/>

Tyson, D., Dobson, AS. And Rasmussen, ML 2012, ‘”Sexting” teens: decriminalising young peoples sexual practices’, The Conversation, 28 September, retrieved 7 September 2014, < http://theconversation.com/sexting-teens-decriminalising-young-peoples-sexual-practices-8922>

ALC201 - Will the real Katelyn please stand up?

My online identity has always been a true reflection of myself (without any tedious bits, I guess). In recent months though this has changed, as I have begun to use Social Media in a more purposeful way, constructing my online identity with specific intent. Earlier this year I started applying for graduate jobs to commence when I complete my degree, my immediate thought (and action) was to turn all of my Social Media to private, and attempt to delete any trace that could have negative connotations, not that there really were any. My online identity is a comprehensive reflection of myself, I don’t create content around articles I am not interested in and I don’t post opinions that I don’t believe, yet it is still not completely me, rather a crafted version of me (Smith, S and Watson, J 2014, p. 75). Then I realized, and I am still unsure as to why I had not considered it before, that my Social Media profiles will actually help me to gain employment, particularly in the Media industry. It is almost a certainty that employers will search for applicants online and “they want to find you” (Markgren, 2011, p. 32). I need to manage my online portfolio correctly, and this is not an easy process. As a result of this, I now construct a character and a performance (Marshall, 2010, p. 40) rather than an erratic online persona.

What digital footprint have I made?
Image used with Creative Commons permission, Pixabay. http://pixabay.com/en/men-group-painting-crouching-158684/

Though I have always been aware of what digital footprint I have been making I can standby the fact that I would not do anything online that I would not do in real life. I have never, however, thought critically as to what I was putting online. The idea of now changing the way I used Social media was a little disheartening, as I enjoy its various uses. It is well known that it is not fully possibly to completely erase traces of ourselves, as we, online users, “are implicated in contributing user-generated content” we become “searchable” Drobock (2013, p. 17).  A simple Google search of my name returns a flood of information that I previously had not considered, school grades, Schoolies photos, references to my current work, as well as all of my Social Media pages. Social Media is nuanced, it is both personal and professional, and for job seekers, it can be a “complex prospect to ‘clean up’ your online presence to ensure you’re putting your best self out there” (Drobock, p. 17, 2013).  For me it is not about cleaning up my act, my online identity is not bad, I simply make sure that the content I am generating reflects myself as well as my employment interests. My online identity is, inevitably, the content that I generate. According to Gabriel (2014, p. 105) Social Media now demands that young people “actively and deliberately think about and negotiate their own visibility – the image they project, the identity they wan to have” and this way of thinking is now what has defined my online identity.

So what was and what is? I use a number of Social Media platforms; Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and now Twitter among them. I use Social Media to contacts close friends, and to follow the lives of friends and family I don’t see as often. Most of this following is, however, passive. The identity I create though, is focused. As Marshall stated (2010, p. 40), the construction of a character through Facebook or Twitter is “highly conscious of a potential audience as much as it is a careful preening and production of the self” and in a bid to create an active online identity that is attractive to potential employees I deliberately negotiate what I am posting and generating, consciously think of things that can enhance my online footprint whilst still portraying a reflection of myself and my own interests. Pooley (as cited in Smith & Watson, 2011, p. 75) put it in superlative terms when he stated that “authenticity today is more accurately described as ‘calculated authenticity’ - stage management. The best way to sell yourself is to not appear to be selling yourself” and this is what my online identify consists of - calculated authenticity. I ultimately want to work in Social Media Management, and so it is obviously imperative that I have a sound Social Media presence, at the least. So in doing this I have worked to ensure I have a “personal brand” online, a “public expression and projection” (Margren, 2011, p. 32) of my real identity, my personality and values, and importantly, my skills, education and abilities. I have ensured all of my profiles have the same profile picture and similar themes so that my brand is instantly recognizable. This is whilst ensuring that I follow particular platform etiquette and using different avenues to enhance different aspects of my identity. For example Instagram could be considered more about personal images, whilst Tumblr is about photo inspiration and ideas. 

(Screenshot: My personally branded Social Media pages. http://instagram.com/katelynpahlow,  https://twitter.com/katelynest91)

In the coming months or even years, I intend to expand my online identity. I want to have a presence in the online Media world. Put simply, I want to “gain more visibility by putting” (Markgren, 2011, p. 32) myself out there, rather than hiding my online content, and I believe I have done a good job of this so far. I keep my Facebook private, as you would notice from the lack of hyperlink, but I am trying to create a following on Instagram in particular, to show that I can use Social Media to its many advantages, and I will continue to do this. Publicly searchable information is no longer considered private (Bagley et. al, 2014, p. 385) and that is fine by me, as I have nothing to hide, in fact the opposite is true. I also intend to heavily grow my presence on LinkedIn. While I think I have done a solid job of setting up my profile, I expect to establish a solid network through presenting a particular brand that I can use to further my career. 

