We are all powerful "prosumers"

 We are all powerful "prosumers"

“Prosumer” is formed by the two words: “producer” and “consumer”. It regards the idea that one person is the producer and consumer at the same time. According to Ritzer and Jurgenson (2010), for example, in the McDonaldization of Society, Ritzer (2008[1993]) discusses how consumers are “working” in the fast food industry; the consumer of that food, is also, in certain extent, a producer of the meal. In regards to the model of presumption, it can be applied to many different circumstances. In the following blog, I would discuss and consider how the model can be applied to one’s identity.

As an international student studies in Australia, I am the producer and also the consumer. I consume different kinds of services provided by the commercial sectors, like restaurants and public transports. Meanwhile, during my consumption, I occasionally participate in the production of these services. For example, when I go to a fast food shop, I would serve myself as a waiter, as I have to find my own place and take my meal to the seat by myself. The self-serve checkout in the supermarkets illustrates the similar idea. Consumers, like me, would take their own items to the counter and finish the whole paying procedures. They actually “produce” as cashiers in the supermarkets. Besides, as I am a student, I enjoy different kinds of student discounts. In the other words, I am actually “consuming” the identity of being a student.

(Photo sourced: http://www.littlemummy.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Self-service-checkout.jpg)

As a netizen, I am a producer and consumer in the Internet too. According to Ritzer and Jurgenson (2010), Web 2.0 'is currently both the most prevalent location of prosumption and its most important facilitator as a 'means of prosumption''. Obviously, the Internet provides more opportunities for people to be a “presumer”. In the Facebook, or some other social networks, I am posting some wall posts as a producer. At the same time, I am reading the posts of my friends as a consumer. The similar ideas can be applied to YouTube, Twitter and different forums. Those ideas are also applicable to the blog where I am posting my own opinion. YouTube is actually a good facilitator of presumption. As a fan, I can listen to different songs and watch the music videos of my idols. I am enjoying the entertainment as a consumer while I am contributing to the hit rate of the videos as a producer. This finally turns out to be a brilliant idea for online promotion.  

(Photo sourced: http://lolforsmb.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/lol-social-sites.jpg)

All in all, everyone could be a “prosumer”. Under different circumstances and with ours different identities, we could produce and consume our own identities at the same time. Especially with the rise of Web 2.0, presumption is further encouraged. Moreover, upon capitalism, the ideas of presumption could surely being applied on a commercial scale. Online promotion with YouTube is one of the applications. The power of presumption could no longer be neglected. 

References:

Ritzer, G & Jurgenson, N 2010 ‘Production, Consumption, Prosumption: The nature of capitalism in the age of the digital ‘prosumer’, Journal of Consumer Culture, vol. 10 no. 1, pp 13-36.