User-Generated: User-Generated: Becoming the Creator not the Consumer

It has become increasingly evident that user-generated content has become the newest trend in the online media, advertising and marketing, but amongst young creatives via online websites. Thanks to user-generated content and a participative web, business and online media is transforming Internet users from a a nation of consumers to a nation of creators.

So what is user-generated work? It is a simple subject actually, as I sit here composing this digest I am contributing what we call user-generated content; content that is comprised of various forms of media and creative works that is created and shared by Internet users. Creative works and media can be written, audio, visual, or a combination of the three. Really the possibilities are endless and only limited by ones creativity.

Wikipedia is a perfect example of a company that relies on user-generated work; a series of one page entities that give information about specific areas subject matters based on user submissions and edits. Any user can aid in the collaboration by editing the pages content and adding information/sources.

Though WIkipedia is an outstanding example of user-generated content, it is not the perfect example of the creative use of user-generated works. Artist Girltalk demonstrates perfectly the use of user-generated content amongst the creative youth. Girltalk works in an office sampling biological data by day and is a musician by night. Well he is a musician of sorts, he creates what are called remixes to restore what may be considered old into something brand new. For example he will take the beat of one track and add lyrics from another, creating a mashup. He then shares his new song on several web/social platforms, and he does so successfully. Girltalk has quite the group of followers and has inspired fellow creatives to join in the remix fun which has taken several forms such as videos, songs, and even re-writing plots to favorite screenplays.

The Internet was made to contribute ideas, and user-generated content helps give Internet users some control in sharing; the control to be creators rather than corporate consumers.

Girltalk: