In this work I refer to the text “Everyday Fandom: Fan Clubs, Blogging, and the Quotidian Rythmus of the Internet” by Paul Théberge, which I have read. I chose this article because, I wanted to find about the phenomena why people get so attracted to the sides and the economic role at the back.
Théberg describes in his article several fan sites and he also did a an historical research for example when it comes to the developmet of fandom.
From the beginning on the internet was used for exchanging information. The use of internet because of social reasons is increasing now. With the rise from the internet, fan clubs rise as well. The Internet is a place where you can connect with other people, who have the same interests, but you not only get connected with the people you also get connected with the artists. Fan clubs have taken a new dynamic. This fan club are at the one hand side a new “community” where you can share interests and where you get a sense of identity and belonging and on the other hand side a marketing opportunity and therefore an opportunity to make profit.(membership fees, “special offers” etc.) The mainstream industry is desperate to find more ways to make profit from the fansides
The fandom has come up with the rise of the star system and the formation of the star in persona. The rise of the star system is normally associated with the film industry during the early years of the twentieth century. Another main aspect in the history of fandom is the appearance of the first fan magazine in 1910. The film magazines started to print endless stories about the artists to create a relationship between the fan and the artist and to enhance the sense of intimacy between star and fan. Since the boom of the World Wide Web in the late 1990s, the degree to which conventional fan- clubs shifted to the Web was incredible. Since the middle of the 19th century it’s normal for stars to have their own website. This websites are run by the artists, their management and their record companies. This websites offer commodities focused on the star. This “special limited” offers, which cost way more than the other products, should invite the fan as a collector, to by this stuff. “Websites enhance the ability to profit from merchandizing schemes, because they make the products available everywhere and on a continuous basis.”( Théberge, p. 494). The fan forum is as well a possibility for fans to exchange their experience e.g. from the concerts and the feeling of togetherness gets enhanced. The Fan forum places a responsibility to the artists, who is the fans ideal.
There is also a fundamental tension between the interests of fans and the demands of commerce. For example discussions between the fans and the artist have been carried over into live performance contexts, (e.g.“Lilith fair”). This textual representation of themselves enhances their engagement with the band and with the event. Even while their tour several artists keep in contact with their friends through emailing, sending them links etc.
Fans get attracted to the membership by different promises like they will for example get palaces at first row during concerts and other benefits .“This emphasis on fans as consumers extends also to the ways in which the artists` involvement in charitable work is portrayed on many sites.” (Théberge, p. 496) Charitable work is upgrading their image.
The use of the internet as a personal public journal/ diary, blog has become popular in the last years. Around blogging you mostly find academic topics.
I, for my part think, as far as I can tell, that Théberge did a pretty good job by writing this article, he is explaining the coherences among artists and fans, among the interests of fans and the demands of the commerce, always keeping a eye on the economic idea at the back. I think, that on the one hand side its good for people to share their interests, to gain the feeling of togetherness and have an idol, as long as this behaves like one, but on the other hand side I recon that this pages can be danger as far as it can become a real dept trap aswell. Before I forget, according to MTV Europe the man with the best webside is Moby. Moby embodied all the fans requirements of a star. He `s not “only” star, he also acts like a fan. More important he performs what it means to be a star. This changing between star and fan identity, teaches the fans the ideal fan and at the same way endears him to his fans.
2 Kommentare:
Dear Lisa,
I've just read your review and it sounds really interesting.
As far as I know, your review must include the research method, the article used. So you should add it.
In sum, it is a good review and I liked reading it.
Laters,
Anita
Hallo!
Hier schicke ich Euch meine Arbeit.
Ich freu mich schon auf Eure Kommentare!
Liebe Grüße,
Flora
In the following text, I will refer to the Article I have chosen. The article is called : “ Children`s usage of media technologies and psychosocial factors.” The article was written from J.Heim, P. Bae Brandtzaeg, B. Herzberg Kaare, T. Endestadt and L. Torgersen. It was published 2007 in the journal :” New Media and society.”
