Online, social and participatory media
- Online media include websites, social media, blogs, vlogs and podcasts. They are interactive, instant and global.
- Participatory media let audiences create and share content, comment and like, blurring the line between producer and audience.
- Influencers build audiences on social media and are paid to promote products; UK rules require adverts to be clearly labelled (such as #ad).
- Algorithms decide what users see, which can create echo chambers.
Video games
- Video games are a huge industry, often earning more than films. Genres include action, sport, puzzle and role-playing games.
- Players are active: they control characters and make choices, and many games are social and online.
- Games are rated by PEGI, from 3 to 18, and may be criticised for violence or for encouraging spending (such as loot boxes).
- Games use narratives, avatars and immersive worlds, and are marketed with trailers, streams and social media.
Issues
- Benefits: access to information, creativity, community and new voices.
- Concerns: misinformation, cyberbullying, privacy and data, and addiction.
Key terms
- Participatory media
- Media where audiences create and share content.
- Influencer
- A social media user paid to promote products to their followers.
- Algorithm
- A set of rules a platform uses to decide what users see.
- Echo chamber
- When people only see views that match their own.
- Avatar
- A character that represents the player in a game.
- Loot box
- A paid-for item in a game with random rewards.
- Misinformation
- False or misleading information.