Portfolio 3

The term Public Sphere describes the relationship that we have with media in which everybody has their own freedom of speech and are entitled to their own opinions. I do believe that the public sphere WAS the idea for social media and for its users. However, I believe that over time it has become more of a place for humor, entertainment, and hateful messages rather than the informative purposes behind a public sphere. I also feel that digital media coincides with a hierarchy, which is contradictory of the public sphere. Fuchs describes this when he mentions “particular class interests”. The way the “upper class” of social media gets more attention is opposite of the idea of a public sphere according to Fuchs.

My keyword Geek has EVERYTHING to do with the public sphere. Geeks would be stereotyped as being at the lower end of this unofficial public sphere. This would be due to their nerdiness and awkwardness. Geeks would also be highly invested into digital media and the public sphere. Technology has always played a big role in the life of the geek.