The reason I chose that article, is that I was really interested to deal with that subject. Firstly because I have a two year old daughter and so she is part of the generation “growing up digital”. Secondly because the theme of my diploma in psychology is : “ The position of the Austrians to the psychosocial risk-factors in ear childhood.” The outcomes of my study showed that many people associate high media consumption with the development of behavioural disorders, specially aggressive behaviour and the Attention Deficit and hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHS). So I was very interested in the results of newest studies.
Studies showed, that in development countries, children spend more time with media than on any other activity, except sleeping. An 2005 made USA study showed, that children aged eight years and above spend an average of 6.43 hours a day with media. My opinion ist, that that’s really a lot of time. Most children are sitting between 5 and 7 hours a day at school, then they are sitting again in front of the PC or TV and then they are sleeping about 8 hours. My questions are, when are they moving and exercising their bodies?
When are they playing active? When do they spend time with their parents? I just finished reading a book, written by a German Neoropsychologist , Manfred Spitzer. In this book he is writing about the tragically consequences of this phenomenon. Children get really serious health problems, problems we usually hear from older people. Many are becoming overweight, they have a high cholesterol level, hypertension and also adult onset diabetes. These are all new kind of health problems in childhood.
Many studies show contradictory findings. Some analysts say, that media induce personal isolation, because children are alone staring at a screen and so they can not make psychosocial experiences. Other studies distinguish more the positive influences of media. They say, that media give children new opportunities to play, communicate, learn and get social support.
I found it really interesting to hear the positive sides of media usage in childhood.
I our home we use the internet a lot for communication and finding in formations. But we don’t have a TV and we don’t really miss it. I think that it is important for children to learn how to use the computer and the internet, but its even more important to learn them to be critical by the using of media. Media should not be used for entertainment of children. I often hear that TV is the best baby-sitter .I think, that this is a mistake. Because children sitting in front of the TV are not making real experiences witch they so necessarily need for their psychological growing. It is really interesting to observe a little child in front of the TV. Usually they don’t even notice when somebody talks to them.
The study I read about, is based on a questionnaire based survey in Norway witch researched the use of media among 825 schoolchildren between 10 and 12 years of age. The goal of the study was to find out witch relationship exists between children’s usage of media and psychosocial factors.The general research question of the study was:
What is the association between children’s media related activities and psychosocial factors?
Following psychosocial factors where regarded:
• Self concept: How the children judge their own competence in general domains of life, such as social acceptance (how popular they feel, if they believe to have many friend etc.), athletic competence ( how do children see there own athletic ability) and scholastic competence ( how quickly can the children complete there work at school and how well or bad do they evaluate there performing at school.)
• Parental monitoring: The children’s perception of parents knowledge about their free time (where and with whom they are spending there time when they are not at school or at home).
• Social competence: How do children perceive their effectiveness in their social interactions with other children of there age
The authors found that the above-mentioned psychosocial factors are significantly related to certain media activities. The study has four main findings.
1) There is a relation between high level of entertainment usage, specially TV usage, and perception of own scholastic competence.
An explanation for that can bee, that children who spend a lot of time in front of the TV have less time to make their homework. But the explanation can also be more complex. Children, who are not interested to do their homework, prefer to do other things in the afternoon, including watching TV.
2) There is a connection between heavy usage and utility usage of media, as well as high scoring on athletic competence. This association is a new finding. Explanations for that finding are: a) A high self-esteem has a positive interaction between coping with difficult technologies and sports .b) Media is often used by highly-oriented technology users witch are often sports-related (football games) and this confirms their interest in athletic activities.
3) There is a connection correlation between utility usage of media and parental monitoring.
An explanation the authors give is that parents who are actively involved in their children’s life and activities, have children who use technology for creative and educational proposes rather than for entertainment usage.
4) There is a relationship between the feeling of low social acceptance and heavy usage of media, especially in advanced usage. The explanation can bee, that media are very interesting for some groups of children, boys specially, who seek each other out and become isolated from other children.
My opinion is, that studies like that are very important to realize what media can do with children ( both ways, positive and negative) und what children can do with media (they can use it for knowledge as point 3 shows, but they can also use it to escape from reality as point 4 shows). I think its important to clarify parents about media and their effects. Scientists should try to find strategies, to make the positive effects of media stronger than the negative ones.
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