Creative 
Citizenship & 
Social Media 
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF DIGITAL MEDIA 
@JEANBURGESS 
JEAN BURGESS 
QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY 
DAHLIYANI BRIEDIS | ST. KILDA COMMUNITY GARDEN | WIKIMEDIA COMMONS 
SOCIAL MEDIA RESEARCH GROUP
CREAT IVE 
1 .OVERVIEW 
REMEDIAT ING CREAT IVE 
CI T IZENSHIP & 
SOCIAL MEDIA 
CITIZENSHIP 
3 MODELS 
4.COMPETING FUTURES 
DIGI TAL CREAT IVE 
CITIZENSHIP 
2.THE WEB 2.0 MOMENT 
USER-CREATED CONTENT 
3.THE SOCIAL MEDIA MOMENT 
THE PLATFORM PARADIGM 
5 . PROVOCAT IONS 
PARTICIPATORY CULTURE 
THE SELF AND THE WORLD 
THE NEW UBIQUITY 
NARRATIVES OF ENCLOSURE
OVERVIEW REMEDIAT ING CREAT IVE CI T IZENSHIP 
ver&n adciugliatarl c mreeadtiivaity
OVERVIEW 3 MODELS OF CREAT IVE CI T IZENSHIP 
1 
2 
3 
CREATIVE WAYS 
OF BEING A 
CITIZEN 
CIVIC BENEF I T S 
OF CREAT IVE 
PARTICIPATION 
BEING A CI T IZEN 
OF DIGI TAL 
MEDIA 
creative, collaborative approaches to solving civic 
challenges using digital and social media 
civic engagement as unintended consequence of 
digitally mediated creative participation and creative 
networks 
exercising the rights and responsibilities associated 
with membership of online creative communities 
and digital media platforms; participating in the 
politics of platforms
OVERVIEW 3 MODELS OF CREAT IVE CI T IZENSHIP 
1 
2 
3 
CREATIVE WAYS 
OF BEING A 
CITIZEN 
CIVIC BENEF I T S 
OF CREAT IVE 
PARTICIPATION 
BEING A CI T IZEN 
OF DIGI TAL 
MEDIA 
creative, collaborative approaches to solving civic 
challenges using digital and social media 
civic engagement as unintended consequence of 
digitally mediated creative participation and creative 
networks 
exercising the rights and responsibilities associated 
with membership of online creative communities 
and digital media platforms; participating in the 
politics of platforms
OVERVIEW 3 MODELS OF CREAT IVE CI T IZENSHIP 
1 
2 
3 
CREATIVE WAYS 
OF BEING A 
CITIZEN 
CIVIC BENEF I T S 
OF CREAT IVE 
PARTICIPATION 
BEING A CI T IZEN 
OF DIGI TAL 
MEDIA 
creative, collaborative approaches to solving civic 
challenges using digital and social media 
civic engagement as unintended consequence of 
digitally mediated creative participation and creative 
networks 
exercising the rights and responsibilities associated 
with membership of online creative communities 
and digital media platforms; participating in the 
politics of platforms
THE WEB 2 . 0 MOMENT USER-CREATED CONTENT & PART ICIPATORY CULTURE
THE WEB 2.0 MOMENT USER-CREATED CONTENT & PARTICIPATORY CULTURE
THE SOCIAL MEDIA MOMENT THE PLAT FORM PARADIGM 
Social media 
The convergence of user-created 
(or curated) content 
with social networking, 
mediated via a handful of 
increasingly dominant 
proprietary platforms
THE SOCIAL MEDIA MOMENT THE PLAT FORM PARADIGM 
Platforms are the new 
media institutions: 
they enable, coordinate 
and regulate participation 
via both ‘hard’ 
sociotechnical and ‘soft’ 
discursive means
THE SOCIAL MEDIA MOMENT THE PLAT FORM PARADIGM 
The stuff of platforms 
✦ Interface design, aesthetics, 
affordances 
✦ User practices, behaviours, norms 
✦ Software, algorithms, APIs 
✦ Business models, licensing, 
partnerships, revenue streams 
✦ Media representations, social 
understandings
THE SOCIAL MEDIA MOMENT THE NEW UBIQUI TY
THE SOCIAL MEDIA MOMENT THE NEW UBIQUI TY
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Visible nodes = degree 7 
Size: in-degree 
Colour: modularity class 
Snapshot of follower-followee 
relationships in #agchatoz network as at 
April 2014 
Leftish 
twittertariat 
Media orgs, 
journos, MPs 
Oz ag orgs, 
farmers 
international ag 
orgs, farmers 
foodies 
right-wing #auspol
THE SOCIAL MEDIA MOMENT 
SILLY CITIZENSHIP
COMPET ING FUTURES NARRAT IVES OF ENCLOSURE 
