Crowd culture is a phenomenon that refers to the emergence of shared values, attitudes, and behaviors among groups of people who participate in collective activities, whether online or offline.
Crowd culture is nothing new, maybe the name that started to be used back in the early 2000s by Henry Jenkins in his 2006 book “Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide,” but humanity always has sub-cultures or groups of people who has the same interests and preferences and form communities around it. Some people refer to crowd culture only to online communities, but this is not 100% true. Before the Internet and social media, we had crowd-culture communities. In other words, crowd culture gatherings can occur online and offline. In fact, crowd culture can be observed in any group that shares a common interest, belief, or value and comes together to create and share content that reflects that interest.
Some examples of crowd culture are baseball fans, auto fans, bikers, boaters, people who like art, people who identify with certain beliefs, preferences, etc. Nowadays, these sub-cultures use the Internet and the power of social media to get together and interact in a global environment.
For example, In the past, users of Harley Davidson distributed flyers or called each other to get together in one of this famous motorcycle brand stores or a park or a parking lot, now they use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other social media channel to communicate each other, but they still using an offline method of communications.
Harley-Davidson fans have organized themselves into various online and offline communities where they can connect, collaborate, and share their love for the brand. These communities include online forums, social media groups, and local and international clubs and events, such as the Harley Owners Group (HOG) and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
Another example is charities, political groups, and even the boys and girl scouts. Any charity can easily invite people to participate in an event or collaborate as a volunteer through Facebook, ask for donations either in money or goods, people can comment and suggest ideas, etc.
Social media can help amplify any crowd culture community.
According to David Holt in his article Branding in the Age of Social Media(Harvard Business Review) “Social media binds together communities that once were geographically isolated, greatly increasing the pace and intensity of collaboration.” In other words, the Internet and social media have made it easier for people to connect with others who share their interests, regardless of geographic location. This has led to the growth of online communities that form around shared passions and values, such as fan groups, activist communities, and hobbyist groups. Again, quoting David Holt “Social media has expanded and democratized these subcultures. With a few clicks, you can jump into the center of any subculture, and participants’ intensive interactions move seamlessly among the web, physical spaces, and traditional media.”
Three main factors of a crowd culture
- Participation: Crowd culture is fundamentally participatory, with individuals contributing to and shaping cultural practices and meanings through their actions and interactions with others.
- Collaboration: Crowd culture often involves collaborative forms of cultural production, with individuals working together to create and share cultural values.
- Networked communication: Networked communication technologies, such as social media platforms and online communities, facilitate crowd culture, which allows individuals to connect and interact with others who share their interests and values.
How social media platforms are helping crowd culture
- Building communities: Social media platforms allow individuals with shared interests or identities to find and connect with each other, building communities that can support and amplify their cultural practices and meanings.
- Enabling collaboration: Social media tools and features, such as messaging, tagging, and shared content, make it easier for individuals to collaborate on cultural production projects, from creating memes to organizing social movements.
- Amplifying reach: Social media platforms can help spread cultural practices and meanings to wider audiences, allowing them to gain traction and influence beyond their original communities.
- Fostering diversity: Social media can expose individuals to new perspectives and cultural practices, promoting diversity and creativity within crowd cultures.
- Providing feedback: Social media platforms allow individuals to receive feedback and validation for their cultural practices and meanings, which can help refine and develop their ideas and projects.
