Online creative culture and its impact on creative development of young people
With proliferation of digital technology, the means of art and media production, previously affordable only to professionals or corporations, became accessible to amateurs. Cheap cameras, multimedia devices like an iPhone, powerful opensource multimedia software, online art lessons and shared creative resources gave everyone a chance to be an artist, moviemaker, photographer, director, actor, and so on. The web allows the new creatives to publish their works on content-sharing platforms and gain visibility and recognition. This shift in technology and art circulation practices creates the atmosphere of the participatory culture, which not only enables, but also strongly encourages every participant to be creative on daily basis and produce their own media rather than just consume media of others. Teenagers and young adults are the most active creators of online content. Their presence on the creative web sites is very beneficial: not only they build meaningful social connections as they create and share media, but also they develop their artistic taste and mastery by being a part of collaborative participatory culture.