Producers and Consumers

I would characterize my experience with Web 2.0 as typical for someone my age. I use social networking sites like Facebook to stay in touch with friends and I update my profile regularly so they can see how my life is going as well. I use sites like Wikipedia and YouTube for information and entertainment, but I don’t contribute much to these sites. Unlike Facebook, I don’t think that the content I would contribute to Wikipedia or YouTube would stand out in any way from content someone else could contribute. I feel like spending my time making videos for YouTube or working on an article for Wikipedia can be spent better elsewhere, and I don’t have enough free time to spend hours each day doing work for those sites.


I think that sites that encourage user-generated content are becoming more widespread, and I’m glad that they are. These sites allow people to access information quickly and easily, as well as be entertained. YouTube also provides the producers of the content with essentially a worldwide audience. However, the videos they submit need to stand out from the rest, which can be very difficult to do. Although money and other resources are not required to make a memorable video, they can often help someone’s chances of having their video become a hit. Sites like YouTube provide opportunities for people to become famous and get recognized by others, but more often than not the person making the video will not achieve a high level of fame.


It is because of this that I primarily stick to Facebook whenever I have something to contribute. I know that whatever content I add will be exclusive to me, and the people that see it will be friends of mine that can use the information to learn more about me. In a place where an increasing number of websites allow for user-generated content, I feel like I consume more than I produce, but I think that most people are that way. It’s nice that the opportunity to submit content to the Internet is there, but for now I’ll refrain from doing that, choosing to consume instead.

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