Document Type
Article
Article Version
Pre-print
Publication Date
2010
Abstract
In this essay, I argue that the stories from Columbine and Virginia Tech in the U.S. and Jokela High School in Finland betray a disconcerting dystopia of user-generated content gone wrong at a moment of much Web 2.0 hype. I use their actions and the subsequent reaction as case-study portals into an era of celebrity anarchy and narcissistic youth. I then contextualize these youth shooters within a generational context of purported narcissism—suggesting that their attacks are both premeditated as well as premediated. I conclude by pondering the challenges journalists face in complying with youth shooters' demand for celebrity and the possibility that, in the self-broadcasting world of Web 2.0, their role as gatekeepers may be more confounded than ever.
Publication Title
Communication, Culture, & Critique
Repository Citation
Serazio, Michael, "Shooting for fame: Spectacular youth, web 2.0 dystopia, and the celebrity anarchy of generation mash-up" (2010). Communication Faculty Publications. 13.
https://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/communications-facultypubs/13
Published Citation
Serazio, Michael. 2010. Shooting for fame: Spectacular youth, web 2.0 dystopia, and the celebrity anarchy of generation mash-up. Communication, Culture, & Critique 3 (3) 416-434.
DOI
10.1111/j.1753-9137.2010.01078.x
Comments
Copyright 2010 Wiley-Blackwell.
This is a pre-print of an article accepted for publication in Communication, Culture, & Critique (3, 3, 2010). The definitive version is available at www3.interscience.wiley.com.