Conclusion

To conclude, through Jenkins theory of participatory culture, It can definitely be argued that social media apps such as Instagram, are creating a new power struggle between User and Producer, however if producers started to accept users active behaviour and used it to their advantage the benefits are clearly shown as are the disadvantages. When looking at Goffmans theories it is clear to say that through the evolution of technology the act of playing a "role" to aid social agenda and feel accepted, Users are now being looked at closely as a guide as to what is hot and whats not. It is fair to therefore say that companies can therefore use this knowledge to gain some power back, by making sure their product is trending and popular, users are more likely to share it in a positive light. Not only for marketing but for educational purposes as well, users have created themselves a new phenomenon in connecting with one another, The archives although could be said to be discouraging museum visits and learning in youth, by posting them on Instagram it has created opportunities for people to view and consume information that may not be easily accessible to them otherwise. Whether the power lies with the user or producer is an argument still up for discussion however in my opinion most of the power at the moment seems to lie with the user, with some of the power still up for grabs from the institutions if they wish to embrace this new technological change, which as I have shown through case studies, some seem to be accepting and it could be said that this is proving beneficial.