Ever read Naruto? I helped make that.

The concept of prosumer is quite simple, one who is able to both consume and produce media. The internet is full of prosumers, while some may be more of one than the other; we all have an input in internet culture.  Ritzer’s concept is quite fascinating as I began to review my input as both a producer and consumer.

I am largely a consumer, I’m no Superwog of KevJumba. I constantly consume information from all reaches of the web, but I’m considerably lacking in the producer department. Over the last couple of years I have only been producing on social media, the odd Facebook post or Tweet is all I seem to do. However, as I delved into my past I found that I was once a very active producer. Back in my high school days, image was everything. The need to be with the in crowd, to go to the coolest parties and to attempt to cover up my obvious nerdiness were my biggest problems going through adolescence. The internet was my haven, a place where, under the guise of a username, I could satisfy my nerdy cravings. I was a constant poster on many forums, ranging from football, lacrosse and a forum for Asian Australians, but my largest input was in the anime and manga online scene. I was a constant poster on those sites and had befriended many people, most notably the guys who run the sites and illegally collect and distribute the anime and manga we all loved. My popularity with these people, got me a spot in the scanning team for some of the more popular manga series. 

This was the high point of my producing phase. I was an assistant for the expert scanners and online publishers I learnt how to edit scans and clear pictures and how to input translations.

When I look back at my prosumer history, I feel a sense of accomplishment. The joy and wonder I get from my weekly dose of anime and manga is something I cannot imagine living without, and for that small portion of my life I am happy that I was able to help in bringing the same joy to others from anywhere around the globe.

Ritzer, G & Jurgenson, N, 2010. Production, Consumption, Prosumption: The nature of capitalism in the age of the digital ‘prosumer’. Journal of Consumer Culture, 10/1, 13-36