The Front Page of the Internet

My digital history began with the discovery of Reddit, the self-proclaimed "Front Page of the Internet."

Reddit opened the gates of the Internet. There is a thread, or subreddit, for nearly every topic imaginable (as well as a few that are quite unimaginable). The site is full of user generated content, current events, articles, and so much more. 

Reddit is a host site. It does not generate content on its own, but rather relies on its users to create and share content. This philosophy creates a community and the more specific the topic, the more close-knit the community. 

My education in the Internet community continued with my introduction to 4chan. While Reddit is an incredibly diverse community and has its fair share of trolls, 4chan is a community of trolls. The content on 4chan is most often offensive to at least one person, and yet it usually has a dark sense of humor that rebels against the political correctness that is the constant subtext in most discussions. Whitney Phillips, as quoted by Jenkins, Ford, and Green in Spreadable Media, states, "a troll is able to assert his or her cultural literacy and to bolster the scaffolding on which trolling as a whole is based, framing every act of reception as an act of cultural production" (28). While most trolls on the internet appear to be offensive for the sake of being offensive, I clearly remember scrolling through 4chan and being deeply intrigued by some of the conversations taking place around these memes, images, and jokes. 4chan is a community with the one rule that there are no rules. Content cannot be taken down for being offensive or derogatory and it is this concept that allows certain taboo topics to be explored in a safe environment (by safe, I mean completely anonymous and untraceable, at least that is how I viewed the opportunity).

YouTube is the next step in my digital history. YouTube satisfied the voyeur in me as I watched videos such as the React series by the Fine Brothers (a series that simply watches different groups of people as they react to videos, photos, or other aspects of popular culture). 

YouTube created an Internet community in which content could be viewed in a certain context. Apart from the music videos and movie trailers, people shared their daily vlogs, attempts at cooking, or their own social commentary. Discussions arise in the comments and the sense of community is further propagated. 

These three examples show my own theory of the Internet, that it is a place for community. As Jenkins, Ford, and Green state, "we must likewise recognize a desire for dialogue and discourse, for solidifying social connections, and for building larger communities through the circulation of media messages" (60). The Internet has provided an opportunity for many to take part in discussions that they would otherwise not be exposed to. It creates a place for everyone to take, give and share content, ideas, and opinions.