As technology progresses the line between virtual and online reality is blurred any way, and soon I don’t think there will be much of a difference between my online identity and the real Katelyn, if there even is much now.

Word count: 989 (without citations & captions)

Reference list

Bagley, J, DiGiacinto, D, & Hargraves, K 2014, 'Imaging Professionals' Views of Social Media and Its Implications', Radiologic Technology, vol. 85, no. 4, pp. 377-389, retrieved 7 August 2014, EBSCOhost Database.

Drobock, K 2013, 'Is Social Media a Friend or a Foe?', Strategic Finance, vol. 95, no. 11, pp. 16-18, retrieved 7 August 2014, EBSCOhost Database.

Gabriel, F 2014, ‘Sexting, selfies and self-harm: young people, social media and the performance of self-development’, Media International Australia, no. 151, pp. 104-12 , retrieved 1 August 2014, EBSCOhost Database.

Markgren, S 2011, 'Ten simple steps to create and manage your professional online identity: How to use portfolios and profiles', College & Research Libraries News, vol. 72, no. 1, pp. 31-35, retrieved 7 August 2014, EBSCOhost. Database.

Marshall, PD 2010, ‘The promotion and presentation of the self: celebrity as marker of presentational media’, Celebrity Studies, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 35-48, retrieved 1 August, 2014, EBSCOhost Database.

Smith, S & Watson, J 2014, ‘Virtually Me: A Toolbox about Online Self- Presentation’, in Poletti, A & Rak, J, (eds.), Identity Technologies: Constructing the Self Online, The University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, pp. 70-95 retrieved 1 August 2014, Deakin Library.

Celebrities and the Specular Economy

Celebrities have adapted their behavior as their use of Social Media has increased. We have been submerged in a Specular economy for a substantial amount of time, but the growth of Social Media has pushed us (us being us, you know, the ordinary people) and celebrities into new Micro publics, where we now a hold yet another persona. This rapid rise in Social Media has meant celebrities have changed the way they publicise themselves, and even the way they live their everyday lives. 

It is inherently difficult to answer the question of exactly how celebrities have changed in response to new media; for the changes are endless. 
As a child of the Social Media Revolution it is difficult for me to comment on the differences in ‘Celebrity’ and how they have changed in recent times because to me, the online Specular economy is the norm. Research though, and basic knowledge, show that ‘Celebrity’ has changed since the rise of new Media, and even in the past 5 or so years, the rise of Celebrity and their personal brands has grown dramatically as more and more people use social media sites. The use of Social Media by stars has become almost a necessity for celebrities, and for most people, for that matter. Sites like Twitter allow the rest of the world an insight into the life of the famous that was previously much more measured through ‘old’ media. It is, however, questionable as to how real the information that fans receive from stars on social Media is, or whether what we see is only the parts they want us to see, their persona.

Inevitably, all users of Social Media are active in the Specular Economy, whether purposely or not. David Marshall describes it as us becoming collectively "more conscious of how we present ourselves and how others perceive us" (2010, p. 498) and I know personally I do this every time I pick up my phone to check Facebook. I am sure that my friends and peers, in fact most of my generation, do this too. Social Media, and particularly the more popular sites like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook have created technological shifts in the way that people now communicate and engage with contemporary culture (Marshall, p. 498, 2011). This means that us users are able to manage our personas more actively than we are able to in ‘real’ life, and allows celebrities to be more involved in the management of their “personal brand” (Bercovici, 2011). As Marshall says, the Internet has provided a new medium to send "messages and images outwards that circumvent the gatekeeping and control mechanisms" (2010, p. 498) that are associated with old media such as print. Celebrities are no longer as powerless in the creation of the public persona as they were when Magazines and Paparazzi were some of the few sources of Celebrity stories/photos/gossip.

Just this month Fergie (of Black Eyed Peas fame) posted a photo of her Newborn son to Social Media with the hashtag #paparazziyoucanleaveourhousenow, circumventing the traditional first photo that the paparazzi tend to vie for. In many ways this particular use of Twitter allows celebrities much more freedom than they ever have before – changing their persona entirely. Marshall (2011, p. 502) describes this idea; a

New form of celebrity that embraces the sensation of being always accessible well beyond the interventions of now weakened intermediaries of paparazzi and gossip columnists. The specular economy has produced a new regime of personal presentation that we are only beginning to see its profound implications.

