Americans like to give names to generations. We call those who lived through World War II, the \"Greatest Generation;\" thosewho came of age reading the beatnik poets of the 1950s, the \"Beat Generation;\" those for whom the reckless investors in the1970s were role models, the \"Me Generation;\" and those who grew up disaffected and cynical at the end of the 20th Century,\"Generation X.\"
But we can't seem to agree on a name for the millions of people today - young people, especially - who are flooding theInternet with their own stories, music, films and art.
A survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that 44 percent of Internet users are generating creativecontent and posting it on the web. The survey found that it would be only a slight exaggeration in some cases to say thatyoung people spend most of their free, waking hours on the Internet or using hand-held devices, blogging, texting or postingtheir original work.
Some people call these do-it-yourselfers \"Generation C,\" for the creative content they post. Or C for \"citizen media,\" meaningthey're average people sharing their observations with the world. Another name some have given them is \"Generation E\" for\"entitled,\" because these folks feel they have just as much right as established writers or musicians or filmmakers to beheard.
There are programming packages that enable musicians, including those with scant musical backgrounds, to make prettygood tunes in cyberspace. Others help average people create and edit films, which is work that used to require the costlyskills of experts. Critically acclaimed films have been completed on budgets as low as $218!
Donnie Deutsch, who hosts a cable-TV show featuring creative Internet wizards, says Generation C or E is not an age group.It's a mindset.
\"This is the first generation that's saying, ‘You know what? We count,' that ‘my opinion is as good as anyone else's, and myability to create music is as good as any musician's,'\" he says. \"It's kind of a crazy, brave new world.\"
In short, readily accessible and easy-to-use technology is giving a voice to what \"Generation E\" may really stand for:everyday people.
因篇幅问题不能全部显示，请点此查看更多更全内容