While it’s difficult to give the term “Generation C” an exact definition, this relatively new term has grown in popularity recently. Coined in 2004, Generation C basically points to a content generation of people. More than ever, today people generate their own content on the web and look to their peers as much as they look to corporations.

It used to be that corporations ran mainstream media and consumers had little choice but to consume whatever was put in front of them. Consumers didn’t have much of an opportunity to create their own content. If they did, it was almost impossible to share that content with others.

However, today with the growing popularity of the Internet and the ease of creating content, the entire world is becoming a much more level playing field. No longer do people need to rely on corporations to create – people can instead create for themselves and for others.

Examples of the growing power of consumers are found all over the Internet. Blogging has become an extremely popular activity for Internet users. Bloggers write a blog that typically covers a certain niche subject. People then turn to those bloggers for information and insight. Not too long ago, such a practice was unheard of in modern society.

Mainstream media has had to adopt some of Generation C’s principals due to the success of user created content. For examples, many newspapers have had to launch their own blogs as people want and need information faster and faster. It’s no longer acceptable for consumers to wait for their morning newspaper for updated news. With that in mind, newspapers are hiring online bloggers everyday to keep up the pace.

Blogging itself is evolving at a quick pace. Video blog (vlogs) are becoming increasingly popular. With a vlog, no longer does someone even have to write a blog entry. Instead, vloggers can tape themselves and then host it online for people to see.

Over the last couple years, user generated video has hit the Internet by storm. Websites such as YouTube.com allow users to share videos and participate in a community with others. With YouTube, it’s easy to register a user account, upload your video and then share your video with others. People who view the videos on YouTube can rate the videos, leave comments concerning the videos and many other community oriented actions.

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Podcasting is another staple of Generation C. A podcast is basically the same as a radio show that can be heard on AM or FM radio, however it’s can be produced by non-professionals and shared over the Internet. With podcasting, no longer does someone need to be in the radio business to broadcast their thoughts and opinions to thousands or even millions of people. Instead, everyone is capable of producing their own radio-like content.

The music and movie industries haven’t been sparred from this change in consumer behavior. If you want to produce music, it’s becoming easier and easier to do so simply on your personal computer or Mac. All you need is the right software and you can turn your computer into a music production station. This allows virtually anyone all across the globe to produce their own music.

Once their music is produced, it’s quite easy nowadays to share music. Many websites offer free music hosting and music sharing. However, it doesn’t end there for music producers. Where it used to be that music producers needed to have a record deal to distribute and profit from their music, that is no longer the case. Music producers can sell their music directly to consumers and therefore cut out the corporate middlemen.

Similarly, people are able to now produce their own movies right on their computer. No matter what type of movie they wish to create, users are able to do virtually anything on their computers. Just like movies, it’s becoming increasingly easier to share and even profit off of homemade movies. No longer do big businesses decide who will and who won’t be heard or seen – consumers do!

When you are purchasing something on the Internet, the first thing a lot of consumers do these days is look for reviews. On the Internet, it’s easy to find consumer reviews. Most popular products or services have hundreds and hundreds of reviews online. This is another example of Generation C. It used to be that the consumer was only able to find a limited number of reviews. Those reviews weren’t even guaranteed to be accurate or without bias. However, nowadays you can find trusted reviewers and make decisions based on opinions of other like-minded consumers.

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Even online vendors are allowing consumers to review products on their own websites. Many vendors now have specific and prominent sections on their websites dedicated to users reviewing each individual product.

eBay has even made some form of online vendors obsolete. For those who don’t know, eBay.com is the largest auction website. On eBay, users can buy and sell virtually anything. This again cuts out the corporate middleman and instead gives more power to consumers.

Since Generation C is becoming an undeniable force in virtually every market in existence, companies have adjusted and are now offering more voice to consumers. It’s no longer surprising to see a corporation opening asking for consumer feedback. A number of corporations now have open message boards on their websites where consumers can interact with people who work with the corporation. This sort of interaction gives the consumer more power and allows corporations to adjust to the ever-changing needs of their consumers.

Generation C also creates content simply to stay connected. While email has been and will always remain an important form of keeping people connected, social networking sites such as MySpace.com are starting to do much of the same thing. MySpace helps people stay connected, meet long lost acquaintances and make new friends.

The way MySpace.com works is a user signs up and then customizes their page. On their page, they typically tell a little bit about themselves and give some biographical information. MySpace.com users are then able to add network and interact with their friends who have their own MySpace.com page. Currently, there are hundreds of millions of people with MySpace.com accounts all over the globe. MySpace.com gets billions of hits each month.

There is little evidence that Generation C will slow down anytime soon. In fact, most experts believe that Generation C has just begun. User created content is becoming increasingly popular and is being viewed and accepted by an audience that is growing by the day.

The price of software that allows users to create their own content is also becoming less expensive, which is an important aspect to this growing movement. For example, webcams and video producing software have both become much cheaper in the last few years. As these products become cheaper, it will allow more people to create their own content.

While corporations and mainstream media style serve a vital role in everyday life, Generation C is helping to transfer some of their power to the consumers. How this will ultimately affect our everyday lives is still to be seen but some experts believe that this movement will help create a world that is more united and self reliant.

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