Early experimentation and 
user-led innovation give 
way to standardisation and 
closure as platforms 
mature, reducing 
‘interpretative flexibility’
CONSECTETUR VULPUTATE AENEAN 
MAGNA 
COMMODO MATTIS DAPIBUS 
TORTOR TELLUS FRINGILLA VESTIB 
EGESTAS CURSUS
COMPET ING FUTURES NARRAT IVES OF ENCLOSURE
COMPET ING FUTURES NARRAT IVES OF ENCLOSURE
COMPET ING FUTURES NARRAT IVES OF ENCLOSURE
COMPET ING FUTURES THE SEL F AND THE WORLD 
16 
July 
2006 
h+p://paulstama3ou.com/odeo-­‐launches-­‐tw+r-­‐hellodeo/
COMPET ING FUTURES THE SEL F AND THE WORLD 
16 
July 
2006 
h+p://paulstama3ou.com/odeo-­‐launches-­‐tw+r-­‐hellodeo/
COMPET ING FUTURES THE SEL F AND THE WORLD
COMPET ING FUTURES THE SEL F AND THE WORLD 
h+p://gizmodo.com/5925156/the-­‐worst-­‐tweets-­‐from-­‐the-­‐first-­‐year-­‐of-­‐twi+er
COMPET ING FUTURES THE SEL F AND THE WORLD 
h+p://gizmodo.com/5925156/the-­‐worst-­‐tweets-­‐from-­‐the-­‐first-­‐year-­‐of-­‐twi+er
COMPET ING FUTURES THE SEL F AND THE WORLD
COMPET ING FUTURES THE SEL F AND THE WORLD
COMPET ING FUTURES THE SEL F AND THE WORLD
COMPET ING FUTURES THE SEL F AND THE WORLD
COMPET ING FUTURES THE SEL F AND THE WORLD
COMPET ING FUTURES THE SEL F AND THE WORLD 
2006 2010 
2014 
2012 
2008 
Leximancer analysis of all 
posts from http:// 
blog.twitter.com 
using default settings
COMPET ING FUTURES THE SEL F AND THE WORLD
COMPET ING FUTURES THE SEL F AND THE WORLD 
GILAD LOTA N | HTTPS://MEDIUM.COM/I-DATA/ISRAEL-GAZA-WAR-DATA-A54969AEB23E
PROVOCAT IONS DIGI TAL CREAT IVE CI T IZENSHIP 
Strategies  Tactics Of The Digital 
Creative Citizen 
• Exploit social media logics 
with playful and ‘silly’ 
citizenship 
• Adopt adaptive, multi-platform 
strategies  avoid 
delegating everything to 
one or two platforms 
• Develop critical 
engagement with platforms 
and their cultures as part of 
digital creative citizenship

Creative Citizenship and Social Media

  • 1.
    Creative Citizenship & Social Media ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF DIGITAL MEDIA @JEANBURGESS JEAN BURGESS QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY DAHLIYANI BRIEDIS | ST. KILDA COMMUNITY GARDEN | WIKIMEDIA COMMONS SOCIAL MEDIA RESEARCH GROUP
  • 2.
    CREAT IVE 1.OVERVIEW REMEDIAT ING CREAT IVE CI T IZENSHIP & SOCIAL MEDIA CITIZENSHIP 3 MODELS 4.COMPETING FUTURES DIGI TAL CREAT IVE CITIZENSHIP 2.THE WEB 2.0 MOMENT USER-CREATED CONTENT 3.THE SOCIAL MEDIA MOMENT THE PLATFORM PARADIGM 5 . PROVOCAT IONS PARTICIPATORY CULTURE THE SELF AND THE WORLD THE NEW UBIQUITY NARRATIVES OF ENCLOSURE
  • 3.
    OVERVIEW REMEDIAT INGCREAT IVE CI T IZENSHIP ver&n adciugliatarl c mreeadtiivaity
  • 4.
    OVERVIEW 3 MODELSOF CREAT IVE CI T IZENSHIP 1 2 3 CREATIVE WAYS OF BEING A CITIZEN CIVIC BENEF I T S OF CREAT IVE PARTICIPATION BEING A CI T IZEN OF DIGI TAL MEDIA creative, collaborative approaches to solving civic challenges using digital and social media civic engagement as unintended consequence of digitally mediated creative participation and creative networks exercising the rights and responsibilities associated with membership of online creative communities and digital media platforms; participating in the politics of platforms
  • 5.
    OVERVIEW 3 MODELSOF CREAT IVE CI T IZENSHIP 1 2 3 CREATIVE WAYS OF BEING A CITIZEN CIVIC BENEF I T S OF CREAT IVE PARTICIPATION BEING A CI T IZEN OF DIGI TAL MEDIA creative, collaborative approaches to solving civic challenges using digital and social media civic engagement as unintended consequence of digitally mediated creative participation and creative networks exercising the rights and responsibilities associated with membership of online creative communities and digital media platforms; participating in the politics of platforms
  • 6.
    OVERVIEW 3 MODELSOF CREAT IVE CI T IZENSHIP 1 2 3 CREATIVE WAYS OF BEING A CITIZEN CIVIC BENEF I T S OF CREAT IVE PARTICIPATION BEING A CI T IZEN OF DIGI TAL MEDIA creative, collaborative approaches to solving civic challenges using digital and social media civic engagement as unintended consequence of digitally mediated creative participation and creative networks exercising the rights and responsibilities associated with membership of online creative communities and digital media platforms; participating in the politics of platforms
  • 7.
    THE WEB 2. 0 MOMENT USER-CREATED CONTENT & PART ICIPATORY CULTURE
  • 8.
    THE WEB 2.0MOMENT USER-CREATED CONTENT & PARTICIPATORY CULTURE
  • 9.
    THE SOCIAL MEDIAMOMENT THE PLAT FORM PARADIGM Social media The convergence of user-created (or curated) content with social networking, mediated via a handful of increasingly dominant proprietary platforms
  • 10.
    THE SOCIAL MEDIAMOMENT THE PLAT FORM PARADIGM Platforms are the new media institutions: they enable, coordinate and regulate participation via both ‘hard’ sociotechnical and ‘soft’ discursive means
  • 11.
    THE SOCIAL MEDIAMOMENT THE PLAT FORM PARADIGM The stuff of platforms ✦ Interface design, aesthetics, affordances ✦ User practices, behaviours, norms ✦ Software, algorithms, APIs ✦ Business models, licensing, partnerships, revenue streams ✦ Media representations, social understandings
  • 12.
    THE SOCIAL MEDIAMOMENT THE NEW UBIQUI TY
  • 13.
    THE SOCIAL MEDIAMOMENT THE NEW UBIQUI TY
  • 17.
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isible nodes = degree 7 Size: in-degree Colour: modularity class Snapshot of follower-followee relationships in #agchatoz network as at April 2014 Leftish twittertariat Media orgs, journos, MPs Oz ag orgs, farmers international ag orgs, farmers foodies right-wing #auspol
  • 20.
    THE SOCIAL MEDIAMOMENT SILLY CITIZENSHIP
  • 22.
    COMPET ING FUTURESNARRAT IVES OF ENCLOSURE Early experimentation and user-led innovation give way to standardisation and closure as platforms mature, reducing ‘interpretative flexibility’
  • 23.
    CONSECTETUR VULPUTATE AENEAN MAGNA COMMODO MATTIS DAPIBUS TORTOR TELLUS FRINGILLA VESTIB EGESTAS CURSUS
  • 24.
    COMPET ING FUTURESNARRAT IVES OF ENCLOSURE
  • 25.
    COMPET ING FUTURESNARRAT IVES OF ENCLOSURE
  • 26.
    COMPET ING FUTURESNARRAT IVES OF ENCLOSURE
  • 27.
    COMPET ING FUTURESTHE SEL F AND THE WORLD 16 July 2006 h+p://paulstama3ou.com/odeo-­‐launches-­‐tw+r-­‐hellodeo/
  • 28.
    COMPET ING FUTURESTHE SEL F AND THE WORLD 16 July 2006 h+p://paulstama3ou.com/odeo-­‐launches-­‐tw+r-­‐hellodeo/
  • 29.
    COMPET ING FUTURESTHE SEL F AND THE WORLD
  • 30.
    COMPET ING FUTURESTHE SEL F AND THE WORLD h+p://gizmodo.com/5925156/the-­‐worst-­‐tweets-­‐from-­‐the-­‐first-­‐year-­‐of-­‐twi+er
  • 31.
    COMPET ING FUTURESTHE SEL F AND THE WORLD h+p://gizmodo.com/5925156/the-­‐worst-­‐tweets-­‐from-­‐the-­‐first-­‐year-­‐of-­‐twi+er
  • 32.
    COMPET ING FUTURESTHE SEL F AND THE WORLD
  • 33.
    COMPET ING FUTURESTHE SEL F AND THE WORLD
  • 34.
    COMPET ING FUTURESTHE SEL F AND THE WORLD
  • 35.
    COMPET ING FUTURESTHE SEL F AND THE WORLD
  • 36.
    COMPET ING FUTURESTHE SEL F AND THE WORLD
  • 37.
    COMPET ING FUTURESTHE SEL F AND THE WORLD 2006 2010 2014 2012 2008 Leximancer analysis of all posts from http:// blog.twitter.com using default settings
  • 38.
    COMPET ING FUTURESTHE SEL F AND THE WORLD
  • 40.
    COMPET ING FUTURESTHE SEL F AND THE WORLD GILAD LOTA N | HTTPS://MEDIUM.COM/I-DATA/ISRAEL-GAZA-WAR-DATA-A54969AEB23E
  • 41.
    PROVOCAT IONS DIGITAL CREAT IVE CI T IZENSHIP Strategies Tactics Of The Digital Creative Citizen • Exploit social media logics with playful and ‘silly’ citizenship • Adopt adaptive, multi-platform strategies avoid delegating everything to one or two platforms • Develop critical engagement with platforms and their cultures as part of digital creative citizenship