Trying to coin and explore a new term.

(WORLD) As i spend more and more time exploring the media menu offered to and created by young people, the term ‘digital capital’ seems to be a nice phrase to describe what I am finding.

MediaSnackers are devouring, accumulating and creating media like no other generation before. This in turn gives rise to this ‘digital capital’ which I’m using to describe to my colleagues (and anyone who will listen) what I am finding.

Up until now, the phrase ‘digital capital’ has been used in relation to harnessing the power of the web for business (see this book) but no one is using it (at least I haven’t found yet) in context of youth media consumption and creation.

There is also talk of youth acquiring and being purveyors of ‘urban capital‘–a phrase used to describe how young people use knowledge, experience, skills and social connection, that when combined in the right way influence social position (found via Christian’s Think:Lab weblog).

Again, not really what I’m getting at.

‘Digital Capital’ is the MySpace/Bebo profiles the MediaSnackers create and own, the texts and multimedia messages they send, the YouTube videos they post and others they add to their favourites, the photos they email to their friends or tag in flickr, the diary they write on blogger or on their social profiles etc etc.

MediaSnackers create ‘digital capital’.

MediaSnackers consume ‘digital capital’.

MediaSnackers have access to ‘digital capital’.

Author: DK - 30/07/06