Critical Internet Cultures
From Selfie Cult to Mask Design
In this monopoly phase of platform capitalism, selfies and Anonymous are two sides of the same coin.Both emerge from the same root in Western enlightenment that emphasises individualism and liberation of the Self.Narcissistic self-promotion as well as politically motivated protection of privacy operate under the neo-liberal umbrella of individual empowerment. This raises the strategic question whether alternative network architectures arise out of a critical reading of such consumer cultures? What’s the state of the art in critical internet cultures in this post-Snowden era? What does it mean when the tactics of mainstreaming subcultural practices is running empty on the long run and the realtime meme politics is incapable of solidifying itself in alternative protocols and infrastructures?
Geert Lovink ist niederländischer Medienwissenschaftler und Netzaktivist
und Dozent für neue Medien an der Universität Amsterdam.