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Digital Culture: The Changing Dynamics
which, among other things, earns money through the hiring of virtual space to their
“inhabitants”. 15 The visitors to Second Life generate a large income: between 1.5 and
2 million US dollars turnover per day, and the number of participants who earn more
than 5 000 US dollars per month is growing exponentially, which is why thousands of
people leave their “real life” businesses and turn to money making in this virtual life.
The most popular example of an Internet social network that forms part of the
public sphere (alongside the mostly music-oriented Myspace) is Facebook. It was
created in 2003 by Mark Zuckerberg, then a student at Harvard University (USA),
who established a digital network of Harvard students. The network expanded to
other American universities and in 2006 Facebook opened up for other users and soon
became a global Internet trend. The formula for this digital network is simple: every
user creates his/her own website, his/her “profile”, in which information about the
user is uploaded. There is also a virtual file for the creation of a list of “friends” who
also have a Facebook account. With the spread of Facebook friends and the collection
of data, every user forms a personal Internet social network which enables the
maintenance of contacts and updated information related to the “friends”.
The access and the simple model of data transmission, as well as the exchange of
user profiles through digital technology, enabled an exponential growth of Facebook
members. This socializing Internet service for contacts soon became a sociological
phenomenon. One particularly interesting fact about this social computer network is
that, even though Facebook opens up possibilities to establish new contacts which
enriches the social capital of users, this network facilitates the re-connection of
people who are or used to be in real life contact. Thus, it is more based on “old”
acquaintances from the “real” world, rather than new, virtually established social
contacts. Regardless which mode is at stake, this is an example of a new type of
interactive networked media user, who actively participates and co-creates media
content around these Internet social networks.
In addition, following its popularization, Facebook has also become a marketing
phenomenon, a new channel which has brought new possibilities to advertisers and
the distribution of their content. The fact that Facebook gives open access to the
profiles of individual users, makes it an easily accessible target for market players
who gain free information which enables the categorization of market segments and
the targeting of their strategic business activities.
15 For a more detailed account, see “Wonders of the Metaverse”, Economist.com, 20 April
2006.
http://www.economist.com/surveys/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=6794220
(accessed: 2 September 2007)
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