This definition aids in explaining how celebrities have changed since they began using Social Media as part of their Public Relations. They use these sites to portray to their fans any and only the information that the want the public to see, in some ways decreasing the demand for older media techniques like glossy magazines. While Twitter use is far from universal, a recent Pew Internet study showed that one in five Internet users is now using either Twitter or a similar status updating program (Forrestal, 2011 as cited in Stever & Lawson, 2013, p.340), fans can now experience a direct social interaction with their favourite celebrities that they couldn’t as easily before through Twitter and alike. Stever and Lawson (2013, p. 339) discuss this “parasocial interaction” where “unreciprocated interaction between individuals of differing status and knowledge of one another” is prevalent. Celebrities can put news or information out into the public sphere and give their fans the feeling of interaction. As Hargittai & Litt (2011, p. 825) observed, “users can follow one another’s content without reciprocal obligation,” a point that is especially important when one of the users is a celebrity and typically the communication is only one way. This enables stars to manage their personality by giving fans what they want, an insight into their life. We have become a society of spectacle (Debord as cited in Marshall, 2001, p. 501) and the portrayal of celebrities through their personal accounts has allowed for this to happen.

Now celebrities, and us mere mortals too, have the power to an extent, to control what is projected into the media, particular social media. At this point in time celebrities are posting their personal photos to Instagram, or their ideas to their own websites and blogs - showing their fans what they otherwise may not see, or would have been provided with through second hand sources such as Magazines. It has been said that it was Celebrities who started the craze that is Twitter, a critical event for the mainstreaming of Twitter “was when Oprah Winfrey publicized her account on TV in the fall of 2008” (Stever & Lawson, 2013, p. 341). While these social Media sites may have started as simply a more direct way to interact with fans, and circumvent traditional media, the sheer masses that celebrities gain in Twitter following’s shows just how much they can impact their brand and how they now monitor their behavior on Social Media. Justin Bieber has approximately 45,000,000 followers on Twitter (Twitter counter, 2013), at this point, and actually well before Justin will have changed his behaviors on Twitter as he is being watched by so many, and Social Media becomes yet another Public Relations forum where his persona is managed and the Specular idea comes into play. To some extent, with celebrities like Bieber, who potentially do not manage their brand as well as other celebrities, perhaps they have not changed in ways that other celebrities have. Katy Perry is an example of of change, with 40,000,000 million Twitter followers her Tweets are far more measured and to an extent less personalised, because she is possibly more aware, or just cares more about what she is projecting out to the public.


(Screenshot: Justin Bieber Twitter account. https://twitter.com/justinbieber)

While I can see the benefits for a celebrity to share of their own accord, is this driving public demand for juicy details? Now that we get to see what the famous are really like does this intensify the Celebrity culture as Marshall suggests (2012, p. 499)? I think it does. For example, Shane Warne and Liz Hurley apparently share a lot of information about their relationship on Twitter, they don't Tweet each other for a week or so, and everyone wants to know more about their business and rumours that they are breaking up start to spread (Stephenson & Dowling, 2013). The mirror effect is having a broader implication on Celebrities, the more they manage their persona by sharing their own information first hand, the more details we then want. The same can be said by the way that any information can “catch fire in real time in Social Media” (Dumenco, 2012) as even one image can go viral in minutes, and celebrities have thus changed to be aware of that. When Niall Horan (from the band One direction) was spotted in Melbourne on a personal Holiday a picture of him was uploaded on Twitter and Social Media went into melt down. The hashtag #niallsinmelbourne was used so that fans could track any sightings of him (Wright, 2013) and any subsequent photos of him also went viral through mobile media. These aforementioned technological shifts (Marshall, 2010, p. 498) mean that the circumstance of celebrity has changed and allows them even less privacy, so much so that they are now aware of other people using Social Media, not just their own uses. So in anything they are doing celebrities now can only project measured and controlled personas because what ever they do will be captured and reflected against them.

As the rise of Social and Mobile Media grows celebrities will continue to change, as will all users. These technological shifts have made us more aware of what we are doing, what is being captured and what is being projected online, creating your persona. For celebrities this is magnified as the whole world watches them. Celebrities aid in both the popularity of these sites and the popularity of themselves by feeding, sometimes streaming information to their fans. This stream of information is only creating more want by fans and requires more management by celebrity to ensure that the information given will only help their personal brand. Some celebrities are able to manage this well, others are not, but inevitably, all celebrities have shifted their behaviors in response to the current ways we use social Media.

References

Bercovici, J 2011, The Celebrity 100: Social Media Over- and Under-Achievers, Forbes.Com, p. 62. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=822cc9ba-0288-41a0-8cd1-8367ddfaab3c%40sessionmgr11&vid=1&hid=8&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=bth&AN=65508990

Dumenco, S 2012, Imagine a world without Justin Bieber; it's easy if you try. #worldwithoutbieber, Advertising Age, vol. 83 (37), p. 1. DOI: 00018899

Hargittai, E. & Litt, E., 2011. The tweet smell of celebrity success:
Explaining variation in Twitter adoption among a diverse group of young adults, New Media & Society, retrieved from http://www.webuse.org/pdf/HargittaiLitt-TwitterAdoptionNMSPreprint.pdf

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