Dylematy tzw. kultury uczestnictwa

Abstract

While presenting the broad background of specialist literature of the subject, with particular emphasis on critical and analytical approaches, and a reflection on the function of culture, its (generally considered) newest variants, as well as the notion of mass culture, the paper discusses the so-called participation culture in the media, the new ones, in particular. Both positive and negative aspects of the participation culture, together with its forms, dangers and various newly emerging phenomena (such as blurring of the boundary between the recipient and the creator, the ways participation culture is used by media producers, the cult of ‘me’ and a pursuit to one’s exclusive self-realization, mirages, myths, illusions and other) have been presented in it. The paper underlines the function and the position of the so-called participation culture in the processes of globalization, the cosmopolitan character of the new media and shows the ways different freedom technologies change themselves into the technologies of control and enslavement while making their way towards commercialization and consumerism. This reflection is caused by the voice of concern for the future direction of the development of the tendencies portrayed in the text.