The audience of today

Picture a time before social media. When you see a performer on a stage, you know when they are performing. They are on the stage. That is the clue. After the performance, they leave the stage, and the performance is over. Maybe you will be able to see them in the lobby, where they can shake your hand if you wait in line. The personal connection with them may end there, and there is no further expectation of interaction.

A characteristic of today’s big performing mediums, namely social media, is that the audience expects more interaction with the performer, wants a direct relationship with her. I should say that this isn’t something social media invented—the phenomenon of the fan club, mailing lists, etc. has existed for a long time, but modern web technology has made it much easier to facilitate that kind relationship at scale. The borderline between performer and person also breaks down: the stage is anywhere there is a camera, and there are cameras everywhere. It is harder to “go home” after a performance, to get off of the stage, because the stage